Ionic liquids then and now: From solvents to materials to active pharmaceutical ingredients

Abstract

Ionic liquids (ILs) have evolved from salts studied primarily for their physical properties (low melting salts which could be used as solvents) to tunable materials based upon the physical, chemical, and now even iological prop erties that can be introduced through either ion. In this perspective, we follow this interesting evolution with respect to our work in this growing field, and discuss possible future directions, such as the use of ILs as active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). © 2007 The Chemical Society of Japan.