Michael Freemantle 
An Introduction to Ionic Liquids 

In the late 1990s, there was an explosion of research on ionic liquids and they are now a major topic of academic and industrial interest with numerous existing and potential applications. Since then, the number of scientific papers focusing on ionic liquids has risen exponentially, including a few edited multi-author books covering the latest advances in ionic liquids chemistry and several volumes of symposium proceedings. Much of the content in these books and volumes is written using technical jargon that only scientists at the cutting edge of ionic liquids research will understand and ionic liquids are hardly covered in most modern chemistry textbooks. This is the first single-author book on ionic liquids and the first introductory book on the topic. It is written in a clear, concise and consistent way. The book provides a useful introduction to ionic liquids for those readers who are not familiar with the topic. It is also wide ranging, embracing every aspect of the chemistry and applications of ionic liquids. The book draws extensively on the primary scientific literature to provide numerous examples of research on ionic liquids. These examples will enable the reader to become familiar with the key developments in ionic liquids chemistry over recent years. The book provides an introduction to: ionic liquids; their nomenclature; history; physical, chemical and biological properties; and their wide ranging uses and potential applications in catalysis, electrochemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, analysis, biotechnology, green chemistry and clean technology. Notable and important chapters include ‘The Green Credentials of Ionic Liquids’ and ‘Biotechnology.’ The chapter on ‘Applications’ includes sections with brief descriptions of recent research on the development of ionic liquids: – for the construction of a liquid mirror for a moon telescope – for use as rocket propellants – for use as antimicrobial agents that combat MRSA – as active pharmaceutical ingredients and antiviral drugs – for embalming and tissue preservation Science students, researchers, teachers in academic institutions and chemists and other scientists in industry and government laboratories will find the book an invaluable introduction to one of the most rapidly advancing and exciting fields of science and technology today.

Table of Content

Chapter 1: Introduction; Chapter 2: History; Chapter 3: Synthesis of Ionic Liquids; Chapter 4: Properties of Ionic Liquids; Chapter 5: Ionic Liquids as Designer Solvents; Chapter 6: The Green Credentials of Ionic Liquids; Chapter 7: Electrochemistry; Chapter 8: Catalysis; Chapter 9: Inorganic Chemistry; Chapter 10: General Organic Reactions; Chapter 11: Named Organic Reactions; Chapter 12: Biotechnology; Chapter 13: Analysis; Chapter 14: Applications; Subject Index

About the author

Michael Freemantle is a science writer and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). After a post-doctoral research fellowship at Oxford University (1967-1969), he worked in the chemical industry for two years. From 1971 to 1985, he taught chemistry at various levels both in the UK and abroad. In 1985, he was appointed Information Officer for IUPAC (International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry). His duties included editing the IUPAC news magazine Chemistry International. From 1994 to 2007 he was European Science Editor/Senior Correspondent for Chemical & Engineering News – the weekly news magazine of the American Chemical Society. He was then appointed Science Writer in Residence, a part-time post, at Queen’s University Belfast and Queens University Ionic Liquid Laboratories for three years until 2010. Freemantle has written numerous news reports and articles on chemistry, the history of chemistry, and related topics. He is the author, co-author, or editor of more than ten books on chemistry and related subjects including Chemistry and the Environment – the IUPAC Programme (editor), IUPAC, 1990; An Introduction to Ionic Liquids, RSC Publishing, 2009; and Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! How Chemistry Changed the First World War, The History Press, 2012.