Enhanced refolding of lysozyme with imidazolium-based room temperature ionic liquids: Effect of hydrophobicity and sulfur residue

The expression of recombinant proteins in microorganism frequently leads to the formation of insoluble aggregates, inclusion bodies (IBs). Thus, the additional in vitro protein refolding process is required to convert inactive IBs into water-soluble active proteins. This study investigated the effect of sulfur residue and hydrophobicity of imidazolium-based room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) on the refolding of lysozyme as a model protein in the batch dilution method which is the most commonly used refolding method. When lysozyme was refolded in the refolding buffer containing [BF4]-based RTILs with a systematic variety of alkyl chain on cations varying from two to eight, less hydrophobic imidazolium cations having shorter alkyl chains were effective to facilitate lysozyme refolding. Compared to the conventional refolding buffer, 2 times higher lysozyme refolding yield was obtained in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIM][BF4]) containing refolding buffer. The refolding yield of lysozyme was even more increased by 2.5 times when 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium methylsulfate ([BMIM][MS]) containing sulfur residue on anion was used. The sulfur residue in [BMIM][MS] is supposed to improve the refolding yield of lysozyme which has 4 intramolecular disulfide bonds. For dilution-based refolding of lysozyme, the optimum concentrations of RTILs in refolding buffer were found to be 1.0 M [EMIM][BF4] and 0.5 M [BMIM][MS], respectively. The optimum temperate for dilution-based refolding of lysozyme with RTILs was 4 °C.     

Studies on –SO3H functionalized Brønsted acidic imidazolium ionic liquids (ILs) for one-pot,two-step synthesis of 2-styrylquinolines

Four task-specific –SO₃H functionalized imidazolium ionic liquids (ILs) were investigated for Brønsted acidities by Hammett functions. After knowing their thermal stabilities, the catalytic activity was observed for the preparation of 2-styrylquinolines by following consecutive Friedländer and Knoevenagel reactions in solvent-free thermal energy. The acidity order ([Dsim][OOCCF₃] > [Dsim][OTs] > [Dsim][OOCCl₃] > [Msim][OOCCF₃]) of three ILs was consistent with their activity order observed in the acid-catalyzed synthesis of 2-styrylquinolines under solvent-free conditions at 90° C, with the exception of [Dsim][OTs]. The best catalytic activity was shown by 25 mol% of [Dsim][OOCCF₃] IL. The less acidic IL required 50 mol% to give good yield of 2-styrylquinolines under the optimized condition.     

Study of the Alkyl Chain Length on Laccase Stability and Enzymatic Kinetic with Imidazolium Ionic Liquids

The activity and stability of laccase and their kinetic mechanisms in water soluble ionic liquids (ILs): 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium chloride [C₄mim][Cl], 1-octyl-3-methyl imidazolium chloride [C₈mim][Cl], and 1-decyl-3-methyl imidazolium chloride [C₁₀mim][Cl] were investigated. The results show that an IL concentration up to 10% is satisfactory for initial laccase activity at pH 9.0. The laccase stability was well maintained in [C₄mim][Cl] IL when compared to the control. The inactivation of laccase increases with the length of the alkyl chain in the IL: [C₁₀mim][Cl] > [C₈mim][Cl] > [C₄mim][Cl]. The kinetic studies in the presence of ABTS as substrate allowed calculating the Michaelis–Menten parameters. Among the ILs, [C₄mim][Cl] was the suitable choice attending to laccase activity and stability. Alkyl chains in the ions of ILs have a deactivating effect on laccase, which increases strongly with the length of the alkyl chain.     

Using ionic liquid [EMIM][CH3COO] as an enzyme-‘friendly’ co-solvent for resolution of amino acids

An ionic liquid (IL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [EMIM][CH₃COO], was used in 0–4.0 M (∼60% IL, v/v), as a nonvolatile organic medium for the enzymatic resolution of amino acids. When dl-phenylalanine methyl ester was studied as a model substrate, high enantiomeric excesses (ee) of l-amino acid were obtained in all ionic concentrations; however, lower yields were observed at high IL concentrations. This IL is more enzyme-‘friendly’ than the hydrophilic organic solvent acetonitrile and those ILs containing chaotropic anions (such as [EMIM][OTs]). Among three proteases and two lipases investigated, lyophilized Bacillus licheniformis protease exhibited the best enantioselectivity and activity. Highly enantioselective resolutions were also produced for several other amino acids in 2.0 M IL. Interestingly, high ee were also found in deuterium oxide (D₂O) rather than in ordinary water, and a further enhancement was achieved with the co-existence of [EMIM][CH₃COO]. The heavy water effect was explained in terms of protein stabilization by D₂O. The secondary structural changes of enzyme in various media were interpreted by the second derivatives of FT-IR spectra.     

