Influence of Nanosegregation on the Phase Behavior of Fluorinated Ionic Liquids

Fluorinated ionic liquids (FILs) have received increasing attention due to their physicochemical properties. They allow us to enlarge the tuneability power of traditional ionic liquids. With the aim to understand the thermodynamic behavior of these compounds, a study of solid–fluid transitions using differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, rheology, and molecular dynamics simulation has been performed. A comparison between different cations, anions, and hydrogenated alkyl chains was carried out using ionic liquids with fluorinated alkyl chain lengths equal to or longer than four carbon atoms. In this work, we provide evidence of the fluorinated domain influence on the thermodynamic behavior of these compounds. Moreover, the results suggest that the nanosegregation of the fluorous domains might be an interesting structural feature that modifies and/or enhances the rich phase behavior of the FILs, increasing the probability of these compounds to adopt different conformations. This information is crucial to design the best FIL and can increase their potential on a wide range of applications.