Liquids

1. A process for dissolving a polymeric material, the process comprising contacting the polymeric material with an ionic liquid, the ionic liquid comprising an anion and a cation characterized in that the cation is a nitrogen-containing cation of formula (I):

N + HRR′R″  (I)

wherein:

R is a hydrocarbyl group optionally interrupted by one or more ether or thioether linkages, and substituted with one or more substituents selected from nitrogen-containing functional groups, alkoxy groups, or hydroxy groups; and

R′ and R″, which may be the same or different, each represent H or a hydrocarbyl group optionally interrupted by one or more ether linkages, and optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from nitrogen-containing functional groups, alkoxy groups, or hydroxy groups;

or wherein any two or three of R, R′ and R″ are joined together with the N to form a cyclic group.

2. The process according to claim 1 wherein at least one of R, R′ or R″ is substituted with a nitrogen-containing functional group, and wherein one or more such nitrogen-containing functional group is a basic nitrogen-containing functional group.

3. The process according to claim 1 wherein at least one of R, R′ or R″ is substituted with a nitrogen-containing functional group, and wherein one or more such nitrogen-containing functional group is selected from nitrile, nitro, amino, or substituted amino.

4. The process according to claim 3 wherein said substituted amino group is selected from mono-alkylamino, di-alkylamino, or alkyamido.

5. The process according to claim 4 wherein one or more dialkylamino group is a dimethylamino group.

6. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein one or more of R, R′ or R″ is substituted with an alkoxy group.

7. The process according to claim 6 wherein one or more alkoxy group is a methoxy group.

8. The process according to claim 6 or claim 7 wherein one or more of R, R′ or R′ is interrupted by an ether linkage.

9. The process according to claim 1 wherein one or both of R′ and R″ is an unsubstituted hydrocarbyl group.

10. The process according to claim 1 wherein the anion is selected from the group consisting of halogenated inorganic anion, nitrate, sulphate, phosphate, carbonate, sulphonate, alkylsulphonate, carboxylate, alkylcarboxylate, bis(trifluoromethylsulphonyl)imide, carbonate, hydrogen carbonate, sulphate, hydrogen sulphate, silicate, phosphate, hydrogen phosphate, dihydrogen phosphate, metaphosphate, methanesulphonate, trifluoromethanesulphonate, ethylenediaminetetraacetate, chloride, bromide, iodide, hexafluorophosphate, tetrafluoroborate, trifluoroacetate, pentafluoropropanoate, heptafluorobutanoate, oxalate, formate, acetate, propanoate, butanoate, pentanoate, hexanoate, heptanoate, octanoate, nonanoate, decanoate, benzoate, benezenedicarboxylate, benzenetricarboxylate, benzenetetracarboxylate, chlorobenzoate, fluorobenzoate, pentachlorobenzoate, pentafluorobenzoate salicylate, glycolate lactate, pantothenate, tartrate, hydrogen tartrate, mandelate, crotonate, malate, pyruvate, succinate, citrate, fumarate, phenylacetate, and organic carboxylate, and wherein the alkyl of alkylsulphonate and/or alkylcarboxylate optionally is substituted at any position with alkenyl, alkoxy, alkeneoxy, aryl, arylalkyl, aryloxy, amino, aminoalkyl, thio, thioalkyl, hydroxyl, hydroxyalkyl, carbonyl, oxoalkyl, carboxyl, carboxyalkyl or halide.