Ionic liquids: Green solvents for the future

Ionic liquids can be used for clean synthesis in a variety of reactions. Here we present a review of the type of chemical reactions that can be carried out in ionic liquids. These include commercially important reactions carried out in chloroaluminate(III) ionic liquids; the isomerisation of fatty acids and the cracking of polyethylene to low molecular weight alkanes. Also, a growing number of reaction types can be performed in neutral ionic liquids. These include the Heck reactions, Diels-Alder reaction, nucleophilic displacement reactions (S(N)2 reaction), and Friedel-Crafts reactions.