Ionic liquids (ILs) are widely useful as catalysts or as a medium for
reactions in varied chemical processes since they possess environment-friendly
chemical/physical properties. Ionic liquids (ILs) are those chemical entities that consist
of a cation and an anion having melting points less than 100 °C. Since the last decade,
there has been an increase in the number of chiral ionic liquids (CILs) and their
applications. Most chiral ILs have either a chiral cationic or chiral anionic center. There
are also some CILs with both chiral cationic and chiral anionic centers. Molecules
obtained from nature (biomolecules) are mostly degradable; a number of them are not
toxic and are sustainable in nature. So, the development of CILs from biodegradable
biomolecules provides an opportunity to further improve their greener aspects. Amino
acids are a special kind of biomolecule due to their easy conversion into both anions
and cations; the diverse functionalities in their side chains make them chiral and also
enhance their properties. In comparison to various other chiral molecules, amino acids
are cheaper and plentiful. In the last few years, an array of novel chiral ionic liquids
were synthesized from simple, economical, naturally occurring terpenoids. In this
chapter, very recent developments about the amino acids and terpenoid-based CILs
have been reported and reviewed.