Abstract
The microstructure of mixtures of deuterated water in the ionic liquid [C4mim][BF4] is investigated by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurement. In the salt-rich region, water dissolves in the ionic liquid up to 0.7 mole fraction, whereupon distinct, nanometer-sized water clusters are observed. These water nanoclusters increase in size with increasing water addition while the mole ratio of water dissolved into the ionic liquid nanostructure increases from 2 to 4. These results provide direct confirmation for recent simulations as well insight into the source of nonidealities in some thermophysical and transport properties (e.g., density and viscosity) of salt-rich aqueous mixtures reported in the literature.
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