Ionic liquids: solvents for the electrodeposition of metals and semiconductors

In a wider sense, ionic liquids are molten salts that melt below 100 degrees C. As their name suggests, they are solely composed of ions and many combinations of organic and/or inorganic cations and anions exist. Depending on the systems they can reach electrochemical windows of more than 4 V and thus they give access to a number of elements that cannot be electrodeposited from aqueous solutions, such as the light and refractory metals, as well as elemental and compound semiconductors. Presumably, ionic liquids will become important for electrochemical nanotechnology.