18
M. B. Shiflett et al.
(EINECS). In addition, a family of ammonium-based ionic liquids
22 was designed
as dispersing agents for homogenization of pigment formulations. In January 2008,
the spin-off was acquired by a large chemical company
23 , and the portfolios were
integrated.
A company
24 was founded in 2003 by Thomas Schubert (who came from another
ionic liquids company
25 ) at Freiburg [45]. The company was profitable from the
beginning due to a supporting number of clients and financially strong joint projects,
as the company entered an already consolidated market. Notably, the company was
a direct competitor in sales and was also engaged in contract R&D services and
developed several trademarks to enlarge its portfolio.
26 In March 2005, the company
launched a free newsletter. A major upgrade came in 2008 with the introduction of
microreactor systems for scaling-up. This technique enabled variable configurations
to produce different ionic liquids on a multi-kilogram-per-day scale. The engagement
of a local investment firm
27 with 30% stake resulted in the company’s transfer to
Heilbronn [89], and by 2010 a branch office operated at Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA.
In 2010, the company opened a rental service for ionic liquids. The business figures
attested to a continuous and healthy growth and its shares were sold back to the
founders of the firm in 2017. Presently, the firm supplies the industry with more
than 325 ionic liquids, 180 nanomaterials, and 50 key intermediates. The company
is currently preparing an additional production site in the eastern part of Germany
(Bitterfeld-Wolfen), where they will produce ionic liquids in a 1 metric ton reactor
(autoclave) and several continuous-flow production units. A new technique has also
been developed for drying ionic liquids at larger scale, and production is planned to
begin in the third quarter of 2019.
A British company
28 started in 1999 as a joint venture between the University of
Leicester (Professor Andrew Abbott) and a corporate venture company
29 [90]. In their
business model, research is done at the university, while production, licensing, and
marketing remains with the company. The ionic liquids are manufactured by another
chemical manufacturer
30 in Huddersfield. The ionic liquids from this company are
formulations of quaternary ammonium salts with either a metal salt or a hydrogenbond donor giving deep eutectic solvents.
31 A significant number of formulations
are based on choline chloride (i.e., vitamin B4).
22 AMMOENG ™ , Solvent Innovation GmbH.
23 Merck KGaA.
24 IoLiTec GmbH.
25 Solvent Innovation GmbH.
26 Including IoLiSens ® for sensor technology, IoLiTherm ® for thermofluids, IoLiLyte ® for
electrolytes, and IoLiTive ® for additives, IoLiTec GmbH.
27 ZFHN Zukunftsfonds Heilbronn GmbH & Co. KG.
28 Scionix Ltd.
29 Genacys Ltd., a subsidiary of the Whyte Group Ltd.
30 Grosvenor Chemicals Ltd.
31 Scionix Ltd.
M. B. Shiflett et al.
(EINECS). In addition, a family of ammonium-based ionic liquids
22 was designed
as dispersing agents for homogenization of pigment formulations. In January 2008,
the spin-off was acquired by a large chemical company
23 , and the portfolios were
integrated.
A company
24 was founded in 2003 by Thomas Schubert (who came from another
ionic liquids company
25 ) at Freiburg [45]. The company was profitable from the
beginning due to a supporting number of clients and financially strong joint projects,
as the company entered an already consolidated market. Notably, the company was
a direct competitor in sales and was also engaged in contract R&D services and
developed several trademarks to enlarge its portfolio.
26 In March 2005, the company
launched a free newsletter. A major upgrade came in 2008 with the introduction of
microreactor systems for scaling-up. This technique enabled variable configurations
to produce different ionic liquids on a multi-kilogram-per-day scale. The engagement
of a local investment firm
27 with 30% stake resulted in the company’s transfer to
Heilbronn [89], and by 2010 a branch office operated at Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA.
In 2010, the company opened a rental service for ionic liquids. The business figures
attested to a continuous and healthy growth and its shares were sold back to the
founders of the firm in 2017. Presently, the firm supplies the industry with more
than 325 ionic liquids, 180 nanomaterials, and 50 key intermediates. The company
is currently preparing an additional production site in the eastern part of Germany
(Bitterfeld-Wolfen), where they will produce ionic liquids in a 1 metric ton reactor
(autoclave) and several continuous-flow production units. A new technique has also
been developed for drying ionic liquids at larger scale, and production is planned to
begin in the third quarter of 2019.
A British company
28 started in 1999 as a joint venture between the University of
Leicester (Professor Andrew Abbott) and a corporate venture company
29 [90]. In their
business model, research is done at the university, while production, licensing, and
marketing remains with the company. The ionic liquids are manufactured by another
chemical manufacturer
30 in Huddersfield. The ionic liquids from this company are
formulations of quaternary ammonium salts with either a metal salt or a hydrogenbond donor giving deep eutectic solvents.
31 A significant number of formulations
are based on choline chloride (i.e., vitamin B4).
22 AMMOENG ™ , Solvent Innovation GmbH.
23 Merck KGaA.
24 IoLiTec GmbH.
25 Solvent Innovation GmbH.
26 Including IoLiSens ® for sensor technology, IoLiTherm ® for thermofluids, IoLiLyte ® for
electrolytes, and IoLiTive ® for additives, IoLiTec GmbH.
27 ZFHN Zukunftsfonds Heilbronn GmbH & Co. KG.
28 Scionix Ltd.
29 Genacys Ltd., a subsidiary of the Whyte Group Ltd.
30 Grosvenor Chemicals Ltd.
31 Scionix Ltd.