Abstract
An important area of green chemistry is the replacement of hazardous solvents in chemical processes. Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) and, more recently, ionic liquids have been the primary candidates for such green replacement solvents. While surfactants have been used extensively to broaden the range of applications for scCO2, very few investigations have been reported concerning surfactants in ionic liquid solvent media. We present here an overview of the role of surfactants in scCO2 and ionic liquids and illuminate the prospects of combining the solvent properties of these two environmental solvent systems.
Acknowledgment
J.B.C. and J.D.T. received support from a faculty start‐up grant of the Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation awarded to M.M.H (Award Number SU‐00‐013). MMH acknowledges financial support from SUNY Brockport and from United University Professions Individual Development Award.