Ionic liquids: the link to high-temperature molten salts?

Due to their wide thermal windows, ionic liquids can be regarded as the missing link between aqueous/organic solutions and high-temperature molten salts. They can be employed efficiently for the coating of other metals with thin layers of tantalum, aluminum, and presumably many others at reasonable temperatures by electrochemical means. The development of ionic liquids, especially air and water stable ones, has opened the door for the electrodeposition of reactive elements such as, for example, Al, Ta, and Si, which in the past were only accessible using high-temperature molten salts or, in part, organic solvents.