Ionic liquids, tuneable solvents for intensifying reactions and separations

An Ionic Liquid (IL), or a Room Temperature Ionic Liquid (RTIL), is commonly defined as a liquid entirely composed of ions, which is a fluid below 100 °C. Due to the fact that an ionic liquid is a salt, it has a negligible vapour pressure. Therefore, ionic liquids are not volatile at ambient process conditions. Furthermore, they are non-flammable, have a high thermal stability and a high ionic conductivity. These properties permit their use in many fields. Examples are: reaction media to substitute volatile organic compounds, homogeneous catalysts and extractive media in liquid/liquid extraction and absorption processes