Can ionic liquids dissolve wood? Processing and analysis of lignocellulosic materials with 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride

The bulk of the cellulose currently employed by industry is isolated from wood through Kraft pulping, a process which traditionally involves a barrage of environmentally detrimental chemicals and is undeniably ‘non-green.’ In this report we present a simple and novel alternative approach for the processing of lignocellulosic materials that relies on their solubility in solvent systems based on the ionic liquid (IL) 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C4mim]Cl). Dissolution profiles for woods of different hardness are presented, making emphasis on the direct analysis of the cellulosic material and lignin content in the resulting liquors by means of conventional 13C NMR techniques. We also show that…

• NS
  National Science Foundation
• CA
  Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation
• BC
  BASF Corporation