Ionic Liquids (IL) are emerging as novel replacements for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) traditionally used as industrial solvents, however, the lack of a coherent research agenda for the field with major industrial input to define the basic science and engineering needs for practical application may be artificially holding back utilization of these green solvents.

The goals of the symposium include the following:

• To provide a critical assessment of current knowledge in the field
• To compare where possible IL with work using sc-CO2 and aqueous media
• To identify key industrial needs for IL technologies
• To identify research needs to meet industrial needs
• To identify the promise and challenges of IL for the future
  

To accomplish these goals, the symposium will bring together a team from wide professional experience including industrial, academic, and government research personnel. The participants will be drawn from several disciplines and interest including chemical engineering, medicinal chemistry, petrochemicals, electrochemistry, separations, synthesis, catalysis, and computational modeling. Their areas of expertise will include green chemistry and engineering, high temperature molten salts, room temperature ionic liquids, industrial technologies, pollution prevention/remediation, and environmental regulation.

Contributed and invited papers will be considered for both oral and poster presentation at the meeting.

Abstracts will be submitted electronically via the ACS web site http://www.acs.org/meetings/sandiego2001.html. The abstract deadline will occur in October, 2000 with abstracts submissions being accepted starting in June 2000. For additional information, please contact the organizers listed below.

Papers are invited for this symposium from all areas of the study of ionic liquids as solvents. Academic, national laboratory, and industrial participation is anticipated and highly encouraged.

SYMPOSIUM ORGANIZERS

Robin D. Rogers
Center for Green Manufacturing
Box 870336
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
RDRogers@bama.ua.edu

Kenneth R. Seddon
School of Chemistry
The Queen's University of Belfast
Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG
Northern Ireland
k.seddon@qub.ac.uk