CO2 Absorption Using Fluorine Functionalized Ionic Liquids: Interplay of Hydrogen and σ-Hole Interactions

Use of ionic liquids (ILs) for CO2 capture offers certain advantages over currently used methodologies and is of growing interest. With this perspective, ILs composed of S-ethyl-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylthiouronium ([ETT]) and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium ([Hmim]) cations and tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate ([FEP]) anion have been investigated. The present work unravels the noncovalent interactions accompanying CO2 capture by these ILs. Electronic structure of ion pairs and their CO2 absorbed [ETT][FEP]·n(CO2) and [Hmim][FEP]·n(CO2) (n up to 30) complexes are derived. The anisotropy in molecular electrostatic potential dictates the binding of CO2 through the interplay of (i) halogen bonding (O···F) between electron deficient σ-holes on fluorines, (ii) electrostatic C···F interactions between electron deficient carbons of CO2 and the electron-rich fluorine atoms, and the (iii) hydrogen bonding (O···H) interactions from the cation. The manifestations of these interactions on binding energies, polarizabi...