Ionic Liquids: Green Solvents for Chemical Processing

Abstract

Ionic liquids are organic salts, usually consisting of an organic cation and a polyatomic inorganic anion, which are liquid under 100∘ C. The most relevant properties of ionic liquids are their almost negligible vapour pressure. Furthermore, their physical and chemical properties can be fine-tuned by the adequate selection of the cation and anion constituents. Ionic liquids have been recognized as environmental benign alternative to volatile organic solvents. Application of ionic liquids in chemical processes has blossomed within the last decade. Indeed, these media have been used in replacement of volatile organic solvents in a wide variety of chemical processes, such as separation and purification, and reaction media in biochemical, and chemical catalysis. This special issue focuses on these topics providing a state-of-the-art overview of new paradigms and challenges in research on ionic liquids as green solvents for chemical processes and highlights the importance of this topic.