(Physical and Analytical Electrochemistry Division Max Bredig Award In Molten Salt and Ionic Liquid Chemistry) Of Ionic Liquids and Hydrogen Bonds

Abstract

Whether it is the solubility of biopolymers, the rates of reactions, the physical properties of ionic liquids, or the formation of Deep Eutectic Solvents, the concept of the hydrogen bond often finds itself at the centre of explanations of ionic liquids’ behaviours. How strange it would seem to someone entering the field today that the idea that hydrogen bonds could form in ionic liquids was even recently controversial. So, how did this transformation come about?In this presentation, you will meet some of the most well-known names in ionic liquids, both past and present. Key insights have only come from a variety of different techniques, both experimental and theoretical, being brought to bear on the question of whether hydrogen bonds exist or are of any use in ionic liquids and their solutions. You will also see that opposing views can turn out to both be correct and controversies are not always solved by one side ‘winning’ over the other.