Interaction of ionic liquid with water in ternary microemulsions (Triton X-100/water/1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate) probed by solvent and rotational relaxation of coumarin 153 and coumarin 151.

The interaction of ionic liquid with water in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([bmim][PF6])/Triton X-100 (TX-100)/H2O ternary microemulsions, i.e., "[bmim][PF6]-in-water" microregions of the microemulsions, has been studied by the dynamics of solvent and rotational relaxation of coumarin 153 (C-153) and coumarin 151 (C-151). The variation of the time constants of solvent relaxation of C-153 is very small with an increase in the [bmim][PF6]/TX-100 ratio (R). The rotational relaxation time of C-153 also remains unchanged in all micremulsions of different R values. The invariance of solvation and rotational relaxation times of C-153 indicates that the position of C-153 remains unaltered with an increase in R and probably the probe is located at the interfacial region of [bmim][PF6] and TX-100 in the microemulsions. On the other hand, in the case of C-151, with an increase in R the fast component of the solvation time gradually increases and the slow component gradually decreases, although the change in solvation time is small in comparison to that of microemulsions containing common polar solvents such as water, methanol, acetonitrile, etc. The rotational relaxation time of C-151 increases with an increase in R. This indicates that with an increase in the [bmim][PF6] content the number of C-151 molecules in the core of the microemulsions gradually increases. In general, the solvent relaxation time is retarded in this room temperature ionic liquid/water-containing microemulsion compared to that of a neat solvent, although retardation is very small compared to that of the solvent relaxation time of the conventional solvent in the core of the microemulsions.