The Hydrolysis of Cellulosic Materials in Ionic Liquids

Abstract

This study’s main objective was the dissolution of cellulose from biomass using ionic liquids to obtain saccharides by prehydrolysis. Raw materials were exposed to the ionic liquids (ILs) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, 1-ethyl-2,3-dimethyl-imidazolium chloride, and 3-(2-methoxy-2-oxoethyl)-1-(3-methoxy-3-oxo-propyl)-imidazolium bromide at 105 °C for 6 h. The sugar content of the liquid phase was characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The vegetal materials after treatments were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Glucose was the main reducing sugar product in each case. Different ILs were found to be most effective, depending on what sample was being dissolved – microcrystalline cellulose or rapeseed stalk.

Keywords

• Ionic liquid
• Cellulose
• Lignocellulose
• Biomas