News: Scientists have found life can exist on rocky super-earths with volcanic activity and little water thanks to ionic liquids.
About Ionic Liquids
- These are salts that stay liquid even in a vacuum at temperatures below 100°C.
- Unlike ordinary liquids made of neutral molecules (like water), ionic liquids are composed entirely of ions—positively and negatively charged particles.
- Artificial manufacturing: In the lab, they can be made by mixing volcanic sulphuric acid with nitrogen-containing organic molecules found on planets, then letting the extra acid evaporate.
- These liquids are stable even at room temperature.
- Importance: They can dissolve biological molecules to support life, and remove the need for water oceans to support alien life.