Direct Ethanol Production from Ionic Liquid-Pretreated Lignocellulosic Biomass by Cellulase-Displaying Yeasts

Among the many types of lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment methods, the use of ionic liquids (ILs) is regarded as one of the most promising strategies. In this study, the effects of four kinds of ILs for pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass such as bagasse, eucalyptus, and cedar were evaluated. In direct ethanol fermentation from biomass incorporated with ILs by cellulase-displaying yeast, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([Bmim][OAc]) was the most effective IL. The ethanol production and yield from [Bmim][OAc]-pretreated bagasse reached 0.81 g/L and 73.4% of the theoretical yield after fermentation for 96 h. The results prove the initial concept, in which the direct fermentation from lignocellulosic biomass effectively promoted by the pretreatment with IL.     

Extraction of Palladium(II) and Platinum(IV) from Hydrochloric Acid Solutions with Trioctylammonium Nitrate Ionic Liquid without Dilution

The fundamental properties and extraction capability of an ionic liquid (IL), trioctylammonium nitrate ([HTOA][NO₃]), for Pd^II and Pt^IV, are investigated. At room temperature, [HTOA][NO₃] is a solid (melting point: 30.7 °C), but it becomes a liquid (melting point: 16.7 °C) when saturated with water. Water-saturated [HTOA][NO₃] exhibits a viscosity of 267.1 mPa·s and an aqueous solubility of 2.821?×?10^?4 mol·dm^?3 at 25 °C, and can be used as an extraction solvent without dilution. [HTOA][NO₃] exhibits an extremely high extraction capability for Pd^II and Pt^IV in dilute hydrochloric acid (0.1–2 mol·dm^?3 HCl); the distribution ratio reaches 3 × 10⁴ for both the metals. From electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis, the species extracted in the IL phase are [PdCl₃]^? and [PdCl₂(NO₃)]^? for Pd^II and [PtCl₆]^2? and [PtCl₅]^? for Pt^IV. A majority of the other transition metals are considerably less or marginally extracted into [HTOA][NO₃] from a 0.1 mol·dm^?3 hydrochloric acid solution. The extraction capacity of [HTOA][NO₃] is greater than that of other hydrophobic ILs such as [HTOA]Cl and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide-based ILs. The metals extracted into the IL phase are quantitatively back-extracted using an aqueous solution containing thiourea and nitric acid. By controlling the thiourea concentration and shaking time, Pd^II and Pt^IV are mutually separated to some extent in the back extraction process. The IL phase used for the back extraction can be reused for the forward extraction of these metals after scrubbing it with an aqueous nitric acid solution.     

Isobaric vapor–liquid equilibria for ethanol–water system containing different ionic liquids at atmospheric pressure

Isobaric vapor–liquid equilibrium (VLE) data for ethanol–water systems containing ionic liquids (ILs) 1-methyl-3-methylimidazolium dimethylphosphate ([MMIM][DMP]), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethylphosphate ([EMIM][DEP]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([BMIM][Br]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM][Cl]) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF₆]) at atmospheric pressure (101.32 kPa) were measured with a circulation still. The results showed that the VLE of ethanol–water systems in the presence of different ILs was obviously different from that of the IL-free system. All ILs studied showed a salting-out effect, which gave rise to a change of the relative volatility of ethanol, and even to an elimination of the azeotropic point. It was found that the salting-out effect followed the order of [BMIM][Cl] > [BMIM][Br] > [BMIM][PF₆] and [MMIM][DMP] > [EMIM][DEP], which was ascribed to the preferential solvation ability of the ions resulting from the dissociation of the IL.     

