Solubility of Carbohydrates in Ionic Liquids

Abstract

While carbohydrates serve as an abundant, diverse, and reusable source of carbon, their derivatization for industrial applications is still a challenging task because of the low solubility in solvents other than water. Ionic liquids are recognized as green solvents for carbohydrate processing. However, only a limited number of studies have been carried out to investigate their ability to dissolve and modify saccharides. Most of the works focus on cellulose. The aim of this Review is to assess the current state of knowledge regarding the solubility of carbohydrates in ionic liquids but not on modifications of carbohydrates in ionic liquids. We herein collect all of the available literature data about the solubility of various carbohydrates in ionic liquids and highlight their interactions with carbohydrates. The subject of functionalization of carbohydrates in ionic liquids is not discussed in this Review.