Difference between revisions of "Ionic liquids"

'''Ionic liquids''' are organic salts that are liquid at room temperature. Because they are salts, they show no volatility. Moreover, they show a high thermal stability. Together this allows for them to be used as green solvents as alternatives to volatile organic compounds. These properties can be used in the pre-treatment of lignocellulosic material by dissolving the material and separating the lignin.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|title=Ionic liquid-mediated selective extraction of lignin from wood leading to enhanced enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis|year=2009-04-01|author=Sang Hyun Lee, Thomas V. Doherty, Robert J. Linhardt, Jonathan S. Dordick|journal=Biotechnology and Bioengineering|volume=102|issue=5|page=1368–1376|doi=10.1002/bit.22179}}</ref>

Ionic liquids are capable of dissolving lignocellulosic biomass. Examples inclue corn stalks, rice straw, bagasse, pine wood, and spruce wood.<ref name=":0" />

Ionic liquids have been shown to dissolve cellulose, which can decrease its crystalinity and therefore make it more accessible for further processing. Moreover, a full dissolution of lignocellulosic biomass can be used to extract the lignin. The technology can also be combined with [[hydrolysis]] to make the cellulose available as sugars for further processing.<ref name=":0" />