Quantitative Analysis of Alpha‐D‐glucose in an Ionic Liquid by Using Infrared Spectroscopy

The applicability of infrared (IR) spectroscopy for quantitative concentration measurements in mixtures of carbohydrates and ionic liquids (ILs) is investigated. The compound 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium acetate, [EMIM][OAc]—an “enzyme‐friendly” ionic liquid with great application potential in the dissolution of various biomasses—is used as solvent in combination with alpha‐D ‐glucose. Our study establishes a new way to monitor the concentration of sugars in ILs, thus providing a convenient method to follow the kinetics of, for example, enzymatic reactions in [EMIM][OAc]. As a first step, we present the IR spectrum of pure [EMIM][OAc] (this constitutes the first vibrational study of this particular IL). Although numerous lines overlap in the fingerprint region of the spectrum, characteristic features can be assigned to the corresponding vibrational modes of both ions. Secondly, we study different mixtures of the IL with alpha‐D ‐glucose (in the concentration range: 0–20 mass % glucose) and analyze them by means of IR spectroscopy, followed by computational methods, thus demonstrating the great potential of this spectroscopic technique in quantitative measurements.     

Solvent effectiveness factor: A new correlation to study the influence of solvent,temperature, and stirring rate on synthesis yield of Ionic Liquids

The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of solvent, temperature, and stirring on synthesis yield of Ionic Liquids (ILs). A representative Ionic Liquid [BMIM][BF₄] is prepared using seven different solvents and their influence on percentage yield is explained using a new correlation; solvent effectiveness factor (SEF). The SEF of solvent is governed by nature of solvent, operating temperature and stirring rate. Acetone has the highest SEF 1.275 and affords maximum IL yield 88.11% while toluene has the least SEF 0.674 and produces minimum IL 63.21%. When synthesis temperature is increased from 50 to 80 °C, synthesis yield is substantially increased from 76.7 to 93.08% because rise in temperature increases the SEF from 1.234 to 1.333, mainly due to the decrease in solvent viscosity. Similarly, when stirring rate is increased from 80 to 200 RPM, IL yield slightly increased from 87.37 to 91.35% due to addition of mechanical energy in the reaction mixture which in turn reduced solvent viscosity and increased SEF from 1.278 to 1.297.     

Calorimetric Study on the Ion Pairing and Aggregation of 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([C2mim][NTf2]) and Related Ionic Liquids in the Low-Dielectric Constant Solvent Chloroform

A calorimetric study of dissolution of the ionic liquids (ILs) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([C₂mim][NTf₂]), 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([C₆mim][NTf₂]), and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tris(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)methide ([C₆mim][CTf₃]) into chloroform (CHCl₃) is presented with particular focus on [C₂mim][NTf₂]. The interpretation of the calorimetric data for [C₂mim][NTf₂] was aided by additional NMR self-diffusion measurements and viscosity measurements that through the Stokes–Einstein equation provided information about the average size of the species present. It is evident that the main equilibrium species are ion pairs and aggregates. An estimate for the enthalpy contribution from aggregate formation for [C₂mim][NTf₂] was found to be ?2.09 kJ per mol of added IL at 288.2 K and slightly decreasing in magnitude to ?1.11 kJ·mol^?1 at 318.2 K. While all three ILs release heat upon dissolution into CHCl₃, different temperature trends are observed demonstrating the fine balance of competing contributions from breaking IL interactions, cavity formation for the solutes to reside in, and the establishment of new solute–solvent interactions.     

Swelling behavior of gelatin‐ionic liquid functional polymers

In this work, hydrogels obtained by mixing gelatin with ionic liquids (ILs) are prepared. Two different ILs, [emim][EtSO₄] and [bmim][N(CN)₂], are used to prepare hydrogels with different amounts of starting water and phosphate buffer content, which are used after a maturation period. The percentage of swelling in water and phosphate buffer, swelling and diffusion parameters are investigated in thin‐film polymers (1 × 1 cm²; 1‐mm thick) with different maturation times and at temperatures ranging from 4 to 37 °C. [emim][EtSO₄] polymers show a moderate (100% weight increase) but quick swelling that reaches 80% of the equilibrium within 30 min. They are liquefied and dissolved at temperatures above 25 °C. [bmim][N(CN)₂] polymers with short maturation times exhibit a similar behavior to the former, but more mature hydrogels register a very small swelling, abnormal kinetics and are more resistant to higher temperatures. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys., 2013     

A novel method to prepare polymer-ionic liquid gel under high pressure and its electrochemical properties

