Preface for the 69th Special Feature — “Frontiers of Molten Salts and Ionic Liquids”

The 69th special feature, titled “Frontiers of Molten Salts and Ionic Liquids,” will focus on the recent progress in the field of molten salts and ionic liquids. Molten salts include conventional high-temperature molten salts and room-temperature molten salts (more commonly referred to as ionic liquids), as well as molten metals, molten glasses, and molten hydrates in the broadest sense. In recent years, chemical and electrochemical reactions using molten salts and ionic liquids have become increasingly important for the realization of a carbon-neutral society. Major recent applications include storage batteries, green smelting, recycling, CO₂ utilization, hydrogen production, and nuclear fuel reprocessing. In this special feature, readers will see how electrochemical processes in molten salts and ionic liquids hold promise for realizing a carbon-neutral society in the future.