| ECOLOGY |
Assessing risk of ionic liquids A theoretical approach for assessing the environmental risks of ionic liquids has been developed by researchers in Germany [Green Chem., 5, 136 (2003)]. The strategy combines structure-activity relationships, toxicological and ecotoxicological tests, and modeling. It was designed by professor of bioorganic chemistry Bernd Jastorff and postdoc Johannes Ranke at the University of Bremen, along with coworkers. Few toxicological data are available for ionic liquids. "More information is needed to assess ionic liquids with regard to sustainability and to the principles of green chemistry," the authors note. The paper contains a preliminary risk comparison of ionic liquids with a conventional solvent. As part of its work, the team investigated the toxicity of a range of ionic liquids. "We carried out in vitro assays of alkylimidazolium ionic liquids using luminescent marine bacteria and mammalian tumor cell lines," Ranke tells C&EN. "We showed that toxicity increases uniformly with increasing alkyl chain length with this type of ionic liquid." He cautions, however, that a thorough risk analysis of the liquids would need much more data. "Our investigations are still in the start-up phase," he says. "We are currently expanding our test kit. The aim of our approach is to help design the greenest ionic liquids." |
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