Design of Inherently Safer Ionic Liquids: Toxicology and Biodegradation

The sections in this article are Introduction The T-SAR Approach and the “Test Kit” Concept Strategy for the Design of Sustainable Ionic Liquids (Eco)toxicity of Ionic Liquids Influence of the Side Chain Influence of the Head Group Influence of the Anion Toxicity of Ionic Liquids as a Function of the Surrounding Medium Combination Effects (Quantitative) Structure–Activity Relationships and Modes of Toxic Action Conclusion Biodegradability of Ionic Liquids Introduction Testing of Biodegradability Results from Biodegradation Experiments Biodegradability of Ionic Liquid Anions Biodegradability of Imidazolium Compounds Pyridinium and 4-(Dimethylamino)pyridinium Compounds Biodegradability of Other Head Groups Misleading Interpretation of Biodegradation Data Metabolic Pathways of Ionic Liquid Cations Abiotic Degradation Outlook Conclusion Toxicity and (Eco)toxicity of Ionic Liquids Biodegradability of Ionic Liquids The Goal Conflict in Designing Sustainable Ionic Liquids Final Remarks Keywords: ionic liquids; safety; biodegradation; toxicology; ecotoxicity; green chemistry