The terahertz and infrared frequency vibration modes of room-temperature ionic liquids with imidazolium cations and halogen anions were extensively investigated. There is an intermolecular vibrational mode between the imidazolium ring of an imidazolium cation, a halogen atomic anion with a large absorption coefficient and a broad bandwidth in the low THz frequency region (13-130 cm-1), the intramolecular vibrational modes of the alkyl-chain part of an imidazolium cation with a relatively small absorption coefficient in the mid THz frequency region (130-500 cm-1), the intramolecular skeletal vibrational modes of an imidazolium ring affected by the interaction between the imidazolium ring, and a halogen anion with a relatively large absorption coefficient in a high THz frequency region (500-670 cm-1). Interesting spectroscopic features on the interaction between imidazolium cations and halogen anions was also obtained from spectroscopic studies at IR frequencies (550-3300 cm-1). As far as the frequency of the intermolecular vibrational mode is concerned, we found the significance of the reduced mass in determining the intermolecular vibration frequency.
Keywords: THz spectroscopy; far-infrared spectroscopy; halogen anion; imidazolium cation; infrared spectroscopy; ionic liquid.