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Relationship between lignocellulosic biomass dissolution and physicochemical properties of ionic liquids composed of 3-methylimidazolium cations and carboxylate anions

Journal Article · · Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CP07195G· OSTI ID:1423012
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [2];  [2];  [3]
  1. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Center for Renewable Carbon. Dept. of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Molecular Biophysics; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology
  3. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Center for Renewable Carbon
The ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIM]Acetate) has been widely used for biomass processing, i.e., to pretreat, activate, or fractionate lignocellulosic biomass to produce soluble sugars and lignin. However, this IL does not achieve high biomass solubility, therefore minimizing the efficiency of biomass processing. In this paper, [EMIM]Acetate and three other ILs composed of different 3-methylimidazolium cations and carboxylate anions ([EMIM]Formate, 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium ([AMIM]) formate, and [AMIM]Acetate) were analyzed to relate their physicochemical properties to their biomass solubility performance. While all four ILs are able to dissolve hybrid poplar under fairly mild process conditions (80 °C and 100 RPM stirring), [AMIM]Formate and [AMIM]Acetate have particularly increased biomass solubility of 40 and 32%, respectively, relative to [EMIM]Acetate. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that strong interactions between IL and specific plant biopolymers may contribute to this enhanced solubilization, as the calculated second virial coefficients between ILs and hemicellullose are most favorable for [AMIM]Formate, matching the trend of the experimental solubility measurements. The simulations also reveal that the interactions between the ILs and hemicellulose are an important factor in determining the overall biomass solubility, whereas lignin–IL interactions were not found to vary significantly, consistent with literature. Finally, the combined experimental and simulation studies identify [AMIM]Formate as an efficient biomass solvent and explain its efficacy, suggesting a new approach to rationally select ionic liquid solvents for lignocellulosic deconstruction.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Science Foundation (NSF) (United States); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1423012
Journal Information:
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP, Journal Name: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 20; ISSN 1463-9076
Publisher:
Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (6)

Ionic Liquids in Biomass Processing journal December 2018
The physicochemical properties of a room-temperature liquidus binary ionic liquid mixture of [HNMP][CH 3 SO 3 ]/[Bmim]Cl and its application for fructose conversion to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural journal January 2018
Structural changes in lignocellulosic biomass during activation with ionic liquids comprising 3-methylimidazolium cations and carboxylate anions journal September 2018
Theoretical Elucidation of β-O-4 Bond Cleavage of Lignin Model Compound Promoted by Sulfonic Acid-Functionalized Ionic Liquid journal February 2019
Eco-Friendly Ca-Montmorillonite Grafted by Non-Acidic Ionic Liquid Used as A Solid Acid Catalyst in Cellulose Hydrolysis to Reducing Sugars journal May 2019
A Review on the Partial and Complete Dissolution and Fractionation of Wood and Lignocelluloses Using Imidazolium Ionic Liquids journal January 2020

Figures / Tables (9)


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