Why ionic liquids?
ionic liquids are a fascinating group of new chemicals which have attracted increasing interest over recent years.
ionic liquids are
- non-volatile,
- non-flammable,
- excellent solvents for a wide range of inorganic, organic and polymeric materials,
they possess
- low melting points,
- high thermal stability,
- a broad “electrochemical window”.
Therefore they offer many possibilities as solvents for catalytic reactions, chemical synthesis, separation technology or as electrolytes in batteries and solar cells.
However, until now only sparse toxicological and/or eco-toxicological data is available for this group of chemicals. Although they do not evaporate (main entrance pathway to the environment is about waste water) and they are well recyclable it is still unclear if ionic liquids are really a green alternative to conventional organic solvents.
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