Structural Analysis of Species in NbCI5-EMIC Room-Temperature Molten Salt with Raman Spectroscopic Measurement and Ab Initio Molecular Orbital Calculation

The structure of species formed in $NbCI_5-I-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium$ chloride (EMIC) room-temperature molten salt (RTMS) was examined with the Raman spectroscopic measurement and ab initio molecular orbital calculation. The equilibrium structures of $NbCl_5,\;NbCl_6^-,\;Nb_2CI_{10},\;Nb_2CI_{11}^-,\;Nb_3CI_6^-,\;NbCI_6^--EMI^+\;(in\;which\;NbCI_6^-$ anion approaches $EMI^+$ cation with strong interaction) and $Nb_2CI_{11}^--EMI^+$ were obtained with the HF/LANL2DZ level of calculation. The harmonic frequencies at each equilibrium structure were compared with Raman spectra. The harmonic frequencies of $NbCI_6^--EMI^+,\; Nb_2CI_{11}^--EMI^+,\;and\;Nb_2CI_{10}$ were in good agreement with the Raman spectra of RTMS melts. In the $NbCI_5-EMIC RTMS$, the main species were $NbCI_6^-\;and\;EMI^+$. In the $NbCl_5-EMIC$ RTMS added $NbCl_5\;over\;50mol\%$, small amount of $Nb_2CI_{11}^-\;and\; Nb_2CI_{10}$ were also formed. The structures of anions and cation in the RTMS distorted from free ions with Coulomb force.