Selection of optimum ionic liquid solvents for flavonoid and phenolic acids extraction

Abstract

Phytochemicals are important in improving human health with their functions as antioxidants, antimicrobials and anticancer agents. However, the quality of phytochemicals extract relies on the efficiency of extraction process. Ionic liquids (ILs) have become a research phenomenal as extraction solvent due to their unique properties such as unlimited range of ILs, non-volatile, strongly solvating and may become either polarity. In phytochemical extraction, the determination of the best solvent that can extract highest yield of solute (phytochemical) is very important. Therefore, this study is conducted to determine the best IL solvent to extract flavonoids and phenolic acids through a property prediction modeling approach. ILs were selected from the imidazolium-based anion for alkyl chains ranging from ethyl > octyl and cations consisting of Br, Cl, [PF6], BF4], [H2PO4], [SO4], [CF3SO3], [TF2N] and [HSO4]. This work are divided into several stages. In Stage 1, a Microsoft Excel-based database containing available solubility parameter values of phytochemicals and ILs including its prediction models and their parameters has been established. The database also includes available solubility data of phytochemicals in IL, and activity coefficient models, for solid-liquid phase equilibrium (SLE) calculations. In Stage 2, the solubility parameter values of the flavonoids (e.g. kaempferol, quercetin and myricetin) and phenolic acids (e.g. gallic acid and caffeic acid) are determined either directly from database or predicted using Stefanis and Marrero-Gani group contribution model for the phytochemicals. A cation-anion contribution model is used for IL. In Stage 3, the amount of phytochemicals extracted can be determined by using SLE relationship involving UNIFAC-IL model. For missing parameters (UNIFAC-IL), they are regressed using available solubility data. Finally, in Stage 4, the solvent candidates are ranked and five ILs, ([OMIM] [TF2N], [HeMIM] [TF2N], [HMIM] [TF2N], [HeMIM] [CF3SO3] and [HMIM] [CF3SO3]) were identified and selected.