Purifying cellulose from major waste streams using ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents
Pedro Verdía, Aida Abouelela Rafat, Jason P. Hallett, Agnieszka Brandt‐Talbot
Abstract
Cellulose is the main component in woody plant parts and a commodity industrial product, whose importance is set to increase as fossil hydrocarbons are phased out. Cellulose provided after a prior application can help secure stable, sustainable and cost-effective supplies of cellulosic glucose or cellulose fibers; however, the previous life poses additional challenges. Here, we discuss recent research efforts in recycling cellulose from waste biomass using ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents, promising designer solvents for biopolymer separations. The review identifies large cellulosic waste streams that are not paper and cardboard waste, promising processing approaches employing ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents to purify the waste cellulose, and discusses the opportunities and challenges in finding applications for the recovered cellulose. While the field of cellulosic waste recycling is relatively new, and hence decontamination and purification processes are at an early stage of development, further development has substantial potential to promote a more circular economy for cellulose.