Ionic liquids confined in porous matrices: Physicochemical properties and applications

Ionic liquids are emerging as important materials for applications in electrochemical devices, green chemistry etc. For device applications, ionic liquids are generally, either incorporated in polymer matrices or confined in porous matrices (giving rise to an interesting class of materials ‘Ionogels’). This review deals with the science and technological applications of ionic liquids confined in nano-pores. A comprehensive overview is given about the experimental studies dealing with the changes in the physico-chemical properties of ionic liquids like thermal phase transition, stability, dynamical behavior, optical properties etc. Recent theoretical studies highlighting the layering and structural heterogeneity of ionic liquids confined in nano-pores are also discussed. To make the review self-reading, basic ideas about ionic liquids and the phenomena of confinement are also briefly included.