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As glucose biosensors play an important role in glycemic control, which can prevent the diabetic complications, the development of a glucose sensing platform is still in needed. Herein, the first proposal on the in-house fabricated paper-based screen-printed ionic liquid/graphene electrode (SPIL-GE) modified with MXene (Ti 3 C 2 T x ), prussian blue (PB), glucose oxidase (GOx), and Nafion is reported. The concentration of PB/Ti 3 C 2 T x was optimized and the optimal detection potential of PB/Ti 3 C 2 T x /GOx/Nafion/SPIL-GE is -0.05 V. The performance of PB/Ti 3 C 2 T x /GOx/Nafion modified SPIL-GE was characterized by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry technique. This paper-based platform integrated with nanomaterial composites were realized for glucose in the range of 0.0-15.0 mM with the correlation coefficient R 2 = 0.9937. The limit of detection method and limit of quantification were 24.5 μM and 81.7 μM, respectively. In the method comparison, this PB/Ti 3 C 2 T x /GOx/Nafion/SPIL-GE exhibits a good correlation with the reference hexokinase method. This novel glucose sensing platform can potentially be used for the good practice to enhance the sensitivity and open the opportunity to develop paper-based electroanalytical devices.

We introduce for the first time a paper-based analytical device (PAD) for the non-enzymatic detection of glucose by modifying a screen-printed carbon electrode with cobalt phthalocyanine, graphene and an ionic liquid (CoPc/G/IL/SPCE). The modifying composite was characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The disposable devices show excellent conductivity and fast electron transfer kinetics. The results demonstrated that the modified electrode on PADs had excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of glucose with NaOH as supporting electrolyte (0.1M). The oxidation potential of glucose was negatively shifted to 0.64V vs. the screen-printed carbon pseudo-reference electrode. The paper-based sensor comprised a wide linear concentration range for glucose, from 0.01 to 1.3mM and 1.3-5.0mM for low and high concentration of glucose assay, respectively, with a detection limit of 0.67µM (S/N = 3). Additionally, the PADs were applied to quantify glucose in honey, white wine and human serum. The disposable, efficient, sensitive and low-cost non-enzymatic PAD has great potential for the development of point-of-care testing (POCT) devices that can be applied in healthcare monitoring., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This research explores the potential of ionic liquids (ILs) in restoring paper artifacts, particularly an aged book sample. Three distinct ILs—1-ethyl-3-propylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-methyl-3-pentylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, and 1-methyl-3-heptylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide —both in their pure form and isopropanol mixtures, were examined for their specific consumption in conjunction with paper, with 1-ethyl-3-propylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide displaying the highest absorption. Notably, the methyl-3-heptylimidazolium ionic liquid displayed pronounced deacidification capabilities, elevating the paper pH close to a neutral 7. The treated paper exhibited significant color enhancements, particularly with 1-heptyl-3-methylimidazolium and 1-pentyl-3-methylimidazolium ILs, as evidenced by CIE-Lab* parameters. An exploration of ILs as potential UV stabilizers for paper unveiled promising outcomes, with 1-heptyl-3-methylimidazolium IL demonstrating minimal yellowing post-UV irradiation. FTIR spectra elucidated structural alterations, underscoring the efficacy of ILs in removing small-molecular additives and macromolecules. The study also addressed the preservation of inked artifacts during cleaning, showcasing ILs’ ability to solubilize iron gall ink, particularly the one with the 1-ethyl-3-propylimidazolium cation. While exercising caution for prolonged use on inked supports is still recommended, ILs are shown here to be valuable for cleaning ink-stained surfaces, establishing their effectiveness in paper restoration and cultural heritage preservation.

