The structural and energetic characteristics of protic ionic liquids (PILs) based on ethyl-, diethyl-, or triethylammonium cations with anions of phosphorus, trifluoroacetic, or p-toluenesulfonic acids have been investigated by density functional theory calculations at the B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p) level of theory. As a result of the interaction between acid and alkylamine, the H-bonded molecular complexes or H-bonded ion pairs have been obtained. The increasing number of ethyl groups attached to the nitrogen atom of amine and H-bond donor ability of acid causes a stronger H-bonding interaction leading to the formation of ion pairs. For all systems, the proton transfer between ion pairs and molecular complexes has been examined. Solvation effects have been also investigated using the solvent polarizable continuum model (CPCM).
