Surfing the third wave of ionic liquids: a brief review on the role of surface-active ionic liquids in drug development and delivery.

The relevance of Ionic Liquids (ILs) is now well established in many fields, since their unique properties make them appealing as (i) greener alternatives to organic solvents (first-generation ILs), (ii) tunable task-specific materials (second-generation ILs), and (iii) multi-functional players in Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (third generation ILs). This third wave of ILs encompasses a wide range of compounds, from bioactive molecules with single or even dual therapeutic action, to potential ingredient molecules for the drug formulation and transport systems. In this context, the focus of this review is the emergent role of surface-active ionic liquids (SAILs) in drug development and delivery.