This research explores the potential of ionic liquids (ILs) in restoring paper artifacts, particularly an aged book sample. Three distinct ILs—1-ethyl-3-propylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-methyl-3-pentylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, and 1-methyl-3-heptylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide —both in their pure form and isopropanol mixtures, were examined for their specific consumption in conjunction with paper, with 1-ethyl-3-propylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide displaying the highest absorption. Notably, the methyl-3-heptylimidazolium ionic liquid displayed pronounced deacidification capabilities, elevating the paper pH close to a neutral 7. The treated paper exhibited significant color enhancements, particularly with 1-heptyl-3-methylimidazolium and 1-pentyl-3-methylimidazolium ILs, as evidenced by CIE-Lab* parameters. An exploration of ILs as potential UV stabilizers for paper unveiled promising outcomes, with 1-heptyl-3-methylimidazolium IL demonstrating minimal yellowing post-UV irradiation. FTIR spectra elucidated structural alterations, underscoring the efficacy of ILs in removing small-molecular additives and macromolecules. The study also addressed the preservation of inked artifacts during cleaning, showcasing ILs' ability to solubilize iron gall ink, particularly the one with the 1-ethyl-3-propylimidazolium cation. While exercising caution for prolonged use on inked supports is still recommended, ILs are shown here to be valuable for cleaning ink-stained surfaces, establishing their effectiveness in paper restoration and cultural heritage preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early industrialization and the development of cheap production processes for paper have led to an exponential accumulation of paper-based documents during the last two centuries. Archives and libraries harbor vast amounts of ancient and modern documents and have to undertake extensive endeavors to protect them from abiotic and biotic deterioration. While services for mechanical preservation such as ex post de-acidification of historic documents are already commercially available, the possibilities for long-term protection of paper-based documents against fungal attack (apart from temperature and humidity control) are very limited. Novel processes for mechanical enhancement of damaged cellulosic documents use Ionic Liquids (IL) as essential process components. With some of these ILs having azole-functionalities similar to well-known fungicides such as Clotrimazole, the possibility of antifungal activities of these ILs was proposed but has not yet been experimentally confirmed. We evaluated the potency of four ILs with potential application in paper restoration for suppression of fungal growth on five relevant paper-infesting molds. The results revealed a general antifungal activity of all ILs, which increased with the size of the non-polar group. Physiological experiments and ultimate elemental analysis allowed to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration of each IL as well as the residual IL concentration in process-treated paper. These results provide valuable guidelines for IL-applications in paper restoration processes with antifungal activity as an added benefit. With azoles remaining in the paper after the process, simultaneous repair and biotic protection in treated documents could be facilitated., Competing Interests: I have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: Nitrochemie Aschau GmbH holds patents (LU93386B1; EP3339508A1) for the paper reinforcement process discussed in this work. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. CLM still is and KL was employed by Nitrochemie Aschau GmbH as this study was conducted. All other authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

A prototype of a fast-response task-specific amperometric gas sensor based on paper-supported room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) is proposed here for improved analysis of volatile acid species. It consists of a small filter paper foil soaked with a RTIL mixture containing an ionic liquid whose anion (acetate) displays a basic character, upon which three electrodes are screen printed by carbon ink profiting from a suitable mask. It takes advantage of the high electrical conductivity and negligible vapour pressure of RTILs and of their easy immobilization into a porous and inexpensive supporting material such as paper. The performance of this device, used as a wall-jet amperometric detector for flow injection analyses of headspace samples in equilibrium with aqueous solutions at controlled concentrations, was evaluated for phenol and 1-butanethiol vapours which were adopted as model acid gaseous analytes. The results obtained showed that the quite high potentials required for the detection of these analytes are lowered significantly, thanks to the addition of the basic acetate RTIL. In such a way, overlap with the medium discharge is avoided, and the possible adverse effect of interfering species is minimised. The sensor performance was quite satisfactory (detection limits, ca. 0.3 μM; dynamic range, ca. 1-200 μM, both referred to solution concentrations; correlation coefficients in the range 0.993-0.997; repeatability, ± 6% RSD; long-term stability, 9%); thus suggesting the possible use of this device for manifold applications.

