An efficient solvent-free synthesis of a new family of functionalized chiral ionic liquids based on pyridinium cation has been developed from low-cost chiral terpenoid alcohols. An exhaustive characterization was performed using state-of-the-art techniques, such as ESI–MS, ATR FT-IR and NMR (1H, 13C, 11B, 31P, 19F) spectroscopy. Thermal properties of this new class of chiral ionic liquids were studied by TGA and DSC analyses. Catalytic potential of the synthesized CILS was also evaluated in the asymmetric reduction of prochiral acetophenones.