Salvador - Bahia

Welcome

IMIL2026 | 8th Edition of the Iberoamerican Meeting on Ionic Liquids

Event Location

Polytechnic School
UFBA, Brazil

Event Time

06 - 10 Jul 2026
09:00 - 18:00

About IMIL

IMIL was founded in 2009 in Aveiro, Portugal, with the aim of bringing together actors from Iberoamerican countries who were working in the area of synthesis, characterization and application of ionic liquids.

Historical Overview of the

Iberoamerican Meeting on Ionic Liquids (IMIL)

Interest in ionic liquids increased significantly in the late 1990s and early 2000s, resulting in the formation of new research groups across Europe and the Americas. As the field expanded and high-impact publications multiplied, the scientific community identified the need for a dedicated forum to consolidate advances and foster collaboration. This movement culminated in the first Iberian Meeting on Ionic Liquids, held on June 15-16, 2009. With 100 participants representing more than 20 institutions from over 10 countries in Europe and the Americas, the event was officially named the Iberoamerican Meeting on Ionic Liquids (IMIL). Its thematic scope included thermophysical properties, phase equilibria, emerging applications, and biological impacts of ionic liquids. Selected contributions were published in the Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data, thereby strengthening the meeting’s visibility and continuity.

The inaugural IMIL 2009 conference took place in Aveiro, Portugal, with the aim of gathering researchers from Ibero-American countries working on the synthesis, characterization, and applications of ionic liquids. Conceived by Prof. João Coutinho, the meeting was planned as a biennial event with an intimate format of fewer than 100 participants. It was organized by the PATH Laboratory of the Centre for Research in Ceramics and Composite Materials (CICECO) at the University of Aveiro, with support from the Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica (ITQB) of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa and the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto.

In 2011, IMIL moved to Spain, hosted jointly by the University of A Coruña and the University of Santiago de Compostela. With a focus on strengthening ties among European, North American, and Latin American researchers, the meeting welcomed approximately 120 participants.

The 2013 edition, organized by the ITQB António Xavier of NOVA University Lisbon, was held in Vilamoura, Portugal, in conjunction with the 5th International Congress on Ionic Liquids. Under the presidency of Prof. Luís Paulo N. Rebelo, the combined event attracted approximately 600 participants, marking a significant expansion of the community.

In 2015, IMIL returned to Spain, hosted in Madrid under the leadership of Prof. José Palomar Herrero. The meeting, supported by three major institutions—Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid—brought together around 200 participants and emphasized the integration of emerging and established research groups, reflecting the field’s growing interdisciplinarity.

A landmark transition occurred in 2017, when IMIL was held for the first time in the Americas, in Santos, Brazil. Led by Prof. Jorge Fernando Brandão Pereira and supported by UNESP-Araraquara, the University of São Paulo, the University of Campinas, and the Tiradentes University, the event gathered 250 participants and received funding from FAPESP and CNPq.

The 2021 edition, initially planned for 2019 in Chile, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organized by Prof. Esteban Quijada-Maldonado, the event was held virtually, featuring online lectures over several months and a formal conference from May 24 to 26, reaching more than 270 participants.

Returning to an in-person format, IMIL 2024 was hosted by the University of Coimbra, Portugal, again presided by Prof. Pereira. With over 300 participants from Europe, the Americas, and Oceania, the meeting reinstated its biennial schedule. Significantly, from 2024 onward, the scope expanded to include deep eutectic solvents, enriching discussions on industrial applications.

Across all editions, Special Issues have been published in journals such as Fluid Phase Equilibria and Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data. The event is also preceded by a two-day Winter School on Ionic Liquids and Deep Eutectic Solvents, offering foundational and advanced training for students.