This study explores the efficacy of 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride as cleaning agents for aged cellulosic artifacts. A 10% v/v acetone solution of these ionic liquids (ILs) effectively removes the brownish-yellow color of aged paper in a 10 min immersion treatment. Colorimetric analysis shows a remarkable increase in lightness (L*) by up to 40% and a decrease in red/brownish tones (b*) after IL treatment. The cleaning process also deacidifies the paper, shifting the pH to neutral-slightly basic levels and enhancing its long-term stability. Optimal pH outcomes are achieved, with ionic liquid consumption values of 0.4–0.6 g/g of paper. The FTIR analysis revealed structural changes in cellulose induced by the washing step, which is mainly due to the reorganization effect imparted by the ionic liquids. Furthermore, ILs mobilized degraded compounds and acidic species, aiding in their extraction during the restoration process. Mechanical testing indicated an enhancement in the overall tensile strength and strain at break values for IL-treated papers by up to 33%. This study demonstrates the multiple benefits of alkylimidazolium ionic liquids for preserving and restoring cultural heritage artifacts made of cellulosic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have been exploring dielectric testing techniques both in time and frequency domain for insulation condition assessment of oil-paper insulated transformers. In a practical dielectric system, dipoles are found to behave according to a distribution of elementary Debye relaxation properties. Suitable distribution density functions have been proposed to characterise such many-body interaction processes. Cole–Cole diagrams can be one of the methods for studying the nature of frequency dependency of dielectric materials of complex structure. Cole–Cole plots are commonly used for characterising different materials such as dielectric mixtures, ionic liquids, cable insulating oil, polar liquids etc. The scope of its application for assessing transformer oil-paper insulation considering distributed relaxation process has not been explored yet. The present contribution discusses mathematical formulations used for transforming the experimentally obtained time domain dielectric response test data to distribution domain and further to frequency domain for obtaining the Cole–Cole plots. Findings about the influence of various operating conditions and insulation status on the Cole–Cole diagram have been reported in this contribution. Results of tests on field transformers are also presented. This paper attempts to employ the features of Cole–Cole diagrams as potential indicators for analysing condition of the oil-paper insulation considering distributed relaxation process.

Research into paper-based devices and ionic liquids has increased considerably in the past few years. Thus, the combination of paper-based devices with ionic liquids is also becoming an increasingly frequent research subject. However, the influence of the ionic liquid on the paper properties has been hardly considered. In this paper, the influence of a hydrophobic ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide) on the mechanical properties of laboratory paper, isotropic and oriented, made from eucalyptus sulfate and cotton linters, is investigated. The tensile strength, elastic modulus, and breaking strain of papers saturated with ionic liquid were about 60 to 90% of the dry paper characteristics. In contrast to water, the breaking strain did not increase in the presence of the ionic liquid. This is because the ionic liquid only slightly swelled the fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disposable paper cups are usually composed of high-grade paper board and an inner polyethylene coatings and are extensively used in daily life. However, most disposable paper cups are only used for a short time and then incinerated or accumulated in landfill at the end of their service due to the difficulty in separating the components, leading to a serious threat to our ecosystem. Therefore, developing a facile and green method to recycle and reuse disposable paper cups is vital. By using ionic liquid 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AmimCl) as a solvent, transparent and homogenous cellulose/polyethylene composite films were successfully prepared from used bamboo-based disposable paper cups through the "one-pot method", without any pre-treatment. It was found that there was a transformation of cellulose I to II after the dissolution and regeneration processes, and the crystallinity degree of the regenerated cellulose-based materials decreased significantly, resulting in a change in thermal properties. Meanwhile, compared to traditional pure cellulose films, the composite films possessed good UV-shielding properties and hydrophobicity. Moreover, they also displayed good mechanical properties. Additionally, the size of the ground PE coatings displayed obvious effects on the structures and properties of the composite films, where the CPE100 (sieved with 100–200 mesh) possessed the most homogeneous texture and the highest tensile strength (82 Mpa), higher than that of commercial polyethylene film (9–12 MPa), showing superiority as packaging or wrapping materials. Consequently, the goals to fabricate uniform cellulose/polyethylene composite films and valorize the solid waste from disposable paper cups were simultaneously achieved by a facile and green "one-pot method". