Biocatalysis in ionic liquids for a low carbon future

There is an urgent need to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and create a more sustainable human society in balance with the planet. Catalysis is a key tool required to achieve this goal, and biocatalysis has the potential to be the most sustainable of the classes of catalysis. An enzyme belongs in a cell, and biocatalysis can be difficult to apply in artificial environments. Ionic liquids (ILs) and liquid media comprising only of ions assist the use of biocatalysts. The potential for the application of IL-assisted biocatalysis in achieving a more sustainable lower carbon future will be discussed, citing relevant examples.