Dissolution and regeneration of hide powder/cellulose composite in Gemini imidazolium ionic liquid

Gemini imidazolium ionic liquid, 3,3′-[1,2-ethanediylbis (oxy-2,1-ethanediyl)]-bis[1-methyl-imidazolium]-dibromide ([C6O2(mim)2][Br]2), was used for the dissolution and regeneration of white hide powder (from pigskin), and blend white hide powder with cellulose for the easy production of white hide powder/cellulose composite. Dissolution performance of white hide powder in [C6O2(mim)2][Br]2 was studied. The native white hide powder and [C6O2(mim)2][Br]2 regenerated white hide powder were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, DSC–TG and FE-SEM. The results showed that [C6O2(mim)2][Br]2 was a good solvent to white hide powder. The dissolution time was 55 min when the white hide powder was 8% at 120 °C. The dissolution time of [C6O2(mim)2][Br]2 for white hide powder was shorter than those of common ionic liquids. The triple helical structure of white hide powder was partly destroyed during [C6O2(mim)2][Br]2 dissolution. The possible mechanism of white hide powder dissolution in [C6O2(mim)2][Br]2 and the regeneration of white hide powder in methanol had been proposed. White hide powder/cellulose composites were successfully dissolved in [C6O2(mim)2][Br]2. The performance of white hide powder/cellulose film was measured by FT-IR and TG. The tensile strength, and elongation at break of white hide powder/cellulose composite films were tested. This work demonstrated that the white hide powder/cellulose composite exhibited some potential in collagen-based tissue engineering.