• Informative Presentations
  • Top Hotel Venues
  • exhibitions
  • Networking Receptions
  • Network with your Peers
  • Meet, Greet and Discuss
  • Exhibition & Networking Opportunities
  • Case Studies from leading Industry experts
  • Equipment and product demonstrations
  • Keeping you up to date
  • See the latest equipment
  • Informative and cutting edge presentations
  • Top venues in fabulous locations throughout the world
  • A warm & friendly welcome
  • Excellent networking receptions!
  • Meet & network with your Peers
  • Meet & discuss the latest technologies
  • Exhibitor opportunities at every conference!
  • Hear the latest case studies from Industry experts
  • Be the first to see new products
  • Keep up to date at Scientific Update's informative conferences
  • See the latest products and equipment demos from specialist suppliers...

Toxicity of Ionic Liquids

Print
PDF

30 September 2006

Two recent papers have been published on the toxicity of ionic liquids(IL’s). The first paper*, published in Green chemistry, presents the results of Ames tests for mutagenicity that have been carried out on some imidazolium, pyridinium and quaternary ammonium ionic liquids. In all cases the result was negative showing that the IL’s studied are not mutagenic.

In the second paper**, published in Organic Process Research and Development, imidazolium, pyridinium, phosphonium, and ammonium IL’s were examined for ecotoxicity and biodegradation properties. None of the compounds could be described as having low ecotoxicity. Whilst some of the shorter-side-chain 3-alkyl-1-methylimidazolium and pyridinium salts exhibit only moderate toxicity to bacteria, algae and invertebrates but once the length of the side chain reaches C8 or longer the ecotoxicity deteriorates rapidly. This is also true for the higher molecular weight phosphonium and ammonium based IL’s. These results suggest that there are significant potential environmental risks associated with their use in a manufacturing environment.

* K.M. Docherty, S. Z. Hebbeler, and C.F. Kulpa, Jr., Green Chemistry, 2006, 8, 560-567.

** A.S. Wells and V.T. Coombe, Org. Proc. Res. Dev., 2006, 10, 794-798.