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel imidazolium ionic liquid sensor based on phenothiazine was designed and synthesized. • It gives excellent AIEE effect with 38.7-fold increase. • The sensor successfully used for detection Cd2+ with high selectivity and sensitivity with LOD of 3.8 × 10−7 M. • A new paper-based sensor fabricated with the LOD of 0.16 nM. • The sensor was successfully applied to detection of Cd2+ in real samples. A highly green fluorescent phenothiazine-based imidazolium ionic liquid (IL) [PTZ-SB][Br] was synthesized and its structure was thoroughly elucidated by 1H, 13C NMR, FT-IR, UV–visible spectroscopy and Mass spectrometry. Furthermore, thermal resilience of the IL was established by TGA and DSC investigations. The novel molecule revealed a distinct recognition for Cd2+ ions over eleven other transition metal ions. Moreover, the promising results obtained in the solution phase interested us to embed [PTZ-SB][Br] on paper strips to create a paper-based fluorescent sensor, which was examined by a portable UV light source for the on-site Cd2+ detection. Interestingly, the device demonstrated exceptional fluorescence sensing behavior towards Cd2+ with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.16 nM. Thus, the probe has noteworthy distinct and sensitive detection ability towards Cd2+, which might find practical and on-spot applications. Noticeably, [PTZ-SB][Br] demonstrated aggregation-induced enhanced emission (AIEE) phenomenon. In fact, an incredible 38.1-fold increase in fluorescence intensity was observed for 10:90 ratio of THF:water mixture as compared that for pure THF solution of [PTZ-SB][Br]. AIEE property was further supported by DLS studies. A paper-based device for Cd2+ sensing by applying an Ionic Liquid based Schiff base is reported herein for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper is a material that is easily biodegradable. The most active group of microorganisms responsible for biodegradation processes affecting paper are moulds. In order to prevent this unfavorable impact, various methods are used, including biocides, which added to paper during the production process to protect the final product. In this study, the following ionic liquids were applied: benzalkonium nitrate(V), benzalkonium DL-lactate, and didecylodimethylammonium DL-lactate. They were added (in a concentration of 3% and 5%) to paper samples made of the following pulp grades: pine bleached kraft pulp (pine BKP), birch bleached kraft pulp (birch BKP), recovered fibres and CTMP. The antifungal activity of paper was assessed using a qualitative and a quantitative method with strains A. niger, A. versicolor, P. chrysogenum and P. aurantiogriseum. The most resistant strain to the ionic liquid activity was Aspergillus niger. The best antimicrobial effect was shown by paper samples made of pine BKP with biocides. The weakest effect was obtained for the CTMP-based paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbonization of lignocellulosic biomass with ionic liquids (ILs) are considered as an advantageous approach for the preparation of carbonaceous materials. The commonly used imidazolium and pyridinium based ILs have drawbacks such as toxicity, resistance to biodegradation, high cost and viscosity. These issues can be mitigated by diluting ILs with water, although excessive water content above 1 wt% can reduce the solubility of biomass. This research aims to investigate the potential of pretreating wastepaper with a "fully green" ILs, amino acid-based IL with high water content, followed by pyrolysis without IL, in enhancing the properties of biochar. For this purpose, the paper was treated with an aqueous solution of IL cysteine nitrate ([Cys][NO 3 ]), and the IL was not involved in the pyrolysis process to prevent the formation of secondary gaseous pollutants. The findings revealed that the hemicellulose and mineral filler in the paper were eliminated during pretreatment, leading to higher carbon content but lower oxygen content. As a result, the biochar exhibited micropores of 0.42 cm3g-1 and a specific surface area of 1011.21 m2 g−1. The biochar demonstrated high adsorption capacities for Cd2+, enrofloxacin, bisphenol A, ciprofloxacin, and tetracycline, with values of 45.20 mg g−1, 49.82 mg g−1, 49.90 mg g−1, 49.88 mg g−1, and 49.65 mg g−1, respectively. The proposed mechanism for the adsorption of enrofloxacin by the biochar primarily involves physical adsorption such as pore filling and electrostatic interactions, along with chemical adsorption facilitated by graphitic nitrogen. [Display omitted] • Amino acid-based IL with high water content removed the hemicellulose and minerals. • The specific surface area was four times of that of biochar without pretreatment. • More nitrogen was retained in the biochar and provided adsorption sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoparticle-based flexible field-effect transistors (FETs) containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and silicon nanowires (SiNWs) have attracted tremendous attention, since their interesting device performance can be utilized for integrated nanoscale electronics. However, use of CNTs and SiNWs on polymer substrates poses serious limitations in terms of their fabrication procedure, repeatability, and biodegradability. In this article, we report for the first time the fabrication and characteristics of solution-processed FETs on a paper substrate doped with easily prepared silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). To compare the FET performance, we fabricated two other FETs on paper containing ionic liquid (IL, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium octyl sulfate) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as dopants. We observe that the AgNP-based dopant generated good FET characteristics in terms of linear transconductance variations and higher carrier concentration values, showing negligible changes after bending and aging. In comparison with the AgNP-FET, the rGO- and IL-based dopants yielded high carrier mobilities, but the rGO-based FET is more susceptible to aging and bending. The excellent linearity of the I- V curve found for the AgNP-FET ensures its applicability for devices requiring linear transfer characteristics such as linear amplifiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Pulp and inorganic materials were recovered from paper sludge (PS) using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl) and centrifugation. Two types of PS with particle sizes 12μm and 1mm were used. Each type was mixed with [BMIM]Cl (PS:[BMIM]Cl=1:20, w/w) in a polytetrafluoroethylene beaker at 100°C. The inorganic materials were obtained by centrifugal separation of the [BMIM]Cl solution of