Journal article
Charge Tethering Drives Intermediate-Range Order and Slow Dynamics in Zwitterionic Liquids
The journal of physical chemistry. B
07/10/2026
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6c03524
PMID: 42429279
Appears in UI Libraries Support Open Access
Abstract
We have synthesized and characterized a family of zwitterionic liquids (ZwLs) based on the poly(ethylene oxide) imidazolium cation and the alkyl sulfonate anion. To better rationalize ZwLs' structural behavior and network-forming properties, we have computationally studied them in contrast to isostructural but chemically untethered ionic liquid (IL) analogues. Perhaps surprisingly, it is the molecular liquids and not the ILs that show the most self-assembly and intermediate-range order associated with scattering prepeaks; the ZwLs display also the slowest dynamics. This is consistent with prior work showing the importance of networks in considering the viscoelastic relaxation of liquids. We find that, because of their significantly large molecular dipoles, these zwitterions are versatile network-building blocks that result in highly viscous liquids. From a structural perspective, networks in these ZwLs sit somewhere in between what would be true chemical connectivity and the Coulombic networks observed in ionic liquids.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Charge Tethering Drives Intermediate-Range Order and Slow Dynamics in Zwitterionic Liquids
- Creators
- Raphael Ogbodo - University of IowaLaxmi Adhikari - University of MissouriClinton Adu - Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyAndrew J Nieuwkoop - Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyGary A Baker - University of MissouriJames F Wishart - Brookhaven National LaboratoryClaudio J Margulis - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The journal of physical chemistry. B
- DOI
- 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6c03524
- PMID
- 42429279
- NLM abbreviation
- J Phys Chem B
- ISSN
- 1520-5207
- eISSN
- 1520-5207
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society; WASHINGTON
- Grant note
- Division of Chemistry: CHE-2416844 Office of Science: DE-SC0012704
Work at the University of Iowa was supported by grant CHE-2416844, and work at Rutgers University was supported by grant CHE-2416845, both from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The work at BNL was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences, under contract DE-SC0012704. We gratefully acknowledge Professor Joshua Sangoro of The Ohio State University for his valuable insights and fruitful discussions during the initial stages of this research. RO and CJM thank the University of Iowa for a generous allocation of supercomputing time at the Argon cluster.
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 07/10/2026
- Academic Unit
- Chemistry
- Record Identifier
- 9985180967402771
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