Infrared spectroscopic study on chemical and phase equilibrium in triethylammonium acetate

Protic ionic liquid (PIL) triethylammonium acetate was prepared by mixing equimolar amounts of acetic acid and triethylamine, and then studied using the combination of the Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, in-situ infrared spectroscopy, pH, and conductivity titration measurements. It was found that the equimolar synthesized triethylammonium acetate was separated into two layers, which suggesting that there were both chemical and phase equilibrium in this solution. Molecular species could be directly observed in the IR spectra over the range of 1200–1800 cm−1 and also checked by 1H NMR. Based on analysis, the upper layer was rich in amine with little acid and PIL, and the down layer was rich in PIL with residual acetic acid and amine. And single PIL-rich layer could be separated into two layers again when the mole ratio of newly added triethyamine to the theoretical produced triethylammonium acetate reached 0.12.