Ionic liquids are room-temperature molten salts, composed mostly of organic ions that may undergo almost unlimited structural variations. This review covers the newest aspects of ionic liquids in applications where their ion conductivity is exploited; as electrochemical solvents for metal/semiconductor electrodeposition, and as batteries and fuel cells where conventional media, organic solvents (in batteries) or water (in polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cells), fail. Biology and biomimetic processes in ionic liquids are also discussed. In these decidedly different materials, some enzymes show activity that is not exhibited in more traditional systems, creating huge potential for bioinspired catalysis and biofuel cells. Our goal in this review is to survey the recent key developments and issues within ionic-liquid research in these areas. As well as informing materials scientists, we hope to generate interest in the wider community and encourage others to make use of ionic liquids in tackling scientific challenges.

Ionic-liquid materials for the electrochemical challenges of the future.

Information pertaining to enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose by noncomplexed cellulase enzyme systems is reviewed with a particular emphasis on development of aggregated understanding incorporating substrate features in addition to concentration and multiple cellulase components. Topics considered include properties of cellulose, adsorption, cellulose hydrolysis, and quantitative models. A classification scheme is proposed for quantitative models for enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose based on the number of solubilizing activities and substrate state variables included. We suggest that it is timely to revisit and reinvigorate functional modeling of cellulose hydrolysis, and that this would be highly beneficial if not necessary in order to bring to bear the large volume of information available on cellulase components on the primary applications that motivate interest in the subject.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/bit.20282

Toward an aggregated understanding of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose: noncomplexed cellulase systems.

http://www.loewenlabs.com/peter/wp-content/themes/atahualpa/Manuscripts/BA_29_675.pdf

Biomass pretreatment: fundamentals toward application

Outlook for cellulase improvement: screening and selection strategies.

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticlePDF/2013/GC/C2GC36364J

Deconstruction of lignocellulosic biomass with ionic liquids

Dissolution of cellulose with ionic liquids and its application : a mini-review

Microwave-assisted Alkali Pre-treatment of Wheat Straw and its Enzymatic Hydrolysis

Dissolution of cellulose with ionic liquids allows the comprehensive utilization of cellulose by combining two major green chemistry principles: using environmentally preferable solvents and bio-renewable feed-stocks. In this paper, the dissolution of cellulose with ionic liquids and its application were reviewed. Cellulose can be dissolved, without derivation, in some hydrophilic ionic liquids, such as 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMCl) and 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AMIMCl). Microwave heating significantly accelerates the dissolution process. Cellulose can be easily regenerated from its ionic liquid solutions by addition of water, ethanol or acetone. After its regeneration, the ionic liquids can be recovered and reused. Fractionation of lignocellulosic materials and preparation of cellulose derivatives and composites are two of its typical applications. Although some basic studies, such as economical syntheses of ionic liquids and studies of ionic liquid toxicology, are still much needed, commercialization of these processes has made great progress in recent years.

Dissolution of Cellulose with Ionic Liquids and Its Application: A Mini‐Review

Pretreatment of rice straw for ethanol production by a two-step process using dilute sulfuric acid and sulfomethylation reagent

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been considered as "green solvents" in many published works. However, recent research on their eco-toxicity and degradability has proven that some ILs are not as "green" as expected. In this review, the greenness of ILs was discussed in terms of their synthesis, eco-toxicity and degradability and their applications. Greenness of ILs depends not only on themselves but also on their synthesis and specific applications. For a chemical process where the IL is employed, its greenness should be assessed using the life cycle analysis method and compared with other alternative processes. The green process is much more important than the IL itself with respect to green chemistry, and more research should be made to improve the greenness of process employing ILs.

/pdf/a-mini-review-on-greenness-of-ionic-liquids-1sabqa0no5.pdf

Qiming Chen

Papers

Dissolution of cellulose with ionic liquids and its application : a mini-review

Microwave-assisted Alkali Pre-treatment of Wheat Straw and its Enzymatic Hydrolysis

Dissolution of Cellulose with Ionic Liquids and Its Application: A Mini‐Review

Pretreatment of rice straw for ethanol production by a two-step process using dilute sulfuric acid and sulfomethylation reagent

A Mini-Review on Greenness of Ionic Liquids