Fabrication of ionic liquid ultrathin film by sequential deposition

A simple, mild, reproducible, and controllable nanodeposition method for ionic liquids (ILs) by ejection of IL solution through a high-speed electromagnetic valve (pulse valve) to a substrate under vacuum is proposed (pulse-valve method). Sequential deposition of an IL [1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (BMIM-TFSI)] on Au(111) substrates from its methanol solution was examined by adopting the pulse-valve method and the deposited IL films were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and tapping-mode atomic force microscopy (AFM). The amount of IL deposited per a pulse was successfully reduced to less than an equivalent thickness of 0.2 nm. The deposited IL was homogeneously distributed over a substrate area of 1 × 1 cm2 substrate area and the deposited amount was reproducible for independent depositions.