Dicationic molten salts (ionic liquids) as re-usable media for the controlled pyrolysis of cellulose to anhydrosugars

Molten dicationic imidazolium chloride or bromide salts, with short alkyl linker chains, have been found to be stable, re-usable media for the controlled pyrolysis of cellulose without acid pretreatment to give anhydrosugars, primarily levoglucosenone, at a substantially lower temperature ( 180 degrees C) than most previously reported methods ( typically > 300 degrees C).