화학공학소재연구정보센터
Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol.124, No.22, 4651-4660, 2020
Self-Stabilized Giant Aggregates in Water from Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids with an Asymmetric Polar-Apolar-Polar Architecture
We report the assembly of four imidazolium bromides, each of which bears a naphthyl on one side of the imidazolium cation and a branched alkyl chain on the other. This design creates a new type of amphiphilic ionic liquid with an apolar-polar-apolar structure and a low melting point (m(p), <-20 degrees C), which has not been achieved by reported counterparts bearing linear alkyl chains. In solvent-free states, microphase segregation occurs where polar and apolar domains arrange bicontinuously as proved by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. When dispersed in water, self-stabilized giant aggregates formed with ultrahigh colloidal stability (up to years). MD simulations provide clues of discrete bicontinuous phases within the giant aggregates. These newly discovered self-assemblies provide a heterogeneous reservoir that can accommodate guest molecules including the highly apolar fullerene C-60, paving the way for a wide range of potential applications.