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Updated: May 19, 2026
From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding
Published on: March 24, 2018
Radiation effects on microcrystalline cellulose in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquid
Yan Hao1, Jing Peng, Yinyong Ao
1Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, PR China.
Abstract:
The radiation processing of cellulose in ionic liquids (ILs) demands a comprehensive knowledge of radiation effects on cellulose in ILs. Herein, gamma radiation-induced degradation kinetics of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim]Cl) was studied by viscometry. The intrinsic viscosity of MCC in [Bmim]Cl decreased slightly with increasing dose; while chemical structure and crystalline state of cellulose has no obvious change up to 300 kGy. The radiation degradation rate constant (k) of MCC in [Bmim]Cl was 2.60×10(-7)/kGy, lower than that of solid cellulose, but higher than that in N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) solvent. Furthermore, k value decreased to 1.12×10(-7)/kGy in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)/[Bmim]Cl system due to the free radicals scavenging of DMSO. The radicals generated during irradiation play main role in the radiation degradation of MCC in [Bmim]Cl. This work provides a new way to control the average molecular weight of cellulose by radiation-induced degradation of cellulose in ILs.
