Changes in dynamical behavior of ionic liquid in silica nano-pores

Abstract

Dielectric relaxation measurement has been carried out on an ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [BMIM][PF6]) confined in nano-porous silica matrix. Two dielectric relaxation peaks have been observed in the confined ionic liquid (IL) while there is only one relaxation peak for bulk IL. Confinement results in layering of some IL molecules near the pore wall while other molecules, less affected by pore wall interaction, remain in the central core. The two relaxation peaks are assigned to the different dynamical behaviors of the central core and layered IL molecules. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.