Ionic liquids as designer molecules for XPS peak fitting

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of ionic liquids (ILs) has become a valuable tool for the investigations of IL interfacial and physicochemical properties. The complex signals that result from elements which occupy a variety of chemical states, for example the C 1s photoemission, are often interpreted through chemical intuition and peak fitting parameters. This Thesis will present a new method to determine exact photoemission binding energies (B.E.s), through the comparison of multiple spectra. The designer aspect of ILs has been exploited in order to produce salts with small structural modifications. By comparing the C 1s and N 1s photoemissions of the structurally related samples, difference spectra have been produced. These spectra show the relative shifting of electron density between the two signals, revealing the initial and final locations of the changing photoemission. Using this technique, the current C 1s peak fitting models of imidazolium and pyridinium ILs have been examined. A variety of 4,4’-bipyridinium salts have also been used as a structural variation of pyridinium ILs to show how molecular symmetry and normalisation may be utilised in order to produce photoemissions equivalent to fragments of molecules. The subsequent C 1s difference spectra have provided carbon peak fitting models for mono- and di-alkylated 4,4’-bipyridinium salts. Without the use of XP difference spectra, these known fitting models would be almost impossible to determine. Finally, multiple complex difference spectra have been used to identify the exact B.E.s of C 1s photoemissions from a series of nitrile functionalised ILs. The complex difference spectra have also been analysed by inverse Gaussian fittings to show how additional information may be extracted from the characteristic shapes. The ‘construction’ of photoemissions is also demonstrated, whereby known B.E. peaks are assembled to accurately reproduce experimentally determined XP spectra

Resolving X-Ray Photoelectron Spectra of Ionic Liquids with Difference Spectroscopy

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is a powerful element-specific technique to determine the composition and chemical state of all elements in an involatile sample. However, for elements such as carbon, the wide variety of chemical states produce complex spectra that are difficult to interpret, consequently concealing important information due to the uncertainty in signal identity. Here we report a process whereby chemical modification of carbon structures with electron withdrawing groups can reveal this information, providing accurate, highly refined fitting models far more complex than previously possible. This method is demonstrated with functionalised ionic liquids bearing chlorine or trifluoromethane groups that shift electron density from targeted locations. By comparing the C 1s spectra of non-functional ionic liquids to their functional analogues, a series of difference spectra can be produced to identify exact binding energies of carbon photoemissions, which can be used to improve the C 1s peak fitting of both samples. Importantly, ionic liquids possess ideal chemical and physical properties, which enhance this methodology to enable significant progress in XPS peak fitting and data interpretation

Thermal stability of dialkylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate and hexafluorophosphate ionic liquids: ex situ bulk heating to complement in situ mass spectrometry

Thermal decomposition (TD) products of the ionic liquids (ILs) [CnC1Im][BF4] and [CnC1Im][PF6] ([CnC1Im]+ = 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium, [BF4]- = tetrafluoroborate, and [PF6]- = hexafluorophosphate) were prepared, ex situ, by bulk heating experiments in a bespoke setup. The respective products, CnC1(C3N2H2)BF3 and CnC1(C3N2H2)PF5 (1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium-2-trifluoroborate and 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium-2-pentafluorophosphate), were then vaporized and analyzed by direct insertion mass spectrometry (DIMS) in order to identify their characteristic MS signals. During IL DIMS experiments we were subsequently able, in situ, to identify and monitor signals due to both IL vaporization and IL thermal decomposition. These decomposition products have not been observed in situ during previous analytical vaporization studies of similar ILs. The ex situ preparation of TD products is therefore perfectly complimentary to in situ thermal stability measurements. Experimental parameters such as sample surface area to volume ratios and heating rates are consequently very important for ILs that show competitive vaporization and thermal decomposition. We have explained these experimental factors in terms of Langmuir evaporation and Knudsen effusion-like conditions, allowing us to draw together observations from previous studies to make sense of the literature on IL thermal stability. Hence, the design of experimental setups are crucial and previously overlooked experimental factors

Unravelling the complex speciation of halozincate ionic liquids using X-ray spectroscopies and calculations

