Ionic liquids analogues based on potassium carbonate

•New ionic liquids analogues were synthesized of potassium carbonate.•Their physical properties were measured and reported as functions of temperature.•Temperature and molar ratio have significant effect on their properties.•These new ionic liquids analogues have the potential for use in many applications. Ionic liquids analogues (ILA) are emerging as a new class of green solvents with the favorable properties of low cost, low volatility, biodegradability and suitability for many industrial applications. In an attempt to synthesize a novel ILA, potassium carbonate was successfully used as a salt with either glycerol or ethylene glycol as hydrogen bond donors (HBD). The physical properties of this ILA were measured at different temperatures (293.15–353.15K) and salt:HBD molar ratios (K2CO3:glycerol=1:1 to 1:6 and K2CO3:ethylene glycol=1:3 to 1:8). The properties measured included freezing point, density, viscosity, surface tension, refractive index, conductivity and pH. This type of ILA exhibited similar physico-chemical properties to other solvents reported in literature. The values of these properties indicated that the prepared ILA have great potential for possible industrial applications.