14
M. B. Shiflett et al.
ionic liquids and mixtures that contain them. Version 1.0 was announced at COIL-1
[77], and detailed capabilities were described [78].
Creation of a broadly scoped database required a sustained effort at a high level,
so it is useful to reflect on how ILThermo was created. As mentioned earlier, in
April 2000, the first international meeting devoted to ionic liquids, Green Industrial
Applications of Ionic Liquids, was held in Heraklion, Crete; the 50 or so attendees
issued recommended research needs. Among those needs was “a verified, web-based
database of physical, thermodynamic, and related data (not process specific).” It was
quite clear that a database was needed; the remaining issues, such as when and
its scope, would be decided after a task group was formed. Such a project required
minimizing risk factors. Risk factors include: (1) committing to an insufficient scope,
(2) failing to understand customers’ needs, and (3) devoting insufficient scientific
talent. Within a burgeoning research field, it seemed that boundaries were being
pushed back in all directions. In addition, announcements of new discoveries were
commonplace. It was clear that the work needed to get underway. Figure 1.2 illustrates
why time was of the essence. Because the research was growing at a power-law rate,
postponing the work to build a database would clearly be a mistake. The project
was starting from scratch, the backlog of work was already formidable, and it was
growing. Dr. Magee recognized that industrial needs always include mixtures, so
mixtures were added to the project scope from the beginning. Realizing there was a
great fit to NIST’s mission, Dr. Magee organized a NIST group capable of the work
and secured new internal funding.
To build consensus that NIST should do the work to create a database, a new
IUPAC project was proposed. Shortly afterward, while attending an ACS meeting (Boston, August 2002), Dr. Magee met with Professor Kenneth (Ken) Seddon
(QUILL, UK) where they launched a collaboration to build a database. In the weeks
that followed, Dr. Magee wrote an IUPAC proposal. Professor Seddon recruited an
international task group, presented the proposal to IUPAC, and guided it through
approval.
Fig. 1.2 Ionic liquid
publications per year
(1990–2005)
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Publications
Year
M. B. Shiflett et al.
ionic liquids and mixtures that contain them. Version 1.0 was announced at COIL-1
[77], and detailed capabilities were described [78].
Creation of a broadly scoped database required a sustained effort at a high level,
so it is useful to reflect on how ILThermo was created. As mentioned earlier, in
April 2000, the first international meeting devoted to ionic liquids, Green Industrial
Applications of Ionic Liquids, was held in Heraklion, Crete; the 50 or so attendees
issued recommended research needs. Among those needs was “a verified, web-based
database of physical, thermodynamic, and related data (not process specific).” It was
quite clear that a database was needed; the remaining issues, such as when and
its scope, would be decided after a task group was formed. Such a project required
minimizing risk factors. Risk factors include: (1) committing to an insufficient scope,
(2) failing to understand customers’ needs, and (3) devoting insufficient scientific
talent. Within a burgeoning research field, it seemed that boundaries were being
pushed back in all directions. In addition, announcements of new discoveries were
commonplace. It was clear that the work needed to get underway. Figure 1.2 illustrates
why time was of the essence. Because the research was growing at a power-law rate,
postponing the work to build a database would clearly be a mistake. The project
was starting from scratch, the backlog of work was already formidable, and it was
growing. Dr. Magee recognized that industrial needs always include mixtures, so
mixtures were added to the project scope from the beginning. Realizing there was a
great fit to NIST’s mission, Dr. Magee organized a NIST group capable of the work
and secured new internal funding.
To build consensus that NIST should do the work to create a database, a new
IUPAC project was proposed. Shortly afterward, while attending an ACS meeting (Boston, August 2002), Dr. Magee met with Professor Kenneth (Ken) Seddon
(QUILL, UK) where they launched a collaboration to build a database. In the weeks
that followed, Dr. Magee wrote an IUPAC proposal. Professor Seddon recruited an
international task group, presented the proposal to IUPAC, and guided it through
approval.
Fig. 1.2 Ionic liquid
publications per year
(1990–2005)
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Publications
Year