Association of ionic liquids in solution: a combined dielectric and conductivity study of [bmim][Cl] in water and in acetonitrile.

Ion association of the ionic liquid [bmim][Cl] in acetonitrile and in water was studied by dielectric spectroscopy for salt concentrations c ≤ 1.3 M at 298.15 K and by measurement of molar electrical conductivities, Λ, of dilute solutions (c ≤ 0.006 M) in the temperature range 273.15 ≲ T/K ≤ 313.15. Whilst acetonitrile solutions of [bmim][Cl] exhibit moderate ion pairing, with an association constant of K°(A) ≈ 60 M(-1) and increasing with temperature, [bmim][Cl] is only weakly associated in water (K°(A) ≈ 6 M(-1)) and ion pairing decreases with rising temperature. Only contact ion pairs were detected in both solvents. Standard-state enthalpy, entropy and heat capacity changes of ion association were derived, as well as the activation enthalpy of charge transport and the limiting conductivity of the cation, λ(∞) (bmim). These data, in conjunction with effective solvation numbers obtained from the dielectric spectra, suggest that the solvation of bmim is much weaker in water than in acetonitrile.