A Review. High Performance Polymers in Ionic Liquid: An Opportunity for Green Polymer Chemistry. Part II: Polyimides and Polyesters.

It is a great challenge to reduce the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used in chemical and industrial processes. VOCs are the most frequently used solvents in solution polymerizations, owing to their compatibility with monomers and simplicity of separation. Due to the health and environmental concerns associated with VOCs, alternative solvents which are more environmentally benign are being investigated as potential replacements. Ionic liquids (IL)s show potentials as VOCs substitute and have received much attention for their environmentally non-hazardous conditions in recent times. They have become the focus of many trials because of their negligible vapour pressure, chemical stability, low flammability, high ionic conductivity, broad liquid temperature range and excellent ability to dissolve organic compounds.
These new chemical materials can reduce the use of hazardous and polluting organic solvents due to their unique characteristics and participating in various new syntheses. Among these reactions, polymerization reactions in ILs have attracted much research interest due to their importance in science and technology. The demand for highperformance polymeric materials is growing steadily because of their superior performance characteristics which are expected from engineering polymers in areas such as aero-space, electronics, and automobile industries. With the aim of developing a green polymer chemistry approach, herein, the synthesis and properties of highperformance polymers, e.g., polyimides and polyesters are reviewed in the chemical point view of environmental friendly media using ILs.