ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Enzymatic saccharification of cellulose in aqueous-ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dimethylphosphate-DMSO media

Yu C. He, Cui L. Ma, Dong Q. Xia, Liang Ding, Liang Z. Li, and Mu Xian

College of Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164 China

E-mail: macuiluan@163.com

Abstract: Ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dimethylphosphate ([Emim]DMP) was chosen as an environment-friendly solvent to enzymatically hydrolyze cellulose in situ. Under optimal reaction condition, 80.2 % of cellulose (10 mg mL⁻¹) were converted to glucose in aqueous-IL-DMSO (φ _r = 74: 25: 1) media at 55°C in 18 h. Finally, fermentability of the recovered hydrolyzates was evaluated using Saccharomyces cerevisiae which is able to ferment hydrolyzates efficiently, the ethanol production was 0.44 g g⁻¹ of glucose within 24 h of the process. Such information is vital for the saccharification of more complex cellulose materials and for the fermentation of hydrolyzates into biofuel.

Keywords: ionic liquid – 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dimethylphosphate – cellulose – enzymatic saccharification – DMSO – optimization

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-011-0066-6

Chemical Papers 65 (6) 792–797 (2011)