Cellulose Solubility in Ionic Liquid Mixtures: Temperature, Cosolvent, and Antisolvent Effects

Select ionic liquids (ILs) dissolve significant quantities of cellulose through disruption and solvation of inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonds. In this study, thermodynamic solid liquid equilibrium was measured with microcrystalline cellulose in a model IL, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate ([EMIm][DEP]) and mixtures with protic antisolvents and aprotic cosolvents between 40 and 120 degrees C. The solubility of cellulose in pure [EMIm] [DEP] exhibits an asymptotic maximum of approximately 20 mass % above 100 degrees C. Solubility studies conducted on antisolvent mixtures with [EMIm] [DEP] and [BMIm][Cl] indicate that protic solvents, ethanol, methanol, and water, significantly reduce the cellulose capacity of IL mixtures by 38-100% even at small antisolvent loadings (<5 mass %). Alternatively, IL aprotic cosolvent (dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide, and 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone) mixtures at mass ratios up to 1:1 enhance cellulose dissolution by 20-60% compared to pure [EMIm][DEP] at select temperatures. Interactions between the IL and molecular solvents were investigated by Kamlet-Taft solvatochromic analysis, FTIR, and NMR spectroscopy. The results indicate that preferential solvation of the IL cation and anion by co- and antisolvents impact the ability of IL ions to interact with cellulose thus affecting the cellulose dissolution capacity of IL-solvent mixtures.