Ionic liquids (ILs) are composed only of ions. Of special interest to this review are those where at least one ion (the cation) is organic and whose melting points are below or not far above room temperature. ILs are designated as "green" solvents because they have extremely low vapor pressure, are non-inflammable, and thermally and chemically stable. Therefore, many of them can be, in principle, recycled into the process indefinitely. The objective of the present review is to discuss different aspects of the use of ILs in carbohydrate chemistry, in particular, dissolution and functionalization of simple sugars, cyclodextrins, cellulose, starch, and chitin/chitosan. The molecular structure and synthesis of ILs most frequently employed in carbohydrate chemistry are discussed with an emphasis on imidazolium and pyridinium cations with different counterions. The physicochemical properties of ILs that are relevant to the dissolution and functionalization of carbohydrates, in particular their polarities and hydrogen-bonding abilities, are discussed. Dissolution of simple saccharides and biopolymers in ILs is presented with an emphasis on the mechanism of carbohydrate--IL interactions. Finally, the very interesting novel applications of the solutions obtained are addressed. These include, inter alia, spinning of the dissolved biopolymer into fibers, extrusion into slabs and rods, formation of matrixes for a myriad of substrates, including biomacromolecules, formation of nanocomposites, and functionalization to produce important derivatives. The use of ILs in many branches of science is expanding fast; it is hoped that this review will draw the attention of researchers to the "window of opportunities" that these green solvents open into carbohydrate chemistry.

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Solubilization of 1,2-ethanediol, ED, and its aqueous solution, ED-W, by the reverse aggregates of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate, Aerosol-OT or AOT, in n-heptane and isooctane has been studied by FTIR and 1H NMR. Curve fitting of the νOD bands of the aggregate-solubilized (partially deuterated) ED and ED-W showed the presence of a main peak and a smaller one. The frequency of the former peak decreases, whereas its full width at half-height increases as a function of increasing [solubilizate]/[AOT]. The dependence on the later ratio of 1H NMR chemical shifts, δproton, of solubilized water, ED, ED-W as well as the surfactant discrete protons showed monotonic increase or decrease. Results of both techniques indicated that ED and/or water interact with the surfactant by a similar mechanism, i.e., by solvating its head-ions. The magnitudes of |ΔνOD| and |Δδproton| showed, however, that AOT interacts more strongly with ED than with water. Over the entire range of [solubilizate]/[surfactant], the main νOD peak area corresponds to 85 ± 2% (ED), and 88 ± 2% (ED-W) of the total peak area. These results show that the aggregate-solubilized ED or ED-W does not seem to coexist in “layers” of different structures, as suggested by the multi-state water solubilization model.