Apparent mean-field criticality of liquid–liquid phase transitions in ionic solutions

Collective Effects in Ionic Liquid [emim][Tf2N] and Ionic Paramagnetic Nitrate Solutions without Long-Range Structuring

Mesoscopic shear elasticity has been revealed in ordinary liquids both experimentally by reinforcing the liquid/surface interfacial energy and theoretically by nonextensive models. The elastic effects are here examined in the frame of small molecules with strong electrostatic interactions such as room temperature ionic liquids [emim][Tf2N] and nitrate solutions exhibiting paramagnetic properties. We first show that these charged fluids also exhibit a nonzero low-frequency shear elasticity at the submillimeter scale, highlighting their resistance to shear stress. A neutron scattering study completes the dynamic mechanical analysis of the paramagnetic nitrate solution, evidencing that the magnetic properties do not induce the formation of a structure in the solution. We conclude that the elastic correlations contained in liquids usually considered as viscous away from any phase transition contribute in an effective way to collective effects under external stress whether mechanical or magnetic fields.

Charge ordering and scattering pre-peaks in ionic liquids and alcohols

The structural properties of ionic liquids and alcohols are viewed under the charge ordering process as a common basis to explain the peculiarity of their radiation scattering properties, namely the presence, or absence, of a scattering pre-peak.

Interfacial tension in immiscible mixtures of alkali halides

The interfacial tension of the liquid-phase interface in seven immiscible reciprocal ternary mixtures of lithium fluoride with the following alkali halides: CsCl, KBr, RbBr, CsBr, KI, RbI, and CsI was measured using the cylinder weighing method over a wide temperature range. It was shown that for all mixtures the interfacial tension gradually decreases with growing temperature. The interfacial tension of the reciprocal ternary mixtures at a given temperature increases both with the alkali cation radius (K(+) < Rb(+) < Cs(+)) and with the radius of the halogen anion (Cl(-) < Br(-) < I(-)).

Liquid-liquid phase separation in solutions of ionic liquids: phase diagrams, corresponding state analysis and comparison with simulations of the primitive model

Phase diagrams of ionic solutions of the ionic liquid C(18)mim(+)NTF(2)(-) (1-n-octadecyl-3-methyl imidazolium bistrifluormethylsulfonylimide) in decalin, cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane are reported and compared with that of solutions of other imidazolium ionic liquids with the anions NTF(2)(-), Cl(-) and BF4(-) in arenes, CCl(4), alcohols and water. The phase diagrams are analysed presuming Ising criticality and taking into account the asymmetry of the phase diagrams. The resulting parameters are compared with simulation results for equal-sized charged hard spheres in a dielectric continuum, the restricted primitive model (RPM) and the primitive model (PM) that allows for ions of different size. In the RPM temperature scale the critical temperatures vary almost linearly with the dielectric permittivity of the solvent. The RPM critical temperatures of the solutions in non-polar solvents are very similar, somewhat below the RPM value. Correlations with the boiling temperatures of the solvents and a dependence on the length of the side chain of the imidazolium cations show that dispersion interactions modify the phase transition, which is mainly determined by Coulomb forces. Critical concentrations, widths of the phase diagrams and the slopes of the diameter are different for the solutions in protic and aprotic solvents. The phase diagrams of the solutions in alcohols and water get a lower critical solution point when represented in RPM variables.

Liquid-liquid phase transition in solutions of ionic liquids with halide anions: Criticality and corresponding states

Measurements of the liquid-liquid phase diagrams of solutions of the ionic liquids (ILs) 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (C12mimCl) in arenes (benzene, toluene, o-xylene, tetraline) and 1-tetradecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (C14mimCl) in CCl4 are reported and compared with those of solutions of trihexyl-tetradecyl-phosphonium halides (P666 14Cl, P666 14Br) in hydrocarbons and 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborates (CnmimBF4) in alcohols and water. The phase diagrams of solutions of tetrapentyl-ammonium bromide (N5555Br) in water and KI in SO2 are also discussed. Except for the KI/SO2 system, which features a lower critical solution point (LCSP), all systems have an upper critical solution point (UCSP) and show corresponding-states behavior. The experimental data are compared with results from simulations and theory concerning the model fluid of charged hard spheres in a dielectric continuum, termed restricted primitive model (RPM). The analysis in terms of of RPM variables shows agreement with the location of the critical point (CP) of the model with noticeable systematic deviations. However, for protic solvents, the CP becomes an LCSP, while in aprotic solvents the CP is a UCSP as expected for Coulomb systems. This indicates that in aprotic solvents, the phase transition is essentially determined by the Coulomb interactions, while in the solutions in protic solvents with hydrogen bonds, both Coulomb and solvophobic interactions are important.