Ionic Liquids and Ionizing Radiation: Reactivity of Highly Energetic Species

Due to their unique properties, ionic liquids present many opportunities for basic research on the interactions of radiation with materials under conditions not previously available. At the same time, there are practical applied reasons for characterizing, understanding, and being able to predict how ionic-liquid-based devices and industrial-scale systems will perform under conditions of extreme reactivity, including radiation. This perspective discusses current issues in ionic liquid physical chemistry, provides a brief introduction to radiation chemistry draws attention to some key findings in ionic liquid radiation chemistry and identifies some current hot topics and new opportunities.