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Open research questions in Ionic liquids properties and applications

116 gap statements mined from Ionic liquids properties and applications papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 1,553 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The need for sustainable and non-toxic ingredients in anti-aging and antioxidant cosmetics. The potential of using tobacco waste as a source of phenolic compounds and flavonoids. The lack of studies on the use of natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDES) for extracting compounds from tobacco waste.

    Nanoemulsions Using Sustainable NaDES-Based Tobacco Waste Extracts for Cosmetic Applications · 2026 · DOI

  • There are few methods to separate extracted biomolecules from DES cost-efficiently on a large scale. The scale-up of operations and costs are current limitations. Regulations are also a challenge for the adoption of NADESs in the food industry.

    Use of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) in Food Science and Food Processing · 2025 · DOI

  • The need to ensure the safety of the solvents for human use. The challenge of assessing the environmental impact of the solvents, including their phytotoxicity and effect on plant defense mechanisms.

    Physicochemical and Biological Properties of Menthol and Thymol-Based Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents · 2025 · DOI

  • The need for continued research and development to fully realize the potential of ionic liquids.

    The Role of Ionic Liquids in Textile Processes: A Comprehensive Review · 2025 · DOI

  • The need to minimize environmental impact while maintaining extraction efficiency.

    Enhanced Eugenol Composition in Clove Essential Oil by Deep Eutectic Solvent-Based Ultrasonic Extraction and Microwave-Assisted Hydrodistillation · 2025 · DOI

  • The gap in the literature is the lack of sustainable technologies for extracting carotenoids from pumpkin peels. Conventional solvents have limitations, and NaHDESs offer a promising alternative. The study addresses the need for efficient and environmentally friendly extraction methods.

    Green Extraction of Carotenoids from Pumpkin By-Products Using Natural Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents: Preliminary Insights · 2025 · DOI

  • The reduced DPPH radical scavenging activity observed in SDES is likely influenced by solvent-dependent effects, warranting further study on activity recovery after solvent exchange or formulation.

    Sequential extraction of carotenoids and polyphenols from Ascophyllum nodosum using pH-responsive switchable deep eutectic solvents · 2026 · DOI

  • Although metal‐salt‐based DESs enable coordination reinforcement, how ligand identity regulates coordination environment, phase behavior, and interdomain connectivity remains unclear.

    Ligand‐Controlled Coordination in Metal‐Salt Deep Eutectic Solvents for Regulating Phase Behavior, Network Connectivity, and Mechanical Performance of Stretchable Eutectogels · 2026 · DOI

  • Sempervivum tectorum is an underexplored medicinal plant with known antioxidant potential, used in European ethnomedicine for its anti-inflammatory, astringent, and wound-healing properties, with reported antibacterial activity and a phytochemical profile rich in flavonoids, phenolic compounds, tannins, and mucilage.

    Sustainable extraction, modelling, and microencapsulation of Sempervivum tectorum polyphenols using natural deep eutectic solvents · 2026 · DOI

  • The actual applications of extraction methods for α‐olefins separation are limited by their long time and high energy consumption.

    Microwave‐assisted Ag‐ IL for extraction separation of α‐olefins: Mechanistic insights and process intensification · 2025 · DOI

  • Although the research on ILs is extensive, the formation mechanism of oxymatrine (OMT)-citric acid (CA) IL remains unclear.

    Investigation on the formation mechanism and antibacterial activity of novel citric acid-based ionic liquids applied in the food field · 2025 · DOI

  • Despite the growing interest in ionogel adhesives, a comprehensive review of the latest advancements in this area is lacking.

    Ionogel Adhesives: From Structural Design to Emerging Applications · 2025 · DOI

  • Future studies should investigate a wider range of plant and animal-based waste, optimize ultrasonic parameters and DES compositions, explore combinative extraction methods, enhance compound purification and solvent recovery, and assess industrial scalability through TEA, LCA, safety testing, and regulatory alignment.

    Ultrasound-assisted extraction with deep eutectic solvents for valorization of agro-food waste: A sustainable and eco-friendly approach · 2025 · DOI

  • Despite the significantly enlarged chemical space and enhanced property tunability of double salt ionic liquids (DSILs) as opposed to conventional organic solvents and two‐ion ionic liquids, their applications, particularly in long‐chain esterification and related reactions, still remain scarcely studied.

