Ionic liquids in supported liquid membrane technology

The selection of separation process of organic compounds is a critical issue in the chemical industry. Different conventional methods, such as coagulation, precipitation, ion exchange, electrodialysis, adsorption, ultrafiltration and liquid-liquid extraction have been used for the separation processes since last so many years, but supported liquid membrane (SLM)-based separation processes have been predicted as a promising option. Ionic liquids (ILs) are considered a new miraculous chemical due their unique properties and large variety of applications in all areas of the chemical sciences. The use of ionic liquids as a liquid membrane phase results in the stabilization of the SLMs due to their negligible vapor pressure, possibility of minimizing their solubility in the surrounding phases and greater capillary force associated with their high viscosity, which can reduce the displacement of liquids from micron pores under pressure. This review article summarizes the role of ionic liquids in supported liquid membrane technology for extraction processes, stability of the membranes and show promise in the liquid/liquid extraction of organics from water, gases, amino acids, toxic metal ions from their aqueous solution and separating isomeric organic compounds. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.