Room temperature ionic liquids, RTILs are organic salts with low melting points. RTILs have aroused increasing interest worldwide due to their high fluidity, low melting temperature, extended temperature range in the liquid state, air and water stability, low toxicity, nonflammability, high ionic conductivity, ability to dissolve a variety of materials, and very low vapor pressure [1–3]. For these reasons, RTILs are actively being explored as possible “green” solvents to substitute conventional volatile organic solvents in a variety of processes. Microwave heating is regarded as a promising method for rapid volumetric heating which can result in high reaction rates hence a reduction in the reaction time by orders of magnitude and an increase in the product yield in comparison to conventional heating methods [4]. By combining the advantages of both RTILs and microwave heating, we have been able to achieve a fast and controlled synthesis route for making ZnO nanoparticles and nanostructures. In this work, a simple, green, and cost-effective approach for the preparation of ZnO nanoparticles via microwave assisted decomposition of zinc acetate precursor using trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis{(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl}-imide, [P66614][NTf2], as a solvent is reported.

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