Protic ionic liquids for sustainable uses

Abstract

This review provides an overview of the current state-of-the-art and major trends in the application of protic ionic liquids (PILs) to sustainable chemistry. Following a brief description of the distinguishing properties of PILs, there are four application areas reviewed: acid catalysis, biomass transformations, energy storage and conversion, and electrocatalysis. The aim of this contribution is to showcase applications in which the properties of PILs are the key enabling factor for a particular sustainable chemistry challenge. In addition, the challenges and future directions in sustainable applications of PILs are discussed, highlighting challenges as well as areas for future development.