Molecular-Resolution Imaging of Ionic Liquid/Alkali Halide Interfaces with Varied Surface Charge Densities via Atomic Force Microscopy

When in contact with charged solid surfaces, ionic liquids (ILs) are known to form solvation structures consisting of alternating cation and anion layers. This phenomenon is considered to originate from the adsorption layer of counterions overcompensating the surface charge, so-called overscreening. However, the response of these layers to surfaces with near-zero or extremely high surface charge density (σ) remains inadequately understood. Here, we probe the solvation structure of ILs on alkali halide surfaces with varied surface orientations: nearly zero-charged RbI(100) and highly charged RbI(111), by employing frequency modulation atomic force microscopy with atomic resolution. Two commonly used ILs are examined in this study: 1-methyl-1-propylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([C₃mpyr][NTf₂]) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([C₂mim][NTf₂]). On RbI(100) surfaces with near zero σ, we observe alternating cation and anion layers, diverging from the previously proposed monolayer model for IL/alkali halide(100) interfaces. These results support the argument that overscreening occurs under low σ, even approaching zero, and reconcile conflicting experimental conclusions about low σ systems. On RbI(111) surfaces with high σ, we identify solvation structures consisting of two consecutive counterion layers. This structure aligns with the theoretically predicted crowding; a phenomenon rarely observed in commonly used ILs due to typically unreachable σ in electrochemical IL/electrode systems. Our findings indicate that alkali halide(111) surfaces are potentially valuable for exploring the crowding phenomenon in ILs, addressing the current scarcity of experimental observations.