Biodegradable pyridinium ionic liquids: design, synthesis and evaluation

A range of ionic liquids (ILs) with a pyridinium cation were synthesised and their biodegradability was evaluated using the CO2 Headspace test (ISO 14593). ILs bearing an ester side chain moiety were prepared from either pyridine or nicotinic acid and showed high levels of biodegradation under aerobic conditions and can be classified as 'readily biodegradable'. In contrast, pyridinium ILs with alkyl side chains showed significantly lower levels of biodegradability in the same test. The utility of the biodegradable IL 6c as a reaction solvent for the Diels-Alder reaction was also investigated.