Ionic liquids (ILs) have recently been explored as solvents/co-solvents for a variety of biotechnology applications, ranging from the formulation of biopharmaceutics to media for biocatalysis.  The growing potential for ILs in this arena raises questions as to how ionic liquids behave in ecosystems and/or in the human body.  To date, biological compatibility has generally been explored in the context of high-throughput assays, which study the relative toxicity of ILs towards particular species or cell types.  To better understand specific interactions between ILs and biological interfaces, unilamellar vesicles were prepared from 1,2-dipalmitoyl-3-sn-phosphatidylcholine (DPCC), a major lipid in the membranes of human cells. Vesicles were then incubated in a range of choline-based ILs, and membrane calorimetry studies were performed to identify specific membrane disruptions that could lead to leaky or compromised cells.  Correlations between specific lipid interactions and cellular toxicity data were observed.

Ionic liquids at the interface of biological systems

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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