Porous ionic liquids: synthesis and application

Solidification of fluidic ionic liquids into porous materials yields porous ionic networks that combine the unique characteristics of ionic liquids with the common features of polymers and porous materials. This minireview reports the most recent advances in the design of porous ionic liquids. A summary of the synthesis of ordered and disordered porous ionic liquid-based nanoparticles or membranes with or without templates is provided, together with the new concept of room temperature porous ionic liquids. As a versatile platform for functional materials, porous ionic liquids have shown widespread applications in catalysis, adsorption, sensing, actuation, etc. This new research direction towards ionic liquids chemistry is still in its early stages but has great potential.