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Ionic liquids charge ahead

Nature Chemistry volume 14, page 842 (2022)Cite this article

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Choline 2-hexenoate is an ionic compound that is a liquid at room temperature, and is just one of a class of compounds that have huge potential in biomedical research and clinical applications, explains Eden E. L. Tanner.

The first reported ionic liquid, ethylammonium nitrate, was described by P. C. Rây and J. N. Rakshit in 1911 (ref. 1), and P. Walden in 1914 (ref. 2). Its air and water sensitivity meant that ionic liquids remained in relative obscurity until 1992, when J. S. Wilkes and M. J. Zaworotko synthesized imidazolium-based ionic liquids that were stable in ambient conditions. The high thermal stability, inherent conductivity and negligible vapour pressure of this new class of ionic liquids meant that they were soon used in a vast range of applications, including in batteries and other energy-storage devices, in electrochemical sensors, as alternatives to conventional organic solvents for synthetic applications and in catalysis. These compounds are highly tunable, meaning that even minor changes in their chemical structures results in huge shifts in their bulk properties, such as viscosity and miscibility.

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References

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  1. Twitter: @EdenTanner

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  1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA

    Eden E. L. Tanner

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Correspondence to Eden E. L. Tanner.

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Tanner, E.E.L. Ionic liquids charge ahead. Nat. Chem. 14, 842 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-022-00975-4

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