Abstract
Surface studies of ionic liquids are particularly important for all kinds of multiphasic operations employing ionic liquids, e.g. biphasic homogeneous catalysis or supported ionic liquid phase catalysis. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the surface composition of the model system 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate [EMIM][EtOSO3] was investigated. By comparing two different samples of this ionic liquid from two different origins, we observed a decisive influence of silicon containing impurities on composition and structure of the surface. For the case of the impurities containing ionic liquid, our angle-dependent XPS data are in agreement with a model of a surface layer consisting of highly oriented ionic liquid molecules. From a fundamental point of view, our study may be of general relevance for the understanding of the chemistry of liquid surfaces in general.
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