Eco-friendly Nature of Ionic Liquids

Ionic Liquids (ILs) are believed to be designer solvents, and their use has helped to speed up research in the field of chemistry properties like high viscosity and low vapor pressure. ILs are well-known for their physicochemical properties that can be modified to obtain desired functionality and improved efficiency, analyte extraction selectivity, and sensitivity. ILs have been studied through the methodologies for their synthesis, recyclability after use, reusability for different applications, toxicity against living organisms, and degradation with time. Usually, ILs have considerably better solvents than traditional solvents, but their synthesis involves harmful chemicals. ILs have also proved to be superior lubricants to other lubricants, which show high performance because friction in ILs may be regulated actively by using an external electric potential even when it is diluted in oil. ILs are proven appreciable electrolytes and have significant performance in the generation of energy. ILs are considered an alternative to the traditional solvents obtained from fossils. This chapter will concentrate on current advances in surface and interfacial applications.

Keywords: Green solvent, Ionic liquids, Organic cations and inorganic anions, Room temperature ILs.