Using a combination of liquid-phase experimental X-ray spectroscopy experiments and small-scale calculations we have gained new insights into the speciation of halozincate anions in ionic liquids (ILs). Both core and valence X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were performed directly on the liquid-phase ILs, supplemented by Zn 1s X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out on both 1- and 2- halozincate anions, in both a generalised solvation model SMD (Solvation Model based on Density) and the gas phase, to give XP spectra and total energy differences; time-dependent DFT was used to calculate XA spectra. Speciation judgements were made using a combination of the shape and width of experimental spectra, and visual matches to calculated spectra. For 2- halozincate anions, excellent matches were found between experimental and calculated XP spectra, clearly showing that only 2- halozincate anions were present at all zinc halide mole fraction, x, studied. At specific x (0.33, 0.50, 0.60) only one halozincate anion was present; equilibria of different halozincate anions at those x were not observed. All findings show that chlorozincate anion and bromozincate anion speciation matched at the same x. Based on the results, predictions are made of the halozincate anion speciation for all x up to 0.67. Caution is advised when using differences in calculated total energies obtained from DFT to judge halozincate anion speciation, even when the SMD was employed, as predictions based on total energy differences did not always match the findings from experimental and calculated spectra. Our findings clearly establish that the combination of high-quality experimental data from multiple spectroscopies and a wide range of calculated structures are essential to have high confidence in halozincate anion speciation identification

Ionic liquids as designer molecules for XPS peak fitting

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of ionic liquids (ILs) has become a valuable tool for the investigations of IL interfacial and physicochemical properties. The complex signals that result from elements which occupy a variety of chemical states, for example the C 1s photoemission, are often interpreted through chemical intuition and peak fitting parameters. This Thesis will present a new method to determine exact photoemission binding energies (B.E.s), through the comparison of multiple spectra. The designer aspect of ILs has been exploited in order to produce salts with small structural modifications. By comparing the C 1s and N 1s photoemissions of the structurally related samples, difference spectra have been produced. These spectra show the relative shifting of electron density between the two signals, revealing the initial and final locations of the changing photoemission. Using this technique, the current C 1s peak fitting models of imidazolium and pyridinium ILs have been examined. A variety of 4,4’-bipyridinium salts have also been used as a structural variation of pyridinium ILs to show how molecular symmetry and normalisation may be utilised in order to produce photoemissions equivalent to fragments of molecules. The subsequent C 1s difference spectra have provided carbon peak fitting models for mono- and di-alkylated 4,4’-bipyridinium salts. Without the use of XP difference spectra, these known fitting models would be almost impossible to determine. Finally, multiple complex difference spectra have been used to identify the exact B.E.s of C 1s photoemissions from a series of nitrile functionalised ILs. The complex difference spectra have also been analysed by inverse Gaussian fittings to show how additional information may be extracted from the characteristic shapes. The ‘construction’ of photoemissions is also demonstrated, whereby known B.E. peaks are assembled to accurately reproduce experimentally determined XP spectra

Unravelling the complex speciation of halozincate ionic liquids using X-ray spectroscopies and calculations

Using a combination of liquid-phase experimental X-ray spectroscopy experiments and small-scale calculations we have gained new insights into the speciation of halozincate anions in ionic liquids (ILs). Both core and valence X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were performed directly on the liquid-phase ILs, supplemented by Zn 1s X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out on both 1- and 2- halozincate anions, in both a generalised solvation model SMD (Solvation Model based on Density) and the gas phase, to give XP spectra and total energy differences; time-dependent DFT was used to calculate XA spectra. Speciation judgements were made using a combination of the shape and width of experimental spectra, and visual matches to calculated spectra. For 2- halozincate anions, excellent matches were found between experimental and calculated XP spectra, clearly showing that only 2- halozincate anions were present at all zinc halide mole fraction, x, studied. At specific x (0.33, 0.50, 0.60) only one halozincate anion was present; equilibria of different halozincate anions at those x were not observed. All findings show that chlorozincate anion and bromozincate anion speciation matched at the same x. Based on the results, predictions are made of the halozincate anion speciation for all x up to 0.67. Caution is advised when using differences in calculated total energies obtained from DFT to judge halozincate anion speciation, even when the SMD was employed, as predictions based on total energy differences did not always match the findings from experimental and calculated spectra. Our findings clearly establish that the combination of high-quality experimental data from multiple spectroscopies and a wide range of calculated structures are essential to have high confidence in halozincate anion speciation identification