# Diversity of Potential (Bio)Technological Applications of Amino Acid-Based Ionic Liquids
## 2 Bioapplications of AA ILs: An Overview
### Application in Agriculture  
In addition to promoting the growth of seedlings and agricultural crops, as discussed above, ILs may have been used as co-solvents in the formulation of chemicals for plant protection. Although promising, studies in this area are still quite limited. For example, [PERSON] et al. reported that AA ILs significantly increased the water solubility of two commonly used fungicides, fluidoxonil and cyprodinil, in the presence of ILs containing 1-ethyl-1-methylpyrrolidininium, tetraethylammonium, 1-methyl-1-propylpyrrolidininium, or 4-ethyl-4-methylmorpholinium glycinates [70]. The solubility of the two fungicides increased with IL concentration, with the highest solubility observed in solutions containing 50% IL. In addition, the inclusion of rhamnoid in the IL solution was shown to further enhance its solubilizing properties for the two fungicides [70].  
Converting herbicides to ILs has several advantages. First, they are less volatile and therefore safer for agricultural workers. On the other hand, depending on the structure of the counterion, their water solubility can be reduced, thus minimizing leaching and contamination of soil and irrigation water due to unintended transport to the target. Few AA-based herbicidal ILs have been reported in the literature [76]. For example, ILs containing the cations L-Pro, L-Arg, and L-His, along with the anions 2,4-dichlorophenoxyayacetic acid (2,4-D) or 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA), were more effective than the parent herbicide on two agricultural weeds: cornflower (a sensitive species) and winter oilseed rape (a moderately sensitive species) [77].  
Another potential application of AA ILs is in the degradation of pesticides. For example, Paraoxon, an insecticide that is 70% as effective asarin, acts as a cholinesterase inhibitor [78]. It is a neurotoxin for both humans and animals, and its use is limited due to the risk of organophosphate poisoning. Studies have shown that conventional ILs based on the Bmim cation are able to degrade Paraoxon, producing different products depending on the anion involved [79]. [PERSON] et al. showed that AA ILs with the Bmim cation are as effective as classical ILs, and depending on the cation, the reaction can follow three different pathways: nucleophilic attack on the phosphorus atom (1), the aromatic carbon atom (2), or the aliphatic carbon atom (3). Interestingly, in contrast to ILs containing Bmim cations and classical anions (such as PF\({}_{6}\), NTT\({}_{2}\), or BF\({}_{4}\)), those with AA anions show greater selectivity [80]. For example, those with Gly or Met anions prefer pathway 2, while those with Cys and His anions favor pathway 3. Furthermore, the half-life of Paraoxondegradation varies from 2 to 41 min depending on the AA anion. The highest degradation rate was observed with [Bmim][Gly] and [Bmim][Met], whereas the process was slower in the presence of [Bmim][Ser] [80].  
Notably, AA ILs have been used in the development of an ultrasensitive biosensor for the detection of organophosphate pesticides. The sensor is based on mineralized organophosphate hydrolase-fused cells supported on AA IL-stabilized carbon nanotubes and is capable of detecting trace amounts (3 fmol/L) of target pesticides (Paraoxon, Acetamiprid, Aldicarb, Carbaryl, Dibrom, Imidacloprid, and Nitenpyram) in tap water and spinach juice [81]. [PERSON] et al. demonstrated that AA ILs improved the conductivity and electrochemical activity of the hybrid catalysts.