Title
Enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis and changes in structure of regenerated cellulose with ionic liquids
Authors
QIUJIN LI WEI QI RONGXIN SU and ZHIMIN HE

Received October, 20, 2015
Published Volume 51 Issue 7-8 July-August
Keywords cellulose, ionic liquid, enzymatic hydrolysis, sugar conversion, molecular weight, molecular weight distribution

Abstract
Two kinds of ionic liquids (ILs), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl) and 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([AMIM]Cl), were synthesized to pretreat Whatman filter paper (WFP) for accelerating the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. The hydrolysis rate of IL-pretreated cellulose was significantly enhanced, with a sugar conversion of nearly 100% (24 h). FTIR, XRD, SEM and molecular weight distribution (MWD) analyses verified that the hydrogen bonds and crystalline pattern of cellulose were destroyed after regeneration from ILs. The orderly and compact fibrillar morphologies of cellulose disappeared after IL-pretreatment, and, instead, a fault structure and small holes on the surface could be observed. The changes in the structure of cellulose played an essential role in the enhancement of enzymatic hydrolysis.