The preliminary results described here show that unprecedentedly large distribution coefficient (D) values can be achieved using ionic liquids as extraction solvents for the separation of metal ions by crown ethers. This work highlights the vast opportunities in separation applications for ionic liquids with crown ethers.

Ionic liquids have been used as effective solvents to synthesize aerogels; a long aging time can be used to produce stable aerogel structures without the need for supercritical drying processes.