Microstructured reactors and supports for ionic liquids

Different types of microstructures and their applications with respect to the synthesis and the use of ionic liquids are presented. Microstructured reactors are suitable for reactions with fast intrinsic kinetics, requiring high mass and heat transfer performances. Chemical synthesis can be performed safely under operating condition (e.g. high temperature, pressure, etc.) difficult to obtain in traditional reactors. The examples presented clearly indicate that microstructured reactors offer superior performance for the synthesis of ionic liquids in comparison to conventional equipment. For the use of ionic liquids as reaction media, existing ionic liquids show some limitations due to their higher viscosity compared to conventional solvents. Therefore, future research should be focused on the development of low viscosity ionic liquids. The approaches to use ionic liquids in microstructured reactors and in combination with microstructured supports for catalytic reactions show many advantages in view of high product selectivity and yield. The use of supported ionic liquids on microstructured materials seems to be particularly promising for gas phase as well as for gas/liquid reactions.