Lithium ion solvation in room-temperature ionic liquids involving bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide anion studied by Raman Spectroscopy and DFT calculations

The solvation structure of the lithium ion in room-temperature ionic liquids 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (EMI+TFSI-) and N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (BMP+TFSI-) has been studied by Raman spectroscopy and DFT calculations. Raman spectra of EMI+TFSI- and BMP+TFSI- containing Li+TFSI- over the range 0.144-0.589 and 0.076-0.633 mol dm(-3), respectively, were measured at 298 K. A strong 744 cm(-1) band of the free TFSI- ion in the bulk weakens with increasing concentration of the lithium ion, and it revealed by analyzing the intensity decrease that the two TFSI- ions bind to the metal ion. The lithium ion may be four-coordinated through the 0 atoms of two bidentate TFSI- ions. It has been established in our previous work that the TFSI- ion involves two conformers of C-1 (cis) and C-2 (trans) symmetries in equilibrium, and the dipole moment of the C-1 conformer is significantly larger than that of the C-2 conformer. On the basis of these facts, the geometries and SCF energies of possible solvate ion clusters [Li(C-1-TFSI-)(2)](-), [Li(C-1-TFSI-)(C-2-TFSI-)](-))]-, and [Li(C-2-TFS)(-))(2)](-) were examined using the theoretical DFT calculations. It is concluded that the C-1 conformer is more preferred to the C, conformer in the vicinity of the lithium ion.