figure 8 N o Li + Conc. Li + H igh C onc. Li + figure 8 figure 8 N o Li + Low Conc. Li + H igh C onc. Li + Room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) are the object of extensive study due to their unique properties including very low vapor pressure and non-flammability, selective reaction medium, etc. RTILs are being studied actively as alternative solvents in lithium ion batteries, which currently use organic compounds as solvents. Organic solvents present safety issues due to volatility and high flammability. Thus RTILs could become greener and safer alternatives. The Fayer group has made great progress in understanding the effects of lithium cations, on the dynamics of bmIm- bistriflimide (see fig.), which is important because of its redox properties. Optical heterodyne detected optical Kerr effect (OHD-OKE) experiments were used to study the dynamics as a function of Li + concentration and temperature. The experimental results, (see fig.), Room Temperature Ionic Liquids Room Temperature Ionic Liquids The Influence of Lithium Cations The Influence of Lithium Cations Michael D. Fayer, Stanford University, DMR 0652232 + – 1-butyl 3 1-butyl 3 methylimidazolium methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl) imide sulfonyl) imide (bmIm-bistriflimide) (bmIm-bistriflimide) T = 296 K t (ps) OHD-OKE signal 0.001 0.01 0.1 1.0 Data and theoretical fit. Data cover more than three decades of time and three decades of signal amplitude.