Ionic Liquid Composition for Enzyme-Free Cellulose Dissolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for dissolving cellulose often require cellulose-degrading enzymes, which are not always efficient and may have limitations in solubility and processing time.
Innovation Solution
An ionic liquid composition comprising a choline cation and an ornithine or lysine anion, with a specific molar ratio and water content, that dissolves cellulose without the need for cellulose-degrading enzymes, allowing for the formation of a cellulose solution and film.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If cellulose-degrading enzymes are used to dissolve cellulose, then cellulose solubility is improved, but processing time increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical parameters of the dissolution system by using ionic liquids with specific cation-anion combinations (choline cation with amino acid anions) and controlled water content (0-7.3 wt%). This chemical parameter change enables cellulose dissolution without enzymes, achieving both high solubility and reduced processing time compared to enzymatic methods
Solution Approach 2:
The ionic liquid acts as an intermediary substance that facilitates cellulose dissolution. The specific ionic liquid composition (with molar ratio of cation to anion between 0.87-1.14 and water content ≤7.3 wt%) serves as a mediator that breaks down cellulose structure and enables solubility without requiring enzymatic catalysis, thus eliminating the time-consuming enzymatic hydrolysis step
2Quantity of substance
If water content is increased in the ionic liquid composition, then cellulose dissolution is facilitated, but the purity and effectiveness of the ionic liquid decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention precisely controls the water content parameter within a specific range (0-7.3 wt%) to optimize cellulose dissolution while maintaining ionic liquid purity. This parameter optimization shows that excessive water is unnecessary, and the precise control enables effective dissolution with minimal water, thus maintaining high composition purity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention demonstrates that only a small amount of water (up to 7.3 wt%) is sufficient to enable cellulose dissolution in the ionic liquid system. This partial action principle shows that adding excessive water beyond this threshold does not provide additional benefit but rather degrades the ionic liquid composition and reduces effectiveness
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The ionic liquid composition effectively dissolves cellulose within a reasonable time frame, even at lower water content, without the use of enzymes, facilitating the production of cellulose films and sheets.
Implementation Method 1
an ionic liquid composition capable of dissolving cellulose without a cellulose-degrading enzyme
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an ionic liquid composition containing an ionic liquid and water. The ionic liquid composition does not contain an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing cellulose. The ionic liquid is represented by the following chemical formula (I): [(CH3)3N(CH2)2OH]+[NH2-L-CHNH2—COO]− (I); where L is absent or a linker. A molar ratio of [(CH3)3N(CH2)2OH]+ to [NH2-L-CHNH2—COO]− is not less than 0.87 and not more than 1.14. A weight ratio of the water to the ionic liquid composition is not more than 7.3%. The present invention provides an ionic liquid composition capable of dissolving cellulose without a cellulose-degrading enzyme, namely, an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing cellulose.