Application of Ionic Liquids in Separation and Downstream Processing of Biomolecules

Abstract

Use of conventional organic solvents in an extraction brings problems such as toxicity, volatility, flammability and denaturization of biomolecules. In contrast, Ionic liquids, which are called as green solvents, are composed completely of ions and devoid of these problems. Traditional organic solvents have been replaced by Ionic liquids in many industrial applications such as organic synthesis, catalysis, extraction (liquid phase micro-extraction, solid phase micro-extraction and liquid-liquid extraction), adsorption, chromatography (mobile phase additives) and supported liquid membranes. Even though, the applications of ionic liquids in bioseparations are in their early stages, the academic interest in ionic liquids is in the rise. The major applications of ionic liquids in separation technology are presented in this present review paper. Furthermore, the future scenario of the ionic liquids in separation techniques is discussed. Keywords: Ionic liquids, downstream processing, separation, liquid-liquid extraction, supported membranes, extraction.