Research Progress of Room Temperature Ionic Liquids Used in Natural Gas Purification

This paper reviews the recent research progress of room temperature ionic liquid (RTILs) used in natural gas purification. RTILs are a class of novel materials with some unique properties. They are described as new type solvents and have been widely applied in organic synthesis, analytical chemistry, separation technology and electrochemistry. To develop low-carbon economy, RTILs as a new gas separation media, have been introduced in gas purification. Due to their sound gas solubility and adjustable properties, RTILs supply a new platform for the development of the formulation solution used in natural gas purification. Moreover, the combination of RTILs and membrane technology show a promising prospect in industrial application, especially in the field of natural gas desulphurization and CO₂ capture.