Comparison of the local binding motifs in the imidazolium-based ionic liquids [EMIM][BF4] and [EMMIM][BF4] through cryogenic ion vibrational predissociation spectroscopy: Unraveling the roles of anharmonicity and intermolecular interactions.

We clarify the role of the critical imidazolium C(2)H position (the central C between N atoms in the heterocycle) in the assembly motif of the [EMIM][BF4] ionic liquid by analyzing the vibrational spectra of the bare EMIM+ ion as well as that of the cationic [EMIM]2[BF4]+ (EMIM+ = 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium, C6H11N2+) cluster. Vibrational spectra of the cold, mass-selected ions are obtained using cryogenic ion vibrational predissociation of weakly bound D2 molecules formed in a 10 K ion trap. The C(2)H behavior is isolated by following the evolution of key vibrational features when the C(2) hydrogen, the proposed binding location of the anion to the imidazolium ring, is replaced by either deuterium or a methyl group (i.e., in the EMMIM+ analogue). Strong features in the ring CH stretching region of the bare ion are traced to Fermi resonances with overtones of lower frequency modes. Upon incorporation into the EMIM+ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ BF4− ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ EMIM+ ternary complex, the C(2)H oscillator strength is dramatically increased, accounting for the much more complicated patterns derived from the EMIM+ ring CH stretches in the light isotopomer, which are strongly suppressed in the deuterated analogue. Further changes in the spectra that occur when the C(2)H is replaced by a methyl group are consistent with BF4− attachment directly to the imidazolium ring in an arrangement that maximizes the electrostatic interaction between the molecular ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]