Probing Laser-induced Microenvironment Changes in Room Temperature Ionic Liquids

TL;DR

This study investigates how laser irradiation alters the microstructure of room temperature ionic liquids, affecting oxygen distribution and dynamics, with implications for chemical reactions and applications like batteries and sensors.

Contribution

First demonstration of laser-induced microstructure changes in RTILs affecting oxygen redistribution and dynamics, providing insights for designing responsive ionic liquid systems.

Findings

Laser irradiation causes microstructure redistribution in RTILs.

Oxygen molecules move into polar domains after laser exposure.

Long-lived triplet states indicate increased oxygen interaction.

Abstract

Modulating heterogeneous microstructure in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) by external stimuli is an important approach for understanding and designing the external field induced chemical reactions in natural and applicable systems. Here, we report for the first time the redistribution of oxygen molecules in RTILs due to laser-induced microstructure changes probed by triplet excited state dynamics of porphyrin and rotational dynamics of coumarin 153. A remarkably long-lived triplet excited state of porphyrin is observed in air-saturated ionic liquid with the changes of microstructure after irradiation, suggesting that more charge-shifted O2 induced by external laser field move into the polar domains of ionic liquid [C8mim][PF6] from nonpolar domains through electrostatic interactions. The results presented here suggest that the heterogeneous systems of ionic liquids upon external stimuli can be designed for those oxygen-related chemical reactions with extensive inspirations for potential applications in lithium-air batteries, gaseous sensing, photoelectrical catalysis and so on.