Sol–gel transition behavior of ionic liquid gel based on poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) and ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate [EMIM][EtSO₄] has been investigated under the pressure up to 250 MPa. The Temperature versus Pressure phase diagram of PEG/[EMIM][EtSO₄] gel is constructed, and it indicates that the melting point is an increasing function of pressure. Based on the phase diagram, the PEG/[EMIM][EtSO₄] gels are prepared by cooling under the pressure of 300 MPa and atmospheric pressure, respectively. From the differential scanning calorimetry result of the recovered samples, it is found that PEG/[EMIM][EtSO₄] gel prepared under high pressure has a higher crystallinity and smaller crystal size polymer network, comparing with under atmospheric pressure. The cyclic voltammograms and impedance spectra tests indicate that the PEG/[EMIM][EtSO₄] gel prepared under high pressure exhibit higher ionic conductivity comparing with atmospheric pressure. It could be speculated these excellent properties might be attributed to the loose gel structure and high ionic density induced by high pressure.     

The thermochemistry of solvation of imidazolium-based ionic liquids in benzene

ABSTRACT

The present work is devoted to the thermochemical study of solvation of ionic liquids (IL) in benzene. The solution enthalpies of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tricyanomethanide [EMIM][C(CN)₃], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [BMIM][BF₄], 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [HMIM][PF₆], 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [OMIM][BF₄], 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [EMIM][NTf₂], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [BMIM][NTf₂] and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate [BMIM][TfO] in benzene were measured. The solvation enthalpies of imidazolium-based IL were calculated. Molar refractions of imidazolium-based IL form literature data on density and refractive indexes of IL were also calculated. The linear correlation between solvation enthalpy and molar refraction of IL was observed. This correlation can be used to calculate the vaporization enthalpy of imidazolium-based IL from solution calorimetry data.     

Temperature dependence of the microstructure of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate in aqueous solution

Many applications of ionic liquids (ILs) are closely related with their microstructure in mixtures. For example, morphology and pore size of the MCM-41 prepared in aqueous ILs are greatly dependent on the aggregation behavior of the ILs in water. Therefore, the study on the microstructure of ILs in aqueous solutions is of great importance. In this work, ¹H NMR, dynamic light scattering and attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy have been used to investigate the temperature effect on the structures of aqueous 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([C₄mim][BF₄]) solutions. It was shown that the size of the IL aggregates becomes larger with decreasing temperature. When the system temperature is below the upper critical solution temperature (UCST) of the binary mixture at about 4 °C, the aggregate size of the IL is larger than 1000 nm. Additionally, the two-dimensional IR results reveal that at low IL concentrations, H₂O can interact with [BF₄]⁻ prior to the CH groups of the imidazolium ring, whereas cation and anion of the IL tend to form aggregate at high IL concentrations. With the decrease of temperature, the interactions between cation and anion of the IL become stronger, but those between the IL and water become weaker, thereby resulting in the growth of the aggregate of cation with anion of the IL. This result may give a reasonable explanation for the origin of the UCST behavior of aqueous [C₄mim][BF₄] solution.     

Ionic liquids for tetraarylporphyrin preparation

In place of widely used dichloromethane, a series of ionic liquids, ILs, was employed as a reaction medium for the one-flask preparation of tetraarylporphyrins. The porphyrin yield in the IL was comparable to that in the dichloromethane, as long as both the water content and the fluidity were conditioned to be in the optimum state. When acidic IL, [C₄-SAbim][CF₃SO₃] possessing a sulfonic acid moiety was used as the reaction medium, nothing but a black tarry by-product was obtained due to its strong acidity. However, using the acidic IL in a biphasic mode together with dichloromethane enabled porphyrins to form, even at a high reactant concentration. Furthermore, the phase-separated acidic IL was reusable for at least 10 times without any loss of catalytic activity.     

Ionic Liquids - New Solvents in the Free Radical Polymerization

Summary: The analysis of the influence of ionic liquids (ILs) in polymer synthesis as an alternative for common organic solvents is still an active field of research. 1 Using ILs as solvents for free radical polymerizations implies a significant increase in polymerization rates and molecular weights which can be observed. In this work we examined the copolymerization behaviour of styrene (S) and methyl methacrylate (MMA), glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA) with acrylonitrile (AN) in 1-etyhl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate ([EMIM]EtSO₄). ILs are liquids with comparable high polarities and viscosities. These two characteristic properties are strongly correlated with the rate coefficients of propagation k_p and termination k_t. 2 - 4 The rate constant of termination k_t decreases when the IL concentration and therefore the viscosity of the reaction mixture is increased, whereas the propagation rate coefficient k_p increases with increasing IL content. The viscosity of the IL can be varied by either working with mixtures of IL with conventional organic solvents – here the IL [EMIM]EtSO₄ was mixed with DMF – or by variation of the temperature. The influence of the viscosity of the IL ([EMIM]EtSO₄) on polymerization kinetics of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene/acrylonitrile (S/AN) was investigated.     

