An introduction to zwitterionic salts

Zwitterionic salts are hybrid materials, incorporating some characteristics of zwitterions and of ionic liquids, e.g. numerous options for structural design and functionalisation. They comprise of cations and anions in which an additional zwitterionic moiety is embedded into either the cation or the anion. Such materials are characterised by having extended polar domains and high hydrophilicity. Here, we present results from the study of novel zwitterionic salts that are representative examples of this class of materials and illustrate the potential to exploit their functionality and high hydrophilicity.