Title
Pre-swelling of cellulose pulp for dissolution in ionic liquid
Authors
OLGA KUZMINASTEFAN JANKOWSKI ANNA FABIANSKA ELENA SASHINA and DARIUSZ WAWRO

Received March 12, 2013
Published Volume 48 Issue 1-2 January-February
Keywords cellulose, activation, swelling, ionic liquids, dissolution

Abstract
The effect of cellulose preswelling with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), dimethylformamide (DMF), formamide (FA), diethyl ether (DEE) and ethyl acetate (EAc) on cellulose dissolution in the ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3 methylimidazolium acetate (BMIMAc) was studied. The solutions were analyzed by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and rheological methods. The preswelling of cellulose accelerated its dissolution in the IL without significant changes of the degree of polymerization. Volatile, aprotic and organic liquids appeared to be the most effective at cellulose activation.