Supported ionic liquid water sorbent for high throughput desalination and drying

The composite material 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium methanesulfonate ionic liquid in Syloid AL-1FP silica shows unprecedented water vapor sorption equilibrium properties. Equilibrium data were recorded at different loads of ionic liquid in the silica support (from 1.8%w to 60%w). At loadings >1.8%w, all the composites show type 3 isotherm, therefore conserving the vapor-liquid equilibrium of the bulk ionic liquid/water binary system but with increased dependence between temperature and water adsorbed. This feature makes this composite material particularly suitable for thermally-driven technologies. The composite 60%w 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium methanesulfonate ionic liquid in 40%w Syloid AL-1FP silica shifts the performance of sorption desalination and drying processes at the unprecedented working capacity of 0.46 gwater/gsorbent (desalination) and 0.82 gwater/gsorbent (drying).