Is the Impact of Ethylammonium Nitrate on Soil Basal Respiration Modified by Addition of Aluminium Salt to Improve the Performance in Electrochemical Applications?

Interest in the possible use of EAN in electronic devices has increased in recent years. EAN can be used directly as an electrolyte, but its application could potentially be optimized by mixing with a metal salt such as Al(NO3)3. Although ionic liquids (ILs) have been considered to cause little harm because they are non-volatile, they can have toxic effects on the terrestrial environment. In this study, the impact on soil basal respiration of EAN alone, a mixture of EAN and Al(NO3)3, and Al(NO3)3 alone was investigated using two soils with different organic matter contents. The Al(NO3)3 did not affect soil respiration in either soil, while EAN, either alone or mixed with Al(NO3)3 affected both soils.