Ricerc@Sapienza

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been largely investigated for their properties that make them good candidates for "environment friendly" applications. Moreover, the wide variety of possible anions/cations and/or mixing with other liquids, such as water, alcohols or different ILs, allows the fine tuning of their physicochemical properties, such as viscosity, electrical conductivity, melting point, and glass transition temperature, aiming to match specific operating conditions. In particular, the influence of the added water on the ionic liquid properties have been studied in recent years. Indeed, the knowledge of the molecular state of water and a deep understanding of the interactions between ILs and water is strategic in view of their many applications, ranging from extractive distillation or liquid-liquid extraction, synthesis and solution to their use in electrochemical devices like fuel cells. In addition, this knowledge is also needed to control the water effects for the open air use of ILs.
The main goal of the present project is the study of the effect of controlled water addition on the physical properties of selected hydrophilic ILs in order to establish the phase diagram of the hydrated materials. Indeed, the effects of water on the occurring of phase transitions in ILs have been less studied than the alteration induced in the conductive or dynamic properties, and the modifications induced by water on the structure of ILs are still not fully understood.
The synergic exploitation of experimental (Raman/IR spectroscopy, X-ray/neutron diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry) and computational tools will guarantee a robust understanding of the structural and microscopic properties of these mixed systems. The proposing team has well-established reputation in the proposed topic and the exploitation of the different techniques for such a task that guarantees the success of the proposed research plan.