Quantifying the hydrogen-bonding interaction between cation and anion of pure [EMIM][Ac] and evidencing the ion pairs existence in its extremely diluted water solution: Via 13C, 1H, 15N and 2D NMR

•The proportion of hydrogen bonds of pure [EMIM][Ac] is quantified by 1D- and 2D-NMR.•The existence of ion pairs of [EMIM][Ac] was corroborated by 1D- and 2D-NMR.•The hydrogen-bonding strength of H6/anion of [EMIM][Ac] determines the association of ion pairs.•Ion pairs of [EMIM][Ac] exist via the through-space weak van der Waals force.

The acetate-based ionic liquid (AcIL) [EMIM][Ac] does not fully dissociated into isolated ions in extremely diluted water solution (0.5 mol% of IL). Still, ion pairs exist via the through-space weak van der Waals force between H6 of the cation and Hb of the anion. In this ion pairs, except for H6 and Hb, all other hydrogen atoms (i.e., H2, H4, H5, H7, H8) are totally hydrated by water; the acetate anion suffers from a more extent of hydration due to its higher hydrophilicity. One dimension (1D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (1H, 13C, 15N,) and two dimensions (2D) NMR are used in this study. 2D NMR used includes through-space 1H–1H NOSEY (nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy), through-bond 1H–13C HSQC COSY (heteronuclear single-quantum correlation spectroscopy), and HMBC COSY (heteronuclear multiple-bond correlation spectroscopy). The much stronger (H245/anion) or weaker (H78/anion) hydrogen-bonding interaction in the pure [EMIM][Ac] disfavors the association of ions in the diluted state due to a better hydrogen-bonding donor or a weaker hydrogen-bonding strength, respectively. However, H6/anion with the moderate hydrogen-bonding strength and the moderate hydrogen-bonding donating ability existed in the pure [EMIM][Ac] plays the role in determining the associating ion pairs. The proportion of hydrogen-bonding interaction between hydrogens in the cation with anion (100%) is approximately quantified in descending order as follows: H2 (42%), H4 (24%), H5 (22%), H6 (6%), H7 (5%), and H8 (1%).

Graphical abstractThe proportion of hydrogen-bonding interaction between hydrogens in the cation and anion for pure [EMIM][Ac] (100%) is approximately quantified in descending order as follows: H2 (42%), H4 (24%), H5 (22%), H6 (6%), H7 (5%), H8 (1%). Ion pairs exist in the extremely-water-diluted [EMIM][Ac] (0.5 mol% fra. of IL) via the through-space weak van der Waals force between H6 of the cation and Hb of the anion.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide