Abstract: | An investigation into the determination of four imidazolium ionic liquid cations by ion chromatography using a carboxyl acid cation exchange column and direct conductivity detection was carried out. This research has developed a simple, selective, and accurate ion chromatographic method for separation of imidazolium ionic liquid cations. Detection limits (S/N = 3) for the cations were 3.2–24.3 mg/L. Relative standard deviations (RSD, n = 5) for peak areas were less than 1.6%. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of two ionic liquids synthesized by organic chemistry lab. |