The application of thermodynamics is simple, even if the theory may appear intimidating. We describe tools, developed over recent years, which make it easy to estimate often elusive thermodynamic parameter values, generally (but not exclusively) for ionic materials, both solid and liquid, as well as for their solid hydrates and solvates. The tools are termed volume-based thermodynamics (VBT) and thermodynamic difference rules (TDR), supplemented by the simple salt approximation (SSA) and single-ion values for volume, V_m, heat capacity, , entropy, , formation enthalpy, Δ_fH°, and Gibbs formation energy, Δ_fG°. These tools can be applied to provide values of thermodynamic and thermomechanical properties such as standard enthalpy of formation, Δ_fH°, standard entropy, , heat capacity, C_p, Gibbs function of formation, Δ_fG°, lattice potential energy, U_POT, isothermal expansion coefficient, α, and isothermal compressibility, β, and used to suggest the thermodynamic feasibility of reactions among condensed ionic phases. Because many of these methods yield results largely independent of crystal structure, they have been successfully extended to the important and developing class of ionic liquids as well as to new and hypothesised materials. Finally, these predictive methods are illustrated by application to K₂SnCl₆, for which known experimental results are available for comparison. A selection of applications of VBT and TDR is presented which have enabled input, usually in the form of thermodynamics, to be brought to bear on a range of topical problems. Perhaps the most significant advantage of VBT and TDR methods is their inherent simplicity in that they do not require a high level of computational expertise nor expensive high-performance computation tools – a spreadsheet will usually suffice – yet the techniques are extremely powerful and accessible to non-experts. The connection between formula unit volume, V_m, and standard thermodynamic parameters represents a major advance exploited by these techniques.

This paper reports that various thermodynamic properties in aqueous media for certain individual ions and for compounds are linear functions of the inverse cube root of the solid respective ionic and compound solid state volumes, V _m ^−1/3 .

A virtually unprecedented exponential burst of activity resulted following the publication, in 1998, of an article by Michael Freeman (Freemantle, M. Chemical & Engineering News, 1998, March 30, 32), which speculated on the role and contribution that ionic liquids (ILs) might make in the future on the development of clean technology. Up until that time only a handful of researchers were routinely engaged in the study of ILs but frenzied activity followed that continues until the present day. Scientists from all disciplines related to Chemistry have now embarked on studies, including theoreticians who are immersed in the aim of improving the “designer role” so that they can tailor ILs to deliver specified properties. This article, whilst not in any sense attempting to be exhaustive, highlights the main features which characterise ILs, presenting these in a form readily assimilated by newcomers to this area of research. An extensive glossary is featured in this article as well as a chronological list which charts the major areas of development. What follows consists of a number of sections briefly describing the role of ILs as solvents, hypergolic fuels, their use in some electrochemical devices such as solar cells and lithium batteries and their use in polymerisation reactions, followed by a concise summary of some of the other roles that they are capable of playing. The role of empirical, volume-based thermodynamics procedures, as well as large scale computational studies on ILs is also highlighted. These developments which are described are remarkable in that they have been achieved in less than a decade and a half, although knowledge of these materials has existed for much longer.