pulp components and the solid phase, and the pulp dissolved in [BMIM]Cl was regenerated by addition of ethanol. The amount of pulp components recovered from PS with the smaller particle size was almost 100%, and was greater than from PS with the larger particle size. The recovery rate of inorganic materials from PS with small particle size was lower than that from PS with large particle size. [BMIM]Cl recovered by vacuum distillation and dehydration could be re-used for dissolution of pulp components of PS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Environmentally friendly supercapacitors are fabricated using commercial grade aluminum coated paper as a substrate and symmetrical activated carbon electrodes as large area electrodes. Different choline chloride-based eutectic solvents are used as electrolyte. These are inexpensive, environmentally friendly and have a larger operating window compared to that of water electrolytes. As the entire device is printed and the materials used are inexpensive, both small- and large-area power sources can be fabricated to be used in cheap, disposable and recyclable devices. Supercapacitors with different eutectic solvents are measured using cyclic charge–discharge and impedance spectroscopy measurements and compared to one widely used and one “green” imidazolium ionic liquid; EMIM:TFSI and EcoEng 212™, respectively. A mixture of ethylene glycol and choline chloride, Glyceline™, show the highest capacitance and power densities of the electrolytes being tested, including the imidazolium alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: All-solid-state thin supercapacitors have been fabricated using current pulse polymerized poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) over carbon fiber paper and ionic liquid based gel polymer electrolyte. The PEDOT-coated carbon paper electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) which confirm the porous morphology of PEDOT at the nanoscale and a high degree of dopant ion conjugation. The performance characteristics of the supercapacitor cells have been evaluated by ac impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge techniques. The PEDOT electrode shows specific capacitance of ∼154.5 F g−1, which correspond to the cell area-normalized capacitance of 85 mF cm−2. The maximum specific energy and specific power of the solid-state supercapacitor cell, calculated from charge-discharge characteristics, are 6.5 Wh kg−1 and 11.3 kW kg−1, respectively. The solid-state supercapacitor shows good cycle durability and time stability. The thin, lightweight, gel electrolyte based supercapacitor shows considerable potential for low-cost, high-performance energy storage applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The poster session covered similarly broad topics with a focus on electrochemistry and separation processes, the high-quality contributions making it difficult for the scientific committee to select the best poster awardees, which were deeply acknowledged during the Gala Dinner. The fifth edition of the International Conference on Ionic Liquid Based Materials (ILMAT-V) was held from 4 to 8 November 2019, i.e. in those halcyon pre-covid days when we could still travel and socialize freely, in Jussieu University Campus, Paris, France. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract: In this work, we demonstrated a novel paper-based mediator-less and compartment-less biofuel cell (BFC) with small size (1.5cm×1.5cm). Ionic liquid functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs-IL) nanocomposite was used as support for both stably confining the anodic biocatalyst (i.e., NAD+-dependent glucose dehydrogenase, GDH) for glucose electrooxidation and for facilitating direct electrochemistry of the cathodic biocatalyst (i.e., bilirubin oxidase, BOD) for O2 electroreduction. Such BFC provided a simple approach to fabricate low-cost and portable power devices on small-size paper, which can harvest energy from a wide range of commercial beverages containing glucose (e.g., Nescafe instant coffee, Maidong vitamin water, Watermelon fresh juice, and Minute Maid grape juice). These made the low-cost paper-based biodevice potential for broad energy applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Paper cups are widely employed in daily life with many advantages, but most of the used paper cups are incinerated or landfilled, due to the great challenge of separating the thin inner polyethylene (PE) coating, causing the waste of energy and the pollution of our environment. Therefore, recycling and converting the used paper cups into high-value materials is meaningful and important. In this work, transparent cellulose-based films were successfully prepared from the used paper cups via 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquid after simple pretreatment. Additionally, the difference in properties and structures of cellulose-based films regenerated in different coagulation baths (water or ethanol) was also explored. It was found that the cellulose-based film possessed good thermal property and displayed better hydrophobicity than the traditional pure cellulose film. Moreover, they also demonstrated good mechanical property and the tensile strength of cellulose-based film regenerated in water can reach 31.5 Mpa, higher than those of cellulose-based film regenerated in ethanol (25.5 Mpa) and non-degradable polyethylene film (9–12 MPa), indicating their great potential as the packaging materials. Consequently, valorization of the low cost used paper cups and preparation of high-valve cellulose-based films were realized simultaneously by a facile and green process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article announces the winners of "Materials" journal's Best Paper Award for 2015 which include the papers "Optical Properties of ZnO Nanoparticles Capped With Polymers" by Shingo Tachikawa et al., "Thermotropic Ionic Liquid Crystals" by Kirill V. Axenov and Sabine Laschat, and "Progress in Nano-Engineered Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membrane Development" by Gerrard Eddy Jai Poinern et al.

