Issue 7, 2017

Application of ionic liquids for dissolving cellulose and fabricating cellulose-based materials: state of the art and future trends

Abstract

Cellulose, a well-known fascinating biopolymer, has been considered to be a sustainable feedstock of energy sources and chemical engineering in the future. However, due to its highly ordered structure and strong hydrogen bonding network, cellulose is neither meltable nor soluble in conventional solvents, which limits the extent of its application. Therefore, the search for powerful and eco-friendly solvents for cellulose processing has been a key issue in this field for decades. More recently, certain ionic liquids (ILs) have been found to be able to efficiently dissolve cellulose, providing a new and versatile platform for cellulose processing and functionalization. A series of cellulose-based materials, such as films, fibers, gels and composites, have been produced readily with the aid of ILs. This review article highlights recent advances in the field of dissolution and processing of cellulose with ILs. It is hoped that this review work will stimulate a wide range of research studies and collaborations, leading to significant progress in this area.

Graphical abstract: Application of ionic liquids for dissolving cellulose and fabricating cellulose-based materials: state of the art and future trends

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
02 Dec 2016
Accepted
09 Jan 2017
First published
16 Jan 2017

Mater. Chem. Front., 2017,1, 1273-1290

Application of ionic liquids for dissolving cellulose and fabricating cellulose-based materials: state of the art and future trends

J. Zhang, J. Wu, J. Yu, X. Zhang, J. He and J. Zhang, Mater. Chem. Front., 2017, 1, 1273 DOI: 10.1039/C6QM00348F

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