Ionic liquids in chemistry education: What role?

I&EC 245

Mary M. Kirchhoff, m_kirchhoff@acs.org, American Chemical Society, 1155 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
Solvent substitution is an important focus of green chemistry, the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. Alternatives are sought for widely-used organic solvents, many of which are flammable, toxic, and contributors to air pollution. The negligible vapor pressure of ionic liquids, along with their versatile and variable composition, makes them attractive as potentially greener solvents. Yet, ionic liquids are rarely covered in chemistry courses, in part because the recent explosion of research in this area has outstripped changes in the curriculum. This presentation will provide an overview of green chemistry in the curriculum, with an emphasis on teaching materials related to ionic liquids.