Ionic liquid: green solvent for the synthesis of cellulose/guar gum/PVA biocomposite

In recent years, the development of clean, efficient and environmentally friendly chemical processes using less hazardous chemicals has been one of the main goals of researchers. Green chemistry and sustainability are directing the development of the next generation of biocomposite materials and products. Herein, the authors use the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl) as a green solvent for the synthesis of biodegradable, biocomposite materials from cellulose (microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)), guar gum (GG) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The effect of GG and PVA composition with MCC was evaluated by comparing the physical, chemical and mechanical characteristics of the produced biocomposite films with those of the regenerated cellulosic film. The tensile strength and hardness of biocomposite films is superior to that of the regenerated cellulosic film. In this method, [BMIM]Cl has been used as a solvent to dissolve and synthesize the MCC/GG/PVA biocomposite material. [BMIM]Cl is removed from the biocomposite material by washing it with ethanol and recovered by using a rotary evaporator. The synthesized biocomposite is an advanced biomaterial with several potential applications in packaging and other fields.