Distillable acid-base conjugate ionic liquids for cellulose dissolution and processing

Abstract

Heating up: Improved recyclability is necessary for ionic liquids destined for wood-based bioprocessing platforms. New "distillable" molten acid-base conjugates efficiently dissolve cellulose at temperatures of 100 °C. Increased temperature induces a shift of the acid-base equilibrium toward the neutral species (see picture, TMG=1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine), thus affording a vapor pressure and allowing for distillation of the mixture. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.