Room temperature molten salts: neoteric "green" solvents for chemical reactions and processes

Ionic liquids, especially those based on the 1,3-dialkylimidazolium cation, with a large range of liquid phase, negligible vapour pressure, low viscosity and high thermal and chemical stability are emerging as a new class of `green' solvents for extraction and separation processes, organic synthesis and catalysis. The main milestones reached in the last two years, on the use of ionic liquids in green technologies, are reviewed