Ion gels and self-healing gels prepared using ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have been largely investigated in the past years due to their remarkable applications in different research areas. Herewith we provide an overview on the ILs and DESs used for the preparation of ion gels, highlight the preparation and physicochemical characteristics of stimuli responsive gel materials based on co-polymers and biopolymers, with special emphasis on polysaccharides and discuss their applications. Overall, this review summarizes the fundamentals and advances in ion gels with switchable properties prepared using ILs or DESs, as well as their potential applications in electrochemistry, in sensing devices and as drug delivery vehicles.

DNA (Salmon testes) was functionalized by Fe3O4 nanoparticles and protonated layered dititanate sheets (H2·Ti2O5·H2O) in a mixture of choline chloride and ethylene glycol (a deep eutectic solvent) to yield a hybrid material having magnetic and antibacterial properties. Ti sheets were found to interact with the phosphate moieties, while Fe interacted with the base pair of DNA in the hybrid material.

Throughout numerous research works on biomacromolecules, several breakthrough innovations have occurred in the field of biomacromolecule processing. Remarkable improvements have been made so far to address the problems associated with biomacromolecule processing technologies in terms of enhancing the efficiency of the processes. Green technology broadly focuses on the search for new techno-economic systems to replace the conventional systems which exhibit pernicious consequences for the environment and the health of organisms. The strategy practiced popularly is the use of alternate solvent systems, replacing the conventional toxic, volatile, and harsh organic solvents to prevent denaturation, biotransformation, enzyme activity loss, and degradation of biomacromolecules. Ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are emerging as greener alternatives over the past two decades and there has been an exponential increase in reports in the literature. The utility of neoteric solvents in biomacromolecule treatment may be envisaged for industrial processes in the near future. The current state of the art regarding the recent developments made over the past few years using neoteric solvents has been reviewed in this article. The recent scientific developments regarding the use of these neoteric solvents, especially ILs and DESs, for processes such as solubilization, extraction, and functionalization of biomacromolecules, especially proteins and DNA, have been addressed in this article. This review may be beneficial for designing novel and selective methodologies for the processing of biomacromolecules, opening doors for better material research in areas such as biotechnology and biological sciences.