The Influence of Hydrogen‐Bond Defects on the Properties of Ionic Liquids

Abstract

Counterintuitive: The preformation of ion pairs can explain the low melting points of imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) and the resulting expanded range of working temperatures. This quasi-ion-pair formation is possible for ILs having cations with only one interaction site leading to local and directional hydrogen bonds with the corresponding anion (see structure; O red, N blue, F green, S yellow).