Design of sustainable chemical products -: The example of ionic liquids

An idealized diagram of a cyclic design process for sustainable chemical products is presented. The sustainability of an ionic liquid is strongly dependent on the purpose of the technical process on which it is applied. It is important to test the application specific performance of a substance, its potential impact on human health and environment. Evaluation procedure is of equal importance, generating a synopsis of the available information, and reflecting it with regard to decisions to use certain substances for a specific purpose. The structural variability of ionic liquids provides substances that have a low risk regarding each of the manners of release, spatiotemporal range, bioaccumulation, biological activity and uncertainty. Therefore, there is a good chance for a sustainable ionic liquid with an excellent risk profile for a defined technical application which is itself in line with sustainable development. Also, the type of risk analysis will only be efficient if used in a sustainable product design or even a life-cycle design process.