The liquid structure of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis-(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (EMI(+)TFSI(-)) has been studied by means of large-angle X-ray scattering (LAXS), (1)H, (13)C, and (19)F NMR, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. LAXS measurements show that the ionic liquid is highly structured with intermolecular interactions at around 6, 9, and 15 A. The intermolecular interactions at around 6, 9, and 15 A are ascribed, on the basis of the MD simulation, to the nearest neighbor EMI(+)...TFSI(-) interaction, the EMI(+)...EMI(+) and TFSI(-)...TFSI(-) interactions, and the second neighbor EMI+...TFSI(-) interaction, respectively. The ionic liquid involves two conformers, C(1) (cis) and C(2) (trans), for TFSI(-), and two conformers, planar cis and nonplanar staggered, for EMI(+), and thus the system involves four types of the EMI(+)...TFSI(-) interactions in the liquid state by taking into account the conformers. However, the EMI(+)...TFSI(-) interaction is not largely different for all combinations of the conformers. The same applies alsoto the EMI(+)...EMI(+) and TFSI(-)...TFSI(-) interactions. It is suggested from the 13C NMR that the imidazolium C(2) proton of EMI(+) strongly interacts with the O atom of the -SO(2)(CF(3)) group of TFSI(-). The interaction is not ascribed to hydrogen-bonding, according to the MD simulation. It is shown that the liquid structure is significantly different from the layered crystal structure that involves only the nonplanar staggered EMI(+) and C(1) TFSI(-) conformers.

The state of water in room-temperature ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMI(+)BF(4)(-)), has been investigated by measurements of absorption and desorption isotherms, attenuated total reflectance infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy, and (2)H NMR relaxation method. The absorption enthalpies of water for the ionic liquid were estimated from the absorption isotherms. The enthalpies in the water mole fraction range of x(w) approximately 0.3. In addition, the activation energies for the rotational motion of a water molecule estimated from the (2)H NMR relaxation rates have indicated that the motion of water molecules in EMI(+)BF(4)(-)-D(2)O solutions gradually becomes freer with increasing water content from x(w) = 0.10 to 0.30, but is retarded again at x(w) = 0.33. Therefore, all the present findings have suggested that the state of water molecules in EMI(+)BF(4)(-) significantly changes at x(w) approximately 0.3. On the other hand, to directly observe the effect of water on structure of EMI(+)BF(4)(-), LAXS experiments have been made on EMI(+)BF(4)(-)-water solutions. It has been suggested that the interactions between the C(2) atom within the imidazolium ring of EMI(+) and BF(4)(-) are strengthened with increasing water content, while those at the C(4) and C(5) atoms weaken. Thus, the present LAXS experiments have clarified the beginning of formation of ion pair in EMI(+)BF(4)(-) by adding water at the molecular level.