Defibrillation of cellulosic substrates by novel bio-based ionic liquids 

New bio-based ionic liquids were developed as a greener and simple pathway for the activation of cellulosic substrates compatible with chemical modification (such as in situ polymerization). Preliminary experiments showed that these ionic liquids promote swelling/dispersing/defibrillation/partial dissolution of cellulose while retaining cellulose I crystalline structure after regeneration (full dissolution is not achieved). To get a better understanding of the polymer state in solution, SAXS/WAXS could give great intel on both the crystalline structure and the aggregates present at different times of this activation procedure. It is hoped that this experiment will help us to provide a more accurate and reliable description of the cellulose structure in our solvents.