Effect of nano-confinement on the thermodynamics of ionic liquids

How To Apply

Interested in participating in this research project? Contact the professor or graduate student listed below.

Professor

Dr. Fardin Khabaz, Assistant Professor (Department of Polymer Engineering, Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering) | fkhabaz@uakron.edu

Graduate Student

Alessandro Perego | ap226@zips.uakron.edu

Project Description

Ionic liquids (ILs) are defined as salts that melt at or below 373 K. A typical IL is composed of a bulky organic cation and an inorganic or organic anion. As a group, many ILs tend to be miscible with many organic solvents. They show low vapor pressure, high viscosity and low degree of toxicity. At low temperatures ILs do not crystallize; instead, they form a glassy phase, while at high temperatures they flow with high viscosity, which is due to the strong electrostatic interactions between cations and anions. Preliminary data have shown that the dynamics of ILs in bulk can be related to the thermodynamics of these systems. In this project, we are interested in investigating the dynamics and rheology of these complex fluids subjected to nano-confinement. Furthermore, we seek to find a universal law, i.e., an equation of state, to correlated dynamics of ILs and thermodynamics. Goals of the project: 1. Use fundamental relationships in thermodynamics to estimate the entropy of these systems. 2. Correlate the entropy with the dynamics of the ions. 3. Develop an equation of state for these complex fluids.

Project Dates

Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020

Search Terms

Advanced Materials, Chemistry, For Credit, Non-Credit, STEM