# Sustainable and Simple Water‐Induced Separation of Ionic Liquid Mixtures

## TL;DR

A simple method using water to separate mixed ionic liquids under normal conditions, enabling their reuse and promoting sustainability.

## Contribution

A novel, sustainable method for separating ionic liquids using water under ambient conditions.

## Key findings

- Near-complete recovery (⩾99%) of pure ionic liquid components is achieved using water.
- The method works under ambient conditions without complex purification steps.
- This approach opens new pathways for the sustainable use of ionic liquids.

## Abstract

Ionic liquids (ILs) are often considered inseparable once mixed, posing a major challenge for their reuse and recycling. We demonstrate a simple and effective method to separate ILs containing hydrophobic ([NTf2]−) and hydrophilic ([OAc]−) anions under ambient conditions. This process is driven by the thermodynamic behavior of the ILs in presence of water that enables the near‐complete (⩾99%) recovery of pure components without complex purification steps. Our findings prove that pure ILs can easily be recovered after being mixed and open new pathways for the sustainable use of ionic fluids in various applications.

The cover image illustrates an innovative method for recovering ionic liquids (ILs) from their mixtures. This approach enables the recovery of over 99% of the IL by simply adding water–abundant, and safe solvent–under mild conditions, all while preserving the integrity of the ILs. This method marks the beginning of a new field in IL recycling, driven by the strategic balance of hydrophilicity among the components of the IL mixture.