In this work, the toxicological assessment towards filamentous fungi (Penicillium sp.) as model eukaryotic organisms of sixteen ionic liquids (containing an imidazolium, pyridinium, or cholinium cation) is presented. Amongst these fungi are members which show much higher tolerance towards ionic liquids than any other microorganism so far studied. Furthermore, guided by the paradigm that the choice of an ionic liquid as catalyst can alter the outcome of a given chemical reaction, the ability of ionic liquids to alter the metabolic profile in fungi was studied. The metabolic footprint, as investigated by electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry, revealed that fungal cultures respond to specific ionic liquids by changing their cell biochemistry, resulting in an altered pattern of secondary metabolites.

In this work, we explore the mutual solubility of a number of mixtures of commonly used ionic liquids (imidazolium, pyridinium, phosphonium and ammonium ionic liquids) with partially fluorinated n-alcohols (C₇ to C₁₀) or perfluoroheptane. The corresponding T–x diagrams at atmospheric pressure were measured through cloud-point temperature determinations. For some selected systems under near-critical isopleth conditions, pressure effects were also studied. The results are discussed in terms of (i) shifts in the immiscibility envelopes as the cation alkyl-chain length is changed, (ii) the nature of the cation or the anion, (iii) the increasing length of the fluorinated/alkylic moiety of the partially fluorinated alcohol, or (iv) comparisons with similar systems involving normal alcohols.