This study evaluated the effects of ionic liquids (ILs) on the formation of aqueous biphasic systems (ABS) with organic salts. Phase diagrams, tie lines, and respective tie line lengths were determined at 298 K and atmospheric pressure. Using imidazoliumbased ILs, the effects of the IL anions and salt anions, as well as the addition of dipolar aprotic solvents (DAS) on ABS formation were investigated. In general, the IL with hydrogen bond basicity ranging between 0.38 and 0.60 formed ABS with organic salts. However, those below this range were insoluble, and those above this range did not undergo phase separation. The salt anion capacity to induce ABS increased with increased valence and decreased Gibbs free energy of hydration. Moreover, the biphasic area for the IL-based ABS reduced with increased DAS concentration.
■ INTRODUCTIONThe aqueous biphasic system (ABS) is an efficient and green approach to the separation and purification of biomolecules. In recent years, ionic liquid (IL)-based ABS have been significantly explored for the liquid−liquid extraction of a large array of enzymes, 1 biomolecules, 2,3 and polar solutes. 4−6 In IL processing of biomass, ABS is used as an alternative separation method for the recovery and purification of IL from aqueous effluents, and a recovery of over 95 wt % of the IL could be obtained. 7−9 IL-based ABSs are formed when a salt, saccharide, or polymer is dissolved in IL aqueous solutions above critical concentrations. 10−12 A large set of literature data has focused on the ABS composed of IL and inorganic salts, and the effects of the IL nature, salt, pH, and temperature have been evaluated. 10,13−17 However, common inorganic salts lead to environmental problems when discharged at high concentrations into effluent streams. 18 Apart from phosphates, sulfates, and carbonates, organic salts have also been used as possible alternatives for the preparation of IL-based ABS. Given that citrate-based salts are biodegradable and nontoxic, C 6 H 5 K 3 O 7 and C 6 H 5 Na 3 O 7 are extensively explored. 18 Moreover, Han et al. 19,20 showed that the salting-out ability of the anions of organic salts follows the order C 6 H 5 O 7 3+ > C 4 H 4 O 4 2+ > C 4 H 4 O 6 2+ . Nevertheless, a wide variety of organic salts and ILs are absent in most of these systems.The addition of dipolar aprotic solvents (DASs) is a crucial subject regarding the separation and recovery of hydrophilic ILs by forming ABS. However, a systematic study involving these particular systems and addressing the effect of the addition of DAS on the formation of IL-based ABS had not been carried out before. In 2013, Gao et al. 21 were the first to show that dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC), can be used to tune the phase behavior of the ABS composed of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C 4 mim]Cl) and K 3 PO 4 . The trends in the density of the two phases, the surface tension, the conductivity, and the dipolarity of the mixtures are dependent on the changes in hydr...