Current Organic Chemistry - Volume 15, Issue 12, 2011

Ionic liquids (ILs) are low melting point salts considered to be a new class of alternative solvents that represent ideal non-volatile media for a variety of industrial processes such as organic synthesis and biocatalysis, alternative electrolytes, phases and phase modifications in separation techniques, and alternative lubricants. Today's definition of ILs is based solely on their melting point, which is arbitrarily chosen to be bel Read More

Room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) salts with melting points below 100 °C have been intensively studied in recent years. Their unique properties make RTILs efficient alternatives to volatile organic solvents as environmentally benign media in many industrially important chemical processes. ILs will soon be produced on an industrial scale and it will be necessary to develop reliable analytical procedures for their analysis and co Read More

In this review an overview on the biological effects of ILs towards microorganisms is presented. Microorganisms are ideal indicators for investigating ILs' toxic effects towards organisms because of their large environmental, ecological and industrial relevance, and their short generation times and quick growth, useful for developing fast and easy toxicity assays. Herein the achievements in the development of I Read More

This review aims at summarizing the state of the art knowledge on the effects different ionic liquids and their substructural elements cationic head group, side chain attached to the head group and the anion species can exert in mammalian cell cultures. Special emphasis is given on the following questions when analyzing the available data: (i) What are ionic liquids, which species are we dealing with and which features m Read More

Aquatic environments are being contaminated with a myriad of anthropogenic chemicals, a problem likely to continue due to both unintentional and intentional releases. To protect valuable natural resources, novel chemicals should be shown to be environmentally safe prior to use and potential release into the environment. Such proactive assessment is currently being applied to room-temperature ionic liquids (ILs). Be Read More

The fate of ionic liquids in soils and sediments is significant for the sustainable application of ILs in industry. We are obliged to understand how these compounds are transformed in (bio-) chemical processes and how long they will persist in the environment. In addition, we must understand how ionic liquids interact in complex systems. This review analyzes and summarizes the results obtained to date by a significant number of r Read More

The idea of green or sustainable chemistry is to develop highly efficient technical processes and applications using chemicals with a reduced or zero hazard potential for man and the environment. This approach is perfectly applicable to ionic liquids (ILs). These substances have potential applications in different fields (economic interests), and so far millions of possible structures have been designed, thousands of which ha Read More

Ionic liquids have a large variety of applications in nearly all areas of the chemical industries. They are used for example as lubricants, plasticizers, solvents and catalysts for synthesis, matrices for mass spectroscopy, solvents for extraction and in the manufacture of nano-materials, and as electrolytes. There are numerous studies in the corresponding literature concerning the unique properties, preparation methods, and dif Read More

Much attention has been paid to ionic liquids related environmental aspects, like toxicity, (eco)toxicity and biodegradability. However, the main efforts are still concentrated on the synthesis of new ionic liquids, the measurement of their properties and the quest for new application fields, while the technical aspects regarding the extent of the ionic liquid lifetime have been neglected. Nevertheless, some experiences have a Read More

This review presents a comprehensive account of methods which are commonly applied for the synthesis of α- aminophosphonic acids. In the following order, protocols based on the methodologies listed below are discussed: a) simultaneous formation of P-CN systems; b) nucleophilic substitution with phosphoroorganic nucleophiles; c) additions of the P-H functions to multiple C-N bonds; d) α-amination of phosphonates Read More

Aromatic interactions are essential for stabilizing the conformation and crystal packing of molecules. They also play a vital role in drug chemistry by mediating drug-receptor interactions. In the present review, we discuss the various fields in which aromatic interactions are important and the role of such interactions.