Ionic-Liquid (IL) Mediated Microwave-Assisted Synthesis (ILMMAS): A New Synergistic Combination for Nanomaterial Synthesis

The synergy between ionic liquids (ILs) and microwave (MW) irradiation has sparked a significant interest in material synthesis in general and nanomaterials in particular, revolutionizing the field of materials science. This review explores the fundamental properties and unique attributes of ILs, emphasizing their role as solvents, additives, templates, making them ideal for synthesizing materials, particularly nanomaterials like metals, metal oxides, and doped nanoparticles. The microwave assisted synthesis approach is discussed next vis-& agrave;-vis their advantages such as volumetric heating, reduced reaction times, enhanced yields and facile scalability. A new synthetic approach is also expounded on, where in very small quantity of an ionic liquid (IL), as an additive, can be coupled with low heating microwave solvents (non-polar solvents) and subjected to microwave-irradiation. The new strategy of Ionic-liquid (IL) Mediated Microwave Synthesis (ILMMAS), can be particularly important in nanomaterial synthesis, as the non-polar solvents can be heated very quickly under microwave irradiation. This review emphasizes the crucial role of ILs in advancing nanomaterial synthesis and highlights their synergy with microwave irradiation for sustainable and efficient material synthesis processes.