Wettability by ionic liquids

Ionic liquids (ILs) have become particularly attractive recently because they have demonstrated themselves to be important construction units in the broad fields of chemistry and materials science, from catalysis and synthesis to analysis and electrochemistry, from functional fluids to clean energy, from nanotechnology to functional materials. One of the greatest issues that determines the performance of ILs is the wettability of correlated surfaces. In this concept article, the key developments and issues in IL wettability are surveyed, including the electrowetting of ILs in gas-liquid-solid systems and liquid-liquid-solid systems, ILs as useful probe fluids, the superwettability of Ils, and future directions in IL wettability. This should generate extensive interest in the field and encourage more scientists to engage in this area to tackle its scientific challenges. The wettability of surfaces by ionic liquids is crucial for the rational design of ionic liquid-based materials. Key breakthroughs in ionic liquid wettability are reviewed here, including the electrowetting of ionic liquids in gas-liquid-solid systems and liquid-liquid-solid systems, and ionic liquids as useful probe fluids. Importantly, the superwettability of ionic liquids and the future directions of ionic liquid wettability are proposed, in the hope of generating interest in this field and encouraging scientists to engage in this area and tackle its challenges.