METHOD FOR BREAKING DOWN CELLULOSE

• US 20090020112A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BASF AG (BASF SE)
• Original Assignee: BASF SE
• Inventors: Leng, Wei, Wezstein, Markus, Massonne, Klemens, Freyer, Stephan, D'Andola, Giovanni, Stegmann, Veit, Mormann, Werner
• Application Number:
  US12/280,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20090020112A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 127/37
• CPC Class Codes: C08B 15/02 Oxycellulose; Hydrocellulose; Cellulosehydrate, e.g. microcrystalline cellulose

Abstract

The present invention describes a process for the degradation of cellulose by dissolving the cellulose in an ionic liquid and treating it at elevated temperature, if appropriate in the presence of water.

Claims

1. :

A process for the degradation of polysaccharides, oligosaccharides or disaccharides or derivatives thereof, wherein the polysaccharide, oligosaccharide or disaccharide or the corresponding derivative is dissolved in at least one ionic liquid and, if appropriate with addition of water, treated at elevated temperature.

2. :

The process according to claim 1, wherein a polysaccharide or a derivative thereof is used as polysaccharide, oligosaccharide or disaccharide or derivative thereof.

3. :

The process according to claim 2, wherein cellulose or a cellulose derivative is used as polysaccharide or derivative thereof.

4. :

The process according to claim 3, wherein cellulose is used as polysaccharide or derivative thereof.

5. :

The process according to claim 1, wherein the ionic liquid or mixture thereof is selected from among the compounds of the formula I,

[A]⁺_n[Y]ⁿ⁻

 

 

(I),

where

n is 1, 2, 3 or 4;

[A]⁺ is a quaternary ammonium cation, an oxonium cation, a sulfonium cation or a phosphonium cation; and

[Y]ⁿ⁻

is a monovalent, divalent, trivalent or tetravalent anion;

or

the compounds of the formula II

[A¹]⁺[A²]⁺[Y]ⁿ⁻

 

 

(IIa), where n=2;

[A¹]⁺[A²]⁺[A³]⁺[Y]ⁿ⁻

 

 

(IIb), where n=3;

or

[A¹]⁺[A²]⁺[A³]⁺[A⁴]⁺[Y]ⁿ⁻

 

 

(Ic), where n=4, and

[A¹]⁺, [A²]⁺, [A³]⁺ and [A⁴]⁺ are selected independently from among the groups specified for [A]⁺; and

[Y]ⁿ⁻

is as defined above.

6. :

The process according to claim 5, wherein [A]⁺ is a cation selected from among the compounds of the formulae (IIIa) to (IIIy)

7. :

The process according to claim 5, wherein [Y]ⁿ⁻

is an anion selected from among

the group of halides and halogen-comprising compounds of the formulae;

F—

, Cl—

, Br—

, I—

, BF₄—

, PF₆—

, CF₃SO₃—

, (CF₃SO₃)₂N—

, CF₃CO₂—

, CCl₃CO₂—

, CN—

, SCN—

, OCN—

the group of sulfates, sulfites and sulfonates of the general formulae;

SO₄²—

, HSO₄—

, SO₃²—

, HSO₃—

, R^aOSO₃—

, R^aSO₃—

the group of phosphates of the general formulae PO₄³—

, HPO²—

, H₂PO₄—

, R^aPO₄²—

, HR^aPO₄—

, R^aR^bPO₄—

the group of phosphonates and phosphinates of the general formulae;

R^aHPO₃—

,R^aR^bPO₂—

, R^aR^bPO₃—

the group of phosphites of the general formulae;

PO₃³—

, HPO₃²—

, H₂PO₃—

, R^aPO₃²—

, R^aHPO₃—

, R^aR^bPO₃—

the group of phosphonites and phosphinites of the general formulae;

R^aR^bPO₂—

, R^aHPO₂—

, R^aR^bPO—

, R^aHPO—

the group of carboxylic acids of the general formula;

R^aCOO—

the group of borates of the general formulae;

BO₃³—

, HBO₃²—

, H₂BO₃—

, R^aR^bBO₃—

, R^aHBO₃—

, R^aBO₃²—

, B(OR^a)(OR^b)(OR^c)(OR^d)—

, B(HSO₄)—

, B(R^aSO₄)—

the group of boronates of the general formulae;

R^aBO₂²—

, R^aR^bBO—

the group of silicates and silicic esters of the general formulae;

SiO₄⁴—

, HSiO₄³—

, H₂SiO₄²—

, H₃SiO₄—

, R^aSiO₄³—

, R^aR^bSiO₄²—

, R^aR^bR^cSiO₄—

, HR^aSiO₄²—

, H₂R^aSiO₄—

, HR^aR^bSiO₄—

the group of alkylsilane and arylsilane salts of the general formulae;

R^aSiO₃³—

, R^aR^bSiO₂²—

, R^aR^bR^cSiO—

, R^aR^bR^cSiO₃—

, R^aR^bR^cSiO₂—

, R^aR^bSiO₃²—

the group of carboximides, bis(sulfonyl)imides and sulfonylimides of the general formulae;

8. :

The process according to any claim 6, wherein [A]⁺ is a cation selected from the group consisting of the compounds IIIa, IIIe, IIIf;

IIIg, IIIg′

, IIIh, IIIi, IIIj, IIIj′

, IIIk, IIIk′

, IIIl, IIIm, IIIm′

, IIIn and IIIn′

.

9. :

The process according to claim 6, wherein [A]⁺ is a cation selected from the group consisting of the compounds IIIa, IIIe and IIIf.

10. :

The process according to claim 7, wherein [Y]ⁿ⁻

is an anion selected from the group consisting of halides and halogen-comprising compounds, the group consisting of carboxylic acids, the group consisting of SO₄²—

, SO₃²—

, R^aOSO₃— and

R^aSO₃— and

the group consisting of PO₄³— and

R^aR^bPO₄—

.

11. :

The process according to claim 9, wherein [Y]ⁿ⁻

is an anion selected from the group consisting of HSO₄—

, HPO₄²—

, H₂PO₄— and

HR^aPO₄—

.

12. :

The process according to any claim 1, wherein the concentration of polysaccharide, oligosaccharide or disaccharide or derivative thereof in the ionic liquid is in the range from 0.1 to 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the solution.

13. :

The process according to claim 12, wherein water is added.

14. :

The process according to claim 1, wherein the treatment is carried out without addition of water.

15. :

The process according to claim 1 wherein the hydrolysis is carried out at a temperature in the range from 0 to 200°

C.

16. :

The process according to claim 1, wherein the degradation is quenched by addition of a solvent in which the degradation products of the polysaccharide are not soluble.