The textile industry is resource-intensive, which has a significant impact on global emissions and waste pollution. To meet the demand of textiles over a third of fibres used in manufacturing are sourced from fossil fuels. As the global demand for textiles continues to grow, manufacturers are having to seek innovative approaches to providing sustainable and regenerative cellulose fibres. However, the latest climate change pressures on the textile industry have uncovered grave environmental issues associated with traditional regenerative cellulose production, such as the viscose manufacturing process. The viscose process requires intensive use of hazardous chemicals which leads to water pollution and ecotoxicity. In addition, if forestry products are unsustainably sourced for this process, this can lead to resource scarcity and deforestation. To provide a holistic solution for mitigating these challenges this study uses the by-products of paper manufacturing dissolved in an ionic liquid to produce regenerated cellulose filaments. Paper mill sludge (PMS) is a cellulosic by-product typically used on animal bedding and land spreading. The material has been dissolved in an ionic liquid - 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate - with the aid of a co-solvent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) - and spun into continuous filaments for textile production. The mechanical properties of paper sludge filaments are found to be competitive with commercial viscose, which is promising for their drop-in replacement. It is also demonstrated that by increasing the concentration of the PMS from 9% to 12.4%, an improvement of the filament properties can be achieved; an increase in modulus from ∼19 GPa to ∼26 GPa and strength from ∼223 MPa to ∼282 MPa. These values are shown to be competitive with other commercial, less sustainable, regenerated cellulose fibres. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical (bio) sensors are now widely acknowledged as a sensitive detection tool for disease diagnosis as well as the detection of numerous species of pharmaceutical, clinical, industrial, food, and environmental origin. The term 'green' demonstrates the development of electrochemical (bio) sensing platforms utilizing biodegradable and sustainable materials. Development of green sensing platforms is one of the most active areas of research minimizing the use of toxic/hazardous reagents and solvent systems, thereby further reducing the production of chemical wastes in sensor fabrication. The present review includes green electrochemical (bio) sensors which are based on firstly, green sensors comprising natural and non-hazardous materials (e.g., paper/clay/zeolites/biowastes), secondly sensors based on nanomaterials synthesized by green methods and lastly sensors constituting green solvents (e.g., ionic liquids/deep eutectic solvents). Electrochemical performances of such green sensors and their benefits such as biodegradability, non-toxicity, sustainability, low-cost, sensitive surfaces, etc. Have been discussed for quantification of various target analytes. Associated challenges, possible solutions, and opportunities towards fabricating green electrochemical sensors and biosensors have been provided in the conclusion section., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The present study proposes a simple yet effective method of cellulose coating onto chitosan (CS) hydrogel beads and application thereof as drug carriers. The beads were coated with cellulose dissolved in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, an ionic liquid (IL) via a one-pot one-step process. Water molecules present in the CS beads diffused outward upon contact with the cellulose-IL mixture and acted as an anti-solvent. This allowed the surface of the beads to be coated with the regenerated cellulose. The regenerated cellulose was characterized by FE-SEM, FT-IR, and XRD analyses. To test potential application of the cellulose-coated CS hydrogel beads as a drug carrier, verapamil hydrochloride (VRP), used as a model drug, was impregnated into the beads. When the VRP-impregnated beads were immersed in the simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2), the VRP was released in an almost ideal linear pattern. This easily fabricated cellulose-coated CS beads showed the possibility for application as carriers for drug release control.

