Changes of the fluid phase behaviour of polyethylene glycol (PEG) aqueous solutions - viz. critical solution temperature shifts at atmospheric pressure - were produced by the addition of different ionic liquids, namely 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethyl sulfate and 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (alkyl = ethyl to decyl). The addition of ionic liquids with long alkyl chains improves the solubility of PEG in water (salting-in effect), whereas the impact of short-chain ionic liquids is usually the contrary (salting-out effect). The results are interpreted taking into account the kosmotropic (water-structuring) or chaotropic (water-structure-breaking) nature of ionic liquids, as compared to other inorganic salts.
- Aqueous PEG solutions
- Ionic Liquids
- Kosmotropic and chaotropic salts
- Salting-out effects