Nanostructure Thermal Conductivity Relationships in Protic Ionic Liquids

The thermal conductivities of nine protic ionic liquids (ILs) have been investigated between 293 and 340 K. Within this range, the thermal conductivities are between 0.18 and 0.30 Wm1K1. These values are higher than those typically associated with oils and aprotic ILs, but lower than those of strongly hydrogen bonding solvents like water. Weak linear decreases in thermal conductivity with temperature are noted, with the exception of ethanolammonium nitrate (EtAN) where the thermal conductivity increases with temperature. The dependence of thermal conductivity on IL type is analyzed with use of the BaheVarela pseudolattice theory. This theory treats the bulk IL as an array of ordered domains with intervening domains of uncorrelated structure which enable and provide barriers to heat propagation (respectively) via allowed vibrational modes. For the protic ILs investigated, thermal conductivity depends strongly on the IL cation alkyl chain length. This is because the cation alkyl chain controls the dimensions of the IL bulk nanostructure, which consists of charged (ordered domains) and uncharged regions (disordered domains). As the cation alkyl chain controls the dimensions of the disordered domains, it thus limits the thermal conductivity. To test the generality of this interpretation, the thermal conductivities of propylammonium nitrate (PAN) and PANoctanol mixtures were examined; water selectively swells the PAN charged domain, while octanol swells the uncharged regions. Up to a certain concentration, adding water increases thermal conduction and octanol decreases it, as expected. However, at high solute concentrations the IL nanostructure is broken. When additional solvent is added above this concentration the rate of change in thermal conductivity is greatly reduced. This is because, in the absence of nanostructure, the added solvent only serves to dilute the salt solution