    Intensifying long‐chain esterification using double salt ionic liquids: A case study of active tuning strategy · 2026 · DOI

  • The extent of order imposed by the presence of the monolayer is likely limited by the intrinsic surface roughness and structural irregularity of the ITO-coated glass support used.

    Surface Induced Order in Room Temperature Ionic Liquids and Its Effect on Piezoelectric Response · 2025 · DOI

  • Investigating methods to separate extracted biomolecules from DES cost-efficiently on a large scale, - Studying the use of NADES in food science and food processing, - Developing new NADES systems for food…

    Use of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) in Food Science and Food Processing · 2025 · DOI

  • Further research is needed to optimize the parameters of NADES to enhance the extraction yield and enrich the chemical composition of EOs - Studying the effects of different NADES compositions on the extraction of specific EO…

    Exploring Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) for Enhanced Essential Oil Extraction: Current Insights and Applications · 2025 · DOI

  • Further studies on the environmental impact of hDESs - Investigation of the effects of hDESs on other cell lines - Exploration of the potential applications of hDESs in various…

    Physicochemical and Biological Properties of Menthol and Thymol-Based Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents · 2025 · DOI

  • Investigating efficient strategies to convert and utilize CO2, - Developing innovative ideas for future research on enzyme@MOFs, - Improving the efficiency of enzyme@MOFs in CO2…

    Recent Progress in Enzyme Immobilization to Metal–Organic Frameworks to Enhance the CO2 Conversion Efficiency · 2025 · DOI

  • Stability and catalytic efficiency of enzymes in NADES, - Scalability and industrial applicability of NADES-based methods, - Limited understanding of the properties and behavior of NADES in different…

    The Versatility of NADES Across Applications · 2025 · DOI

  • Continued research and development to address the barriers to the widespread adoption of ionic liquids in the textile sector, - Investigation of the applications of ionic liquids in other…

    The Role of Ionic Liquids in Textile Processes: A Comprehensive Review · 2025 · DOI

  • Investigating the effects of other DES compositions on the eugenol composition in CEOs. Examining the stability of the extracted CEOs over time. Comparing the results with other extraction methods.

    Enhanced Eugenol Composition in Clove Essential Oil by Deep Eutectic Solvent-Based Ultrasonic Extraction and Microwave-Assisted Hydrodistillation · 2025 · DOI

  • Further investigation into the effects of other variables on the formation of DESs, - Exploration of the potential applications of the DESs formed in this study, - Investigation into the properties of DESs formed with other amino acids…

    Physico-Chemical Characterization of Amino Acid-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents · 2025 · DOI

  • Certain limitations still need to be overcome in the use of DESs, - The extraction of phenolic anthocyanins from Vaccinium myrtillus did not surpass those obtained using methanol extraction, - Low extraction yields, below 1 mg/g, have been reported for some…

    Deep Eutectic Solvent Systems as Media for the Selective Extraction of Anti-Inflammatory Bioactive Agents · 2025 · DOI

  • Further research is needed to overcome the limitations of DESs, - Studies should focus on optimizing DES composition and extraction methods for specific compounds, - The use of DESs in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications should be…

    Deep Eutectic Solvent Systems as Media for the Selective Extraction of Anti-Inflammatory Bioactive Agents · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Ionic liquids properties and applications

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The lack of studies on the use of natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDES) for extracting compounds from tobacco waste (“Nanoemulsions Using Sustainable NaDES-Based Tobacco Waste Extracts for Cosmetic…”, 2026); (2) Although metal‐salt‐based DESs enable coordination reinforcement, how ligand identity regulates coordination environment, phase behavior, and interdomain connectivity remains unclear (“Ligand‐Controlled Coordination in Metal‐Salt Deep Eutectic Solvents for…”, 2026); (3) There are few methods to separate extracted biomolecules from DES cost-efficiently on a large scale (“Use of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) in Food Science and Food…”, 2025); (4) The gap in the literature is the lack of sustainable technologies for extracting carotenoids from pumpkin peels (“Green Extraction of Carotenoids from Pumpkin By-Products Using Natural…”, 2025); (5) Although the research on ILs is extensive, the formation mechanism of oxymatrine (OMT)-citric acid (CA) IL remains unclear (“Investigation on the formation mechanism and antibacterial activity of novel…”, 2025). 116 gap statements have been mined from Ionic liquids properties and applications papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 1,553 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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