TY - JOUR
T1 - Bromide-Based Ionic Liquid Treatment of Hardwood Organosolv Lignin Yielded a More Reactive Biobased Polyol
AU - Arefmanesh, Maryam
AU - Vuong, Thu V.
AU - Mobley, Justin K.
AU - Alinejad, Mona
AU - Master, Emma R.
AU - Nejad, Mojgan
PY - 2020/10/21
Y1 - 2020/10/21
N2 - Ionic liquid (IL) treatment of lignin is a promising strategy to producing nonpetroleum-based polyols for diverse polyurethane (PU) applications. Herein, IL 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ([BMIM]Br) was employed to treat organosolv hardwood (OS-HW) and softwood (OS-SW) lignins, as well as kraft softwood (Kr-SW) lignin. Phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analyses revealed the highest impacts of [BMIM]Br treatment on OS-HW lignin, where [BMIM]Br-treated OS-HW lignin showed 40% increase in hydroxyl content and 20% decrease in molecular weight. By contrast, compositional changes to OS-SW and Kr-SW after [BMIM]Br treatment were not detected. [BMIM]Br treatment of OS-HW lignin increased its reactivity with isocyanate by 42%, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of [BMIM]Br-treated OS-HW lignin after washing confirmed the potential to recover the IL. Together, these results demonstrate the efficacy of IL treatment in improving the applicability of certain lignins as polyol alternatives.
AB - Ionic liquid (IL) treatment of lignin is a promising strategy to producing nonpetroleum-based polyols for diverse polyurethane (PU) applications. Herein, IL 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ([BMIM]Br) was employed to treat organosolv hardwood (OS-HW) and softwood (OS-SW) lignins, as well as kraft softwood (Kr-SW) lignin. Phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analyses revealed the highest impacts of [BMIM]Br treatment on OS-HW lignin, where [BMIM]Br-treated OS-HW lignin showed 40% increase in hydroxyl content and 20% decrease in molecular weight. By contrast, compositional changes to OS-SW and Kr-SW after [BMIM]Br treatment were not detected. [BMIM]Br treatment of OS-HW lignin increased its reactivity with isocyanate by 42%, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of [BMIM]Br-treated OS-HW lignin after washing confirmed the potential to recover the IL. Together, these results demonstrate the efficacy of IL treatment in improving the applicability of certain lignins as polyol alternatives.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85096837805&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/acs.iecr.0c03718
DO - 10.1021/acs.iecr.0c03718
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85096837805
VL - 59
SP - 18740
EP - 18747
JO - Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research
JF - Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research
SN - 0888-5885
IS - 42
ER -