Method of preparing water-soluble cellulose hydrolysis products using ionic liquids

摘要

A process for the preparation of water-soluble cellulose hydrolysis products is disclosed, which comprises admixing cellulose with an ionic liquid capable of solvating or dissolving at least some of the cellulose, said ionic liquid being a compound comprised solely of cations and anions and which exists in a liquid state at a temperature at or below 150 Deg. C, the cations in said ionic liquid having the general formula (I); and treating the resulting solvate or solution with an acid in the presence of water, said acid having a pKa in water of less than 2 at 25 Deg. C, wherein said acid may be selected from hydrogen halides, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, halo carboxylic acids, halo sulfonic acids, tetrafluoroboric acid, heteropolyacids, aryl- and alkyl-sulfonic acids, and halogenated alkyl- and arylsulfonic acids, preferably the acid may be selected from p-toluenesulfonic acid, trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, trichloromethanesulfonic acid, trifluoroacctic acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, hydriodic acid, tetrafluoroboric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, methanesulfonic acid, or hydrochloric acid.