Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic studies of the trihexyl (tetradecyl) phosphonium chloride ionic liquid mixtures with water

Tetra-alkyl Phosphonium ionic liquids are phosphonium salts with melting points near room temperature. We report the NMR studies of water-trihexyl (tetradecyl) phosphonium chloride ionic liquid mixtures. The proton chemical shifts were used to investigate the intermolecular interactions in mixtures of ionic liquids and water. The OH chemical shifts were found to decrease as the water concentration in the ionic liquid increased, and their rate of change with temperature decreased with water concentration. The CH2 and CH3 chemical shifts were found to move downfield with the increase in temperature, and moved further downfield as water concentration was decreased. The interface of experimental data and the results of quantum calculations suggest a significant binding of phosphonium cations to chloride anion and water molecules. As well, the analysis of the data suggests a possible transformation from cationchloride-water configuration at low water concentrations to cation-water-water at higher water concentrations.