Crosslinking of polysaccharides in room temperature ionic liquids by ionizing radiation

Crosslinking of polysaccharides in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) by ionizing radiation were investigated by the scavenging method, fluorescent and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Radiation chemical yields of hydroxyl radicals inducing the crosslinking of cellulose were estimated with phenol as a scavenger, and increased with water content in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EMI-acetate). Cellulose gel was also produced in fluorescent carboxylate-based RTILs, 1,3-dibutylimidazolium acetate (DBI-acetate). Light emission from DBI-acetate in cellulose gel was observed and 20-nm red shifted at a maximum wavelength of 415 nm when excited at 323 nm. Expected elements of carbon and oxygen were detected in neat cellulose by XPS, while additional nitrogen was detected in radiation-crosslinked cellulose gel produced in EMI-acetate. These results indicate that RTILs is incorporated in the cellulose gel. Chitin gel was first obtained in 1-butyl-3-methyimidazolium chloride by γ-ray irradiations, and its gel fraction increased with the dose and reached 86% at 60 kGy. - Highlights: • Water is a key material for radiation-crosslinked chemical gels. • RTILs are involved in the crosslinked cellulose gels. • Chitin gel was first produced in RTILs by ionizing radiation.