Ionic liquids, which are chemically similar to table salt, are liquid at room temperature. Unlike organic solvents, many ionic liquids do not evaporate or escape into the atmosphere easily. Another advantage of the liquids is that they can be recycled and reused as solvents many times. Solvents are widely used in many industries, and by individuals, for cleaning, degreasing, stripping and thinning. Examples of well-known organic solvents include acetone, kerosene and naphtha.
Ionic liquids can be tailor-made to dissolve a vast range of substances.
The potential market for ionic liquids is huge. A French company already is using ionic liquids to manufacture plasticizers, chemicals that soften brittle plastics. Researchers have also designed and synthesized ionic liquids that remove cadmium and mercury from water, which could be used to clean up industrial effluent. When ionic liquids come in contact with contaminated water, they snatch and sequester metal ions, according to James H. Davis, Jr., Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of chemistry at the University of Southern Alabama in Mobile. Davis developed the water purification technique with Robin D. Rogers, Ph.D., director of the Center for Green Manufacturing at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.