An increasing involvement and intensive research have been devoted towards understanding the chemical science of ionic liquids over the past decennary. These liquids are non any new and have extensively been used in organic separation and synthesis. With renewed involvement towards these liquids. research workers have started to recognize fresh utilizations of ionic liquids and now research attempts have been spread to other fortes within the umbrella of scientific discipline and engineering. While research into ionic liquids has been limited to the categorization as esoteric compounds. other applications of ionic liquids continue to be realized such as public presentation additives. bioreactor applications and in the designing of pharmaceutical compounds has received increasing acknowledgment.

Ionic liquids have been thought to be green although noxious ionic liquids have been synthesized with easiness. An illustration of these potentially life endangering liquids have cyanide as their exclusive anion and alkaloid as the anions [ 1 ] . Therefore. at that place seems to be a misinterpretation on the nature of ionic liquids which has in many times led to the hapless definition of ionic liquids. A elaborate apprehension will bring forth new penetrations into sustainable development of ionic liquids in industrial procedures. Apart from ILs being praised for being first-class dissolvers. they are besides good accelerators particularly in biological systems although they take portion in extremely selective catalytic dissolvers [ 2 ] .

Definition of Ionic Liquids

Ionic liquids. abbreviated as IL comprise of a new category of dissolvers that is chiefly composed of ions ( cations and anions ) . They ILs are regarded to be green dissolvers because of their belongingss such as negligibility to vapor force per unit area. high thermostability and non-inflammability. Due to these belongingss. new biotechnological applications are continuously being discovered. Among the biotechnological applications of ILs which have been developed include whole cell and enzymatic contact action. While ILs have been labeled ‘green’ . the label has late been questioned and challenged after ILs were shown to break up as comparatively low heat strengths.

Illinoiss have besides been shown to show some toxicity degrees towards microbic cells every bit good as higher being. At the same clip. it is possible to modify the physicochemical belongingss of ILs and come up with interior decorator dissolvers with alone chemical constructions [ 3 ] . Possibly intercessions required to do ILs retain their ‘green’ label could be the all right tuning so that the toxicity drawbacks are addressed. Their applications need to be broadened in order to to the full maximise their benefits to adult male.

Important belongingss of ILs have been investigated in order to understand this of import category of dissolvers. However. non every ionic liquid will demo similar belongingss as other categories of dissolvers. The most common belongingss of ILs which can be presented by this category of dissolvers include the liquid scope which is 3000C ( -96-+2000C ) [ 4 ] . ILs have besides been shown to be first-class inorganic. organic and polymeric stuffs dissolvers. The acidic composing of ILs can by and large be said to be superacids.

Some ILs are extremely H2O sensitive and hence have to be used in dry boxes. In contrast. other ILs are extremely hydrophobic ( H2O haters ) and have high air stableness. ILs have besides shown high thermal stableness up to temperatures of 2000C. vapor force per unit area at room temperature has non yet been estimated and is assumed negligible. While ILs are noninflammable. it has been shown late that some can be explosive and this raises eyebrows over the ticket. ‘green’ dissolvers.

At room temperature. ILs are fundamentally salts with heavy phosphoric or nitrogen-bearing organic rich organic cations with a additive skeleton or concatenation of alkyl groups. Extensive research has been invested chiefly in the imidazolium ILs particularly the cations of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium. The constructions of these cations have besides been studied extensively. ILs are known to be of double functionality since they have both the cations and the anions. The most common anions of ILs include. the nitrates such as chlorides ( Cl- ) and bromides ( Br- ) . chloroaluminates such as [ Al2Cl4 ] – and [ Al2Cl7 ] – . nitrates such as [ NO3 ] – . tetrafluorophosphates [ BF6 ] – hexafluorophosphates. [ PF6 ] – and alkyl sulphates [ RSO4 ] such as ethyl sulphate [ C2H5SO4 ] – .