Room temperature ionic liquids biocatalysis

In recent years ionic liquids have also been employed as media for reactions catalyzed both by isolated enzymes and by whole cells, and excellent reviews on this topic are already available [47]. Biocatalysis has been mainly conducted in those room-temperature ionic liquids that are composed of a 1,3-dialkylimidazolium or N-alkylpyridinium cation and a noncoordinating anion [47aj. 

Wang, S.F., Chen, T., Zhang, Z.L., Pang, D.W., and Wong, K.Y., Effects of hydrophobic room-temperature ionic liquid l-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate on direct electrochemistry and biocatalysis of heme proteins entrapped in agarose hydrogel films, Electrochem. Commun., 9, 1709-1714, 2007. 

Roberts, N. J., Lye, G. J. Application of room temperature ionic liquids in biocatalysis Opportunities and challenges. In Ionic Liquids Industrial Applications for Green Chemistry, Rogers, R. D., Sheldon, K. R. Eds., American Chemical Society Washington, D.C., 2002, Vol. ACS Symposium Series 818. 

Wan, J., Bi, J.L., Du, P., and Zhang, S.S. (2009) Biosensor based on the biocatalysis of microperorddase-ll in nanocomposite material of mulfiwalled carbon nanotubes/room temperature ionic liquid for amperometric determination of hydrogen peroxide. Analytical Biochemistry, 386 (2), 256-261. 

Ding, C. F. Zhang, M. L. Zhao, F. Zhang, S. S. (2008). Disposable biosensor and biocatalysis of horseradish p>eroxidase based on sodium alginate film and room temperature ionic liquid. Analytical Biochemistry, Vol. 378, No. 1, pp. 32-37, ISSN 0003-2697. 

The interest in ILs has been generated due to their unique properties and potential uses in areas as diverse as synthesis, biocatalysis, electrochemistry, etc. Thus, this class of molecules is increasingly employed in organic chemistry, material sciences and physical chemistry [3,4], ILs are salts - substances composed exclusively of cations and anions. This fact differentiates them from simple ionic solutions, in which ions are dissolved in a molecular medium. They are also different from inorganic molten salts because their melting points are lower than 100°C (most of them exist in liquid form at or near room temperature). 

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