The effect of subcritical carbon dioxide on the dissolution of cellulose in the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate

The ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([emim][OAc]) readily dissolves high concentrations of cellulose. However, the high viscosity of [emim][OAc] (162 cP at 20 °C) could limit its use as a solvent for cellulose. Dissolved CO₂ has been shown to decrease the viscosity of ILs. In this study, a 50 psi CO₂ environment was applied for the dissolution of cellulose in [emim][OAc] to determine if the cellulose dissolution could be enhanced. Dissolution profiles of 4 wt% cellulose dissolved in [emim][OAc] were obtained over a 24 h period. A 75% increase in the amount of dissolved cellulose was observed with the application of a 50 psi CO₂ environment.     

Cooperative Effect of Guanidinium Chloride and Urea on Lysozyme Refolding

Abstract

The interaction between urea and guanidinium chloride (GuHCl) on lysozyme refolding was investigated in this work. Live micrococcus lysodeikticus was successfully introduced into a refolding system. Lysozyme can be refolded from the GuHCl-denatured, DTT-reduced state in a good yield of 96.54% at final protein concentration as high as 0.2 mg·mL^?1. A model could be employed to elucidate refolding kinetics behavior and the kinetics constants were studied. In the coexistence of GuHCl and urea, the aggregation rate decreased by increasing urea concentration to a proper value. The cooperation of GuHCl and urea not only suppressed the competition of the aggregation reaction but also increased the yield of refolding efficiently.     

Capsules with polyurea shells and ionic liquid cores for CO2 capture

Many ionic liquids (ILs) have good solubilities of CO₂ but the high viscosity of ILs makes them cumbersome and kinetically limits gas uptake. Encapsulation of ILs is an effective approach to overcoming these limitations. In capsules with a core of IL, the chemical composition of the shell impacts performance. Here, we report the preparation of capsules with a core of the IL [Bmim][PF₆] and polymer composite shell, then evaluate how the identity of the polymer impacts CO₂ uptake. IL-in-oil Pickering emulsions stabilized by nanosheets are used, with capsules formed by interfacial polymerization between different diamines and diisocyanates (e.g., shells are polyurea and nanosheets). The capsules contain 60–80 wt% IL and the composition was verified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and particle sizing data showed spherical, discrete capsules with 50–125 μm in diameter. All capsules are stable up to 250°C. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis of CO₂ gas uptake data showed that different polymer compositions led to different CO₂ uptake properties, with capacity ranging from 0.065 to 0.025 moles of CO₂/kg sorbent at 760 torr and 20°C. This work demonstrates that the polymer identity of the shell impacts gas uptake properties and supports that shell composition can tailor performance.     

Formation and Surface Behavior of Pt and Pd Complexes with Ligand Systems Derived from Nitrile-functionalized Ionic Liquids Studied by XPS

We studied the formation and surface behavior of Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes with ligand systems derived from two nitrile-functionalized ionic liquids (ILs) in solution using angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS). These ligand systems enabled a high solubility of the metal complexes in IL solution. The complexes were prepared by simple ligand substitution under vacuum conditions in defined excess of the coordinating ILs, [C₃CNC₁Im][Tf₂N] and [C₁CNC₁Pip][Tf₂N], to immediately yield solutions of the final products. The ILs differ in the cationic head group and the chain length of the functionalized substituent. Our XPS measurements on the neat ILs gave insights in the electronic properties of the coordinating substituents revealing differences in donation capability and stability of the complexes. Investigations on the composition of the outermost surface layers using ARXPS revealed no surface affinity of the nitrile-functionalized chains in the neat ILs. Solutions of the formed complexes in the nitrile ILs showed homogeneous distribution of the solute at the surface with the heterocyclic moieties preferentially orientated towards the vacuum, while the metal centers are rather located further away from the IL/vacuum interface.