ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal
This is a page describing data taken during an experiment at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source. Information about the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source can be found at https://www.isis.stfc.ac.uk.
Effect of Trace Ions on Self-assembly in Ionic Liquids
Abstract: In our earlier work with cationic surfactants (dodecyltrimethylammonium, DTA+) in ethylammonium nitrate (EAN, an ionic liquid), we found that the critical micelle concentration (CMC) and micelle morphology is sensitive to the choice of surfactant counterion. This is surprising as the nitrate concentration in EAN is ~100 x higher than counterions of added surfactant. Based on stoichiometry, ~99 % of DTA+ surfactant in solution should predominately interact with nitrate regardless of their original counterion. This observed dependency on surfactant counterion highlights that ion specific effects are present, and can be used as an effective tool to regulate self-assembly processes in high ionic strength solutions. The origin of specific ion effect in high ionic strength solutions is not well understood and potentially relates to the anomalous long screening length observed in these solutions. This experiment will examine dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide and nitrate self-assembly in EAN, ethylammonium thiocyanate (EASCN), and ethanolammonium nitrate (EtAN) to reveal the origin of ion specific effects in ILs, as well as their dependency on IL composition and structures.
Public release date: 12 December 2026
Local Contact: Dr Tristan Youngs
Experimenter: Dr Shurui Miao
Experimenter: Mr Alex Albright
Experimenter: Mr Amaar Ali Sardharwalla
Experimenter: Miss Sofia Olendraru
Experimenter: Ms Neave Taylor
Experimenter: Miss Daria Turculet
Experimenter: Professor Greg Warr
Experimenter: Professor Rob Atkin
Experimenter: Professor Susan Perkin
DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2320035-1
Parent DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2320035
ISIS Experiment Number: RB2320035
Part Number: 1
This dataset is NOT yet publicly available.
The release date is: 12 December 2026
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Date of Experiment: 09 December 2023
Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source
Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation
The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research
publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher],
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For Example:
Dr Tristan Youngs et al; (2023): Effect of Trace Ions on Self-assembly in Ionic Liquids, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2320035-1
Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.
