Valorization of Poly(lactic acid) to Lactate Esters Using Task-Specific Ionic Liquids.

ABSTRACT: This work proposes a methodology based on the use of acidic task-specific ionic liquids (TSILs) to obtain lactate esters from poly-(lactic acid) (PLA). TSILs differing for both the cation and the anion were synthesized, featuring imidazolium, ammonium, piperidinium, and morpholinium cations, bearing a solfobutyl chain. For anions, besides chloride, HSO₄ ^- was also used. TSILs were prepared under microwave irradiation and applied considering the sustainability guidelines to minimize the environmental impact of the upcycling process. After optimizing experimental conditions for reaction time and temperature, catalyst loading, nucleophile amount, catalyst reuse and scale-up of the process were performed, processing a 5-fold higher polymer amount. Considering the industri

SUBMITTER: Marullo S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12691869 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature