Title: Li<sup>+</sup> Cation Environment, Transport, and Mechanical Properties of the LiTFSI Doped <i>N</i>-Methyl-<i>N</i>-alkylpyrrolidinium<sup>+</sup>TFSI<sup>-</sup> Ionic Liquids
Abstract: Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been performed on N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (mppy(+)TFSI(-)) and N,N-dimethyl- pyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (mmpy(+)TFSI(+)) ionic liquids (ILs) doped with 0.25 mol fraction LiTFSI salt at 303-500 K. The liquid density, ion self-diffusion coefficients, and conductivity predicted by MD simulations were found to be in good agreement with experimental data, where available. MD simulations reveal that the Li(+) environment is similar in mppy(+)TFSI(-) and mmpy(+)TFSI(+) ILs doped with LiTFSI. The Li(+) cations were found to be coordinated on average by slightly less than four oxygen atoms with each oxygen atom being contributed by a different TFSI(-) anion. Significant lithium aggregation by sharing up to three TFSI(-) anions bridging two lithiums was observed, particularly at lower temperatures where the lithium aggregates were found to be stable for tens of nanoseconds. Polarization of TFSI(-) anions is largely responsible for the formation of such lithium aggregates. Li(+) transport was found to occur primarily by exchange of TFSI(-) anions in the first coordination shell with a smaller (approximately 30%) contribution also due to Li(+) cations diffusing together with their first coordination shell. In both ILs, ion self-diffusion coefficients followed the order Li(+) < TFSI(-) < mmpy(+) or mppy(+) with all ion diffusion in mmpy(+)TFSI(-) being systematically slower than that in mppy(+)TFSI(-). Conductivity due to the Li(+) cation in LiTFSI doped mppy(+)TFSI(-) IL was found to be greater than that for a model poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO)/LiTFSI polymer electrolyte but significantly lower than that for an ethylene carbonate/LiTFSI liquid electrolyte. Finally, the time-dependent shear modulus for the LiTFSI doped ILs was found to be similar to that for a model poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO)/LiTFSI polymer electrolyte on the subnanosecond time scale.
Publication Year: 2006
Publication Date: 2006-08-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 299
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