Properties and applications of cellulose regenerated from cellulose/imidazolium-based ionic liquid/co-solvent solutions: A short review

An improvement of ecological conscience currently has increased the consciousness of researchers in reducing the processing time and cost of solvent for the dissolution of cellulose. Latterly, ionic liquids have been employed to process cellulose as they are recyclable and nonvolatile. Besides that, biopolymers such as chitosan, chitin, starch, protein, and cellulose acetate can also be processed by using ionic liquids for diverse applications. In this short review, examples of imidazolium-based ionic liquids that are commonly used for the dissolution of cellulose are implied. Furthermore, examples of organic liquids that are utilized as co-solvents for ionic liquids were revealed. In addition, examples of imidazolium-based ionic liquid/co-solvent mixtures utilized in the dissolution of cellulose and other biopolymers are also demonstrated. The properties and applications of cellulose and its blends regenerated from different types of cellulose/imidazolium-based ionic liquid/co-solvent solutions are also shortly reviewed. The information acquired from this review gives a better understanding of the changes in the properties of regenerated cellulose and regenerated cellulose blends. In addition, this short review serves as a model basis for the creation of novel applications of regenerated cellulose and regenerated cellulose blends by utilizing imidazolium-based ionic liquid/co-solvent mixtures.

Automated summary

The improvement of ecological conscience has led researchers to focus on reducing processing time and cost of solvents for cellulose dissolution, with ionic liquids being widely employed due to their recyclability and nonvolatility. Various biopolymers, such as chitosan, chitin, starch, protein, and cellulose acetate, can also be processed using ionic liquids for diverse applications. The review discusses examples of imidazolium-based ionic liquids commonly used for cellulose dissolution, as well as organic liquids used as co-solvents for ionic liquids. Additionally, it demonstrates the properties and applications of regenerated cellulose and blends from different types of cellulose/ionic liquid/co-solvent solutions, serving as a model basis for novel applications.