Benzene centered tripodal imidazolium (BTI) system: Emerged towards multidisciplinary research and development

This review article highlights the progress over the past two decades in the design, synthesis and applications of benzene centered tripodal imidazolium (BTI) compounds. The special attention on BTI compounds is due to their contribution in multiple roles such as anion receptors, fluorescent chemosensors, solvents, polycarbene ligands, catalysts, ionic liquid crystals, stationary phases, nanoparticle stabilizers, antimicrobial and anti-cancer agents. The purpose of this review to provide readers an insight into the potentiality of BTI system, which may direct future investigations for various scientific applications. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.