'ion-based' is a modern English compound formed from 'ion' + 'based'. 'Ion' entered scientific English in the 19th century from Greek 'ion' (from the verb 'ienai', meaning 'to go'), while 'based' is the past participle/adjective form of English verb 'base' (from Old French/Late Latin roots related to 'basis').

'ion' was adopted into English scientific vocabulary in the early-mid 19th century (Michael Faraday and contemporaries popularized the term for charged particles). 'Base' developed from Old French/Late Latin terms ('base', 'basis') meaning a foundation; the compound 'ion-based' is a 20th-century descriptive formation combining the scientific noun and the adjectival past participle.

Originally, Greek 'ion' meant 'going' (something that goes); in modern scientific English it specifically denotes charged particles. 'Base' originally referred to a foundation or pedestal; combined as 'ion-based', the meaning evolved to 'founded on or using ions'.