Ionic liquids (ILs) are known to be very effective at deconstructing biomass, but, they are typically 5-20 times more expensive than molecular solvents; this is a major impediment to the utilisation of ILs in biorefinery applications. In view of this, this paper is the first to report a preliminary study on the use of inexpensive and bifunctional triethylammonium hydrogen sulfate ionic liquid, [N-2220][HSO4] IL, in deconstructing two Malaysian agro-wastes, oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) and coconut husk. The [N-2220][HSO4] IL was synthesised via simple acid-base neutralisation route between two inexpensive precursors: sulfuric acid, H2SO4, and triethylamine, N-222. The results of deconstruction of OPEFB and coconut husk under the applied conditions, IL/H2O (80/20 wt/wt) at 120 degrees C for 2 h, proved that the IL provided bifunctional action as: a Bronsted acid catalyst that hydrolysed chemical bonds linking carbohydrate-rich-material (cellulose and hemicellulose) and lignin fractions, and; a delignification agent that dissolved lignin, separating the biopolymer from the carbohydrate-rich-material. The outcomes of this study indicate that the deconstruction of Malaysian agro-wastes for isolating valuable biopolymers can be performed in a more economical and effective way using the [N-2220][HSO4] IL.

Poly(vinylpyrrolidinone)-iron magnetic nanocomposites (PVP-Fe NCs) were synthesised and used as sorbents for the removal of cooking oil from synthetic polluted water. The synthesised nanocomposites (NCs) contained particles with average grain size of 20 to 30 nm and possessed magnetic properties, as evidenced by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and vibration sample magnetometer (VSM) analyses. The oil sorption studies revealed that the NCs are capable to remove up to ca. 80% of oil, and this remained constant irrespective of the total oil loading. Significantly, the oil-coated NCs were easily separated from cleaned water through a magnetic attraction using a N50 magnet. This approach, therefore, holds great potential to be scaled up and expanded to various water systems in Malaysia such as sea and river.

Lignocellulosic biomass has been used as an alternative source to food crops that serve as feedstock for bioenergy production. The conversion of biomass to bioenergy required pretreatment process. Ionic liquids (ILs) have been recognized as promising solvents that are capable of solubilizing and separating components of lignocellulosic biomass. This research focuses on understanding how ILs affects the activity of cellulases in the enzymatic saccharification process. Sigmacell cellulose was used in the enzymatic saccharification process. Two different ILs were added in the enzymatic saccharification mixtures and the activity of a mixture of commercially available cellulases was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to measure glucose release. Sulphate based ILs were more harmful for cellulase action than [EMIM][OAc]. [HBIM][HSO4] inactivated commercial cellulases (Celluclast (R)) and cellobiase (Novozyme188) in the enzymatic saccharification process. In this research, it was observed that the main factor that affects the activity of cellulase is pH.