(Liquid + liquid) equilibrium data for the ionic liquids 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, [EMim][NTf2], 1-propyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide, [PMim][NTf2], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide, [BMim][NTf2], and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide, [HMim][NTf2], mixed with ethanol and heptane were studied at T = 298.15 K and atmospheric pressure. The ability of these ionic liquids as solvents for the extraction of ethanol from heptane was evaluated in terms of selectivity and solute distribution ratio. Moreover, density and refractive index values over the miscible region for the ternary mixtures were also measured at T = 313.15 K. Finally, the experimental data were correlated with the Non Random Two Liquids (NRTL) and UNIversal QUAsi Chemical (UNIQUAC) thermodynamic models, and an exhaustive comparison with available literature data of the studied systems was carried out. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.