Today’s most widely used solvent in lab-scale applications is N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA)/LiCl established in the pioneering work of C. L. McCormick et al. (e.g., J. Polym. Sci., Polym. Lett. Ed., 1979, 17, 479). Moreover, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in combination with fluoride ions and ionic liquids (ILs) such as 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMCl) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EMIMAc) find considerable interest. Very recently, it was found that quaternary tetraalkylammonium halides with one long alkyl chain dissolved in various organic media constitute a new class of cellulose solvents. Contrary to the well-established solvent DMA/LiCl, cellulose dissolves in DMA/quaternary ammonium halides without any pretreatment. Thus, use of the new solvent avoids some disadvantages of DMA/LiCl and ionic liquids, the most extensively employed solvents for homogeneous cellulose chemistry. Even acetone containing tetraalkylammonium chloride was found to be an efficient solvent for cellulose. Cellulose solutions in acetone/tetraalkylammonium chloride have the lowest viscosity reported for comparable aprotic solutions making it a promising system for shaping processes and homogenous chemical modification of the biopolymer.

Recent developments in solvents for cellulose

249th National Meeting (2015)

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Recent developments in solvents for cellulose<br />