Researchers of the Zelinsky Institute studied the cytotoxicity of protic ionic liquids

At present, due to their unique electrochemical, solvation, and catalytic properties, ionic liquids are widely used in chemistry, biotechnology, biochemistry, molecular biology, and medicine. In the last decade, protic ionic liquids, salts of organic bases and Bronsted acids with a melting point below 100°C, have been increasingly studied. They are already used as solvents and catalysts in organic synthesis, and as stationary or mobile phases in chromatography.

In one of the latest works of scientists from the Laboratory of Metal Complex and Nanoscale Catalysts of the ZIOC the cytotoxicity of protic ionic liquids based on imidazolium salts was studied for the first time. The influence of the type of anion and the nature of the substituents in ionic liquids on toxicity was investigated. However, even relatively low toxicity protic ionic liquids have a significant detrimental effect on eukaryotic cells when used as cryopreservation agents. The creation of biologically active and non-toxic ionic liquids, as well as the study of their mechanisms of action, is undoubtedly a promising area of research.
 

Source:

Ksenia S. Egorova, Marina M. Seitkalieva, Alexey S. Kashin, Evgeniy G. Gordeev, Anna V. Vavina, Alexandra V. Posvyatenko, Valentine P. Ananikov Biological activity, solvation properties and microstructuring of protic imidazolium ionic liquids // J. Mol. Liq., 2022, 367, 120450. DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.120450.