The structure of ionic liquid solutions nanoconfined in mesoporous silica

In this proposal we will study the structure of room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) confined to the nanometre-scale pores of the mesoporous silica SBA-15. RTILs are organic salts with low melting points, generally composed of an asymmetric organic cation and a highly symmetric inorganic or organic anions. They have received much attention these days due to the unique combination of properties: low vapor pressure, nonflammability, high thermal and conductivity. Applications include use as green solvents and as electrolytes in energy storage devices. Here we will use neutron diffraction and isotope labelling to understand how RTILs are structured when under nanoscale confinement, with questions revolving around the nature of charge ordering and the impact/extent of surface packing and reorientation. To reduce the viscosity of the system, we will use acetonitile as the solvent across two concentrations, with isotope H/D labelling of all 3 components (cations, anions and solvent).