New Class of Ionic Liquid Crystal Proposed by Using Quantum Chemical Calculation

Abstract

The current investigation conducts a thorough analysis of the nonlinear optical properties, binding characteristics, and electronic features of 1-proplene-3-methylimidazolium (PMIM)-X ionic liquid (IL) crystal. These findings reveal that the dissociation energy of PMIM-X indicates a preference for ionic dissociation over neutral dissociation. Notably, the ionic dissociation energy shows an increasing trend with both the electron affinity (EA) and the size of X. In the process of forming the IL crystal PMIM-X, this study observes a charge transfer from PMIM to X species. It is noteworthy that the extent of charge transfer intensifies with the increasing size of X. Additionally, the calculated energy gap exhibits a positive correlation with both EA and the size of X. Although these results suggest promising nonlinear optical behavior for PMIM-X, it is crucial to acknowledge the limitations of the study. All calculations are conducted on single atoms in the gas phase, overlooking potential effects that may arise in the liquid phase or bulk conditions. Therefore, future investigations should consider these factors for a more comprehensive understanding of the behavior of PMIM-X in practical applications.