Deep eutectic solvents vs ionic liquids: Similarities and differences

Deep eutectic solvents (DES) were introduced as an alternative to ionic liquids (IL) to overcome the drawbacks of IL solvents. However, some authors consider them to be a subclass of ILs. In contrast, other authors emphasize that these are by their nature independent, different groups of substances. Thus, the question arises: Which solvent group should DESs belong to? Maybe a new class should be added to the existing ones. The aim of this work is to attract the attention of researchers using DES in their studies to the need for a proper use of terms.