Mikael Lund
Professor
On the dissolution of cellulose in tetrabutylammonium acetate/dimethyl sulfoxide : a frustrated solvent
Author
Summary, in English
We have found that the dissolution of cellulose in the binary mixed solvent tetrabutylammonium acetate/dimethyl sulfoxide follows a previously overlooked near-stoichiometric relationship such that one dissolved acetate ion is able to dissolve an amount of cellulose corresponding to about one glucose residue. The structure and dynamics of the resulting cellulose solutions were investigated using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques as well as molecular dynamics simulation. This yielded a detailed picture of the dissolution mechanism in which acetate ions form hydrogen bonds to cellulose and causes a diffuse solvation sheath of bulky tetrabutylammonium counterions to form. In turn, this leads to a steric repulsion that helps to keep the cellulose chains apart. Structural similarities to previously investigated cellulose solutions in aqueous tetrabutylammonium hydroxide were revealed by SAXS measurement. To what extent this corresponds to similarities in dissolution mechanism is discussed.
Department/s
- Physical Chemistry
- Computational Chemistry
- Centre for Analysis and Synthesis
Publishing year
2017-09
Language
English
Pages
3645-3657
Publication/Series
Cellulose
Volume
24
Issue
9
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Springer
Topic
- Paper, Pulp and Fiber Technology
Keywords
- Cellulose dissolution
- Ionic liquids
- Molecular dynamics simulations
- Nuclear magnetic resonance
- Small angle X-ray scattering
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0969-0239