| Abstract |
In this work the liquid/vapour and the solid/liquid interfaces of a series of ionic liquids: 1-ethyl-3-methylpyridinium ethyl sulfate, [EMPy][EtSO4], 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethyl sulfate, [EMIM][EtSO4], 1-ethanol-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [C2OHMIM][BF4], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [BMIM][BF4], and 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [OMIM][BF4], were investigated. The surface tension was measured in a wide temperature range, (298-453) K. The contact angles were determined on substrates of different polarities. Both on the polar (glass) and the non-polar substrates ((poly-(tetrafluoroethylene) and poly-(ethylene)), the liquids with maximum and minimum surface tensions lead, respectively, to the highest and the lowest contact angles. The dispersive, gamma(d)(L), and non-dispersive, gamma(nd)(L), components of the liquid surface tension, gamma(L), were calculated from the contact angles non-dispersive, on the non-polar substrates using the Fowkes approach. The polarity fraction, gamma(nd)(L)/gamma(L) was compared with the polarity parameter, k, obtained from the fitting of the surface tension vs. temperature data to the Eotvos equation. Good agreement was found for the extreme cases: [OMIM][BF4] exhibits the lowest polarity and [BMIM][BF4], the highest. When compared with the polarity fractions of standard liquids considered as polar liquids, the ionic liquids studied may be considered as moderately polar. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. |
