Theoretical Investigation of the Te4Br2Molecule in Ionic Liquids

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Roman Elfgen - , University of Bonn, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (Author)
  • Oldamur Hollóczki - , University of Bonn (Author)
  • Promit Ray - , University of Bonn (Author)
  • Matthias F. Groh - , Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry (Author)
  • Michael Ruck - , Chair of Inorganic Chemistry II, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (Author)
  • Barbara Kirchner - , University of Bonn (Author)

Abstract

Material synthesis in ionic liquids, at or near room temperature, is currently a subject of immense academic interest. In order to illuminate molecular-level details and the underlying chemistry, we carried out molecular simulations of a single Te4Br2molecule dissolved in the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, as well as in the ionic liquid mixed with aluminum chloride. Although the ethyl side chain is much too short to show detailed microheterogeneity, significant structuring with the small chloride anions is seen in case of the pure ionic liquid. In the case of the mixture, formation of larger anionic clusters is distinctly observed and analyzed. Due to the tendency of ionic liquids to dissociate, there is a pronounced shift to elongated Te–Br distances in both investigated solvents. However, only in the AlCl3-containing liquid, we observe the reaction of the open chain-like Te4Br2molecule to a closed square-like Te4Br+and AlCl3Brion. The molecular arrangement of the [Te4]2+unit shows negligible deviation from that in the experimental crystal structure.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)41-52
Number of pages12
JournalZeitschrift fur Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie
Volume643
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2017
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-2391-6025/work/159171994

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • Ionic liquids; Molecular dynamics simulations; Electronic structure; TeBrmolecule; Low temperature reaction