Hydrothermal hydrolysis in hot pressurized liquid water (HPLW) is attractive for biomass conversion into valuable products because it achieves high reaction rates without catalysts and additives. The hydrothermal hydrolysis of high crystalline cellulose requires higher reaction temperature than polysaccharides having low crystallinity. It can be expected to increase the reaction rate or decrease temperature by decreasing the crystallinity. In the present study ashless filter paper as a fibrous pure cellulose sample was pretreated with ionic liquids (ILs) such as imidazolium chloride ILs containing alkyl side chains ranging from two to six carbons, and with an aqueous solution of bis(ethylenediamine ammonium) copper (BEDC). Herein, the pretreatment with ILs was to regenerate filter paper: dissolving in ILs at 373 K for 120 min or in an aqueous BEDC solution at room temperature, precipitating by adding water, washing the solid, and then drying. Subsequently, the pretreated filter paper samples were hydrolyzed at 533 K and 5.0 MPa in HPLW in a small semi-batch reactor, and the effects of the pretreatment with ILs or BEDC on reaction rates and product yields were examined. While the crystallinity indexes with all ILs and BEDC after the pretreatments decreased to 44 to 47 from the original sample of 87, the reaction rates and product yields were significantly affected by the IL species. At 533 K and 5.0 MPa, the dissolution rate with [AMIM][Cl] was nine times as fast as that for untreated sample.

The lithium metal anode is considered the ultimate goal for pushing the energy density of lithium batteries to the theoretical maximum. “Coating” metallic lithium with protective (carbon) layers has been reported as a viable method to mitigate detrimental issues such as the dendritic lithium deposition and the continuous fracturing of the SEI layer. Herein, we propose a rather simple and economically efficient method employing carbonized filter paper positioned over the lithium metal electrode. After an initial spontaneous lithiation of the paper-derived 3D carbon network, lithium plating/stripping experiments reveal highly stable and rather low overpotentials—particularly when replacing the standard organic carbonate based electrolyte by ionic liquids. The final volumetric energy density of this and the many comparable approaches so far reported in literature, however, remains to be carefully considered, as illustrated by a rather quick calculation.

As an important sustainable source of biomass, lignocellulosic materials are highly recalcitrant to biotransformation, which limits their use and prevents economically viable conversion into value-added products. Ionic liquids (ILs) have emerged as attractive solvents for lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment in the production of biochemical feedstocks. In this work, a mixture of wood powder and waste paper was dissolved in the ionic liquid 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([AMIM]Cl). Composite films were made from the regenerated lignocellulosic materials in [AMIM]Cl by adjusting the ratio of the raw materials. The physical and mechanical properties of biomass composite films were determined by optical microscopy (OM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and tensile strength tests. The results indicated that lignocellulosic materials were dissolved in [AMIM]Cl by destroying interand intramolecular hydrogen bonds between lignocelluloses. With increasing waste paper cellulose content, the dissolution of the fir powder in [AMIM]Cl was accelerated, and the tensile strength and elongation at break of the composite films increased. The rate of dissolution initially rose rapidly with increasing content of waste paper cellulose content, but the rate leveled off when the content was above 40%. This research highlights new opportunities for biodegradable composite films made from waste biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO2 is not only the main gas that causes the greenhouse effect but also a resource with abundant reserves, low price, and low toxicity. It is expected to become an important "carbon source" to replace oil and natural gas in the future. The efficient and clean resource utilization of CO2 has shown important scientific and economic value. Making full use of abundant CO2 resources is in line with the development direction of green chemistry and has attracted the attention of scientists. Environmentally friendly ionic liquids show unique advantages in the capture and conversion of CO2 due to their non-volatilization, designable structure, and good solubility, and show broad application prospects. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the research on the use of an ionic liquid as a catalyst to promote the synthesis of various value-added chemicals in CO2, hoping to make full use of CO2 resources while avoiding the defects of the traditional synthesis route, such as the use of highly toxic raw materials, complicated operation, or harsh reaction conditions. The purpose of this paper is to provide reference for the application and development of ionic liquids in CO2 capture and conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this comment is to express some concern regarding the viscosity deviations and excess Gibbs energy of activation for viscous flow for binary mixtures in recent JCT papers. Compared to the viscosity deviations used in their papers, the relative viscosity of mixture, η r , is put forward in this paper, because it is related to excess Gibbs energy of activation for viscous flow. On a basis of the Eyring equation of viscosity, a new relationship was set up between the relative viscosity of the mixture and the corresponding excess Gibbs energy of activation for viscous flow. The new relationship can express the excess Gibbs energy of activation for viscous flow exactly, which is available to study the interaction of mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]