Easy and Efficient Recovery of EMIMCl from Cellulose Solutions by Addition of Acetic Acid and the Transition from the Original Ionic Liquid to an Eutectic Mixture

Abstract

Ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are the two most widely used neoteric solvents. Recently, our group described how the simple addition of acetic acid (AcOH) to 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (EMIMCl) could promote the transition from the original IL to an eutectic mixture of EMIMCl and AcOH. Herein, we studied how cellulose regeneration and EMIMCl recovery from EMIMCl solutions of cellulose could be benefited by the significant differences existing between EMIMCl- and EMIMCl·AcOH-based mixtures and the easy switching from one to the other. Finally, we also demonstrated that the transition could also be accomplished by addition of acetic anhydride and water so that the process could be eventually useful for the achievement of highly acetylated cellulose.

Keywords

• ionic liquids
• deep eutectic solvents
• cellulose dissolution
• cellulose regeneration
• ionic liquid recovery
• cellulose acetylation