High viscosity of imidazolium ionic liquids with the hydrogen sulfate anion: a Raman spectroscopy study.

Ionic liquids based on 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations and the hydrogen sulfate (or bisulfate) anion, HSO(4)(-), are much more viscous than ionic liquids with alkyl sulfates, RSO(4)(-). The structural origin of the high viscosity of HSO(4)(-) ionic liquids is unraveled from detailed comparison of the anion Raman bands in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate with available data for simple HSO(4)(-) salts in crystalline phase, molten phase, and aqueous solution. Two Raman bands at 1046 and 1010 cm(-1) have been assigned as symmetric stretching modes ν(s)(S═O) of HSO(4)(-), the latter being characteristic of chains of hydrogen-bonded anions. The intensity of this component increases in the supercooled liquid phase. For comparison purposes, Raman spectra of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethyl sulfate and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium methyl sulfate have been also obtained. There is no indication of difference in the strength of hydrogen bond interactions of imidazolium cations with HSO(4)(-) or RSO(4)(-) anions. Raman spectra at high pressures, up to 2.6 GPa, are also discussed. Raman spectroscopy provides evidence that hydrogen-bonded anions resulting in anion-anion interaction is the reason for the high viscosity of imidazolium ionic liquids with HSO(4)(-). If the ionic liquid is exposed to moisture, these structures are disrupted upon absorption of water from the atmosphere.