ABSTRACT
Ionic liquid (IL) demonstrates better performance as a solvent in the biomass conversion process than conventional organic solvents. This study focuses on the application of new hydrophobic imidazolium-based IL as a solvent in biomass conversion process. A novel IL, namely, 1,3-dipropyl-2-(2-propoxyphenyl)-4,5-diphenylimidazolium iodide ([DPDIm]I), was synthesized and subsequently used as a solvent for biomass conversion to produce levulinic acid (LA) and Formic Acid (FA). The performance of [DPDIm]I supported by H2SO4 as a solvent was shown by cellulose conversion into 94.23% of LA and 18.85% of FA at the optimum conditions of 140 °C temperature and the reaction time of two hours. A reusability test revealed the performance of [DPDIm]I as a solvent that can be recycled up to five timesfor biomass conversion.
Subject(s)
Ionic Liquids , Biomass , Catalysis , Formates , Iodides , Levulinic AcidsABSTRACT
Combining bioreactor and membrane, known as a membrane bioreactor (MBR), has been considered as an attractive strategy to solve the limitations of conventional activated sludge process, such as biological instability, poor sludge quality, and low concentration of mixed liquor suspended solid. Unlike the other MBRs, extractive membrane bioreactor (EMBR) focuses on enhancing the efficiency of wastewater treatment through toxic compounds extraction by using a selective membrane. Even though EMBR has been successfully demonstrated in wastewater and waste gas treatment by several studies, it still faces some obstacles such as biofilm formation and low selectivity of the membrane towards a specific component. Appropriate biofilm formation control strategies and membrane with high selectivity are needed to solve those problems. This paper reviews EMBR including its potential applications in wastewater treatment, denitrification process, and waste gas treatment. In addition, challenges and outlook of EMBR are discussed.