Ionic liquids are often moderate to poor conductors of electricity, non-ionizing, highly viscous and frequently exhibit low vapor pressure. Their other properties are diverse: many have low combustibility, are thermally stable, with wide liquid regions, and favorable solvating properties for a range of polar and non-polar compounds. Many classes of chemical reactions, such as Diels-Alder reactions and Friedel-Crafts reactions, can be performed using ionic liquids as solvents. ILs can serve as solvents for biocatalysis. The miscibility of ionic liquids with water or organic solvents varies with side chain lengths on the cation and with choice of anion. They can be functionalized to act as acids, bases, or ligands, and are precursors salts in the preparation of stable carbenes. They have been found to hydrolyse. Because of their distinctive properties, ionic liquids have been investigated for many applications.