Lignin holds significant
potential as a feedstock for generating
valuable aromatic compounds, fuels, and functional materials. However,
achieving this potential requires the development of effective dissolution
methods. Previous works have demonstrated the remarkable capability
of hydrotropes to enhance the aqueous solubility of lignin, an amphiphilic
macromolecule. Notably, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have exhibited
hydrotropic behavior, significantly increasing the aqueous solubility
of hydrophobic solutes, making them attractive options for lignin
dissolution. This study aimed at exploring the influence of hydrogen
bond acceptors (HBAs) and hydrogen bond donors (HBDs) on the performance
of DESs as hydrotropes for lignin dissolution, while possible dissolution
mechanisms in different water/DES compositions were discussed. The
capacity of six alcohols (glycerol, ethylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol,
1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, and 1,6-hexanediol) and cholinium
chloride to enhance the solubility of Kraft lignin in aqueous media
was investigated. A correlation between solubility enhancement and
the alkyl chain length of the alcohol was observed. This was rationalized
upon the competition between hydrotrope–hydrotrope and solute–hydrotrope
aggregates with the latter being maximized for 1,4-butanediol. Interestingly,
the hydrotropic effect of DESs on lignin solubility is well represented
by the independent sum of the dissolving contributions from the corresponding
HBAs and HBDs in the diluted region. Conversely, in the concentrated
region, the solubility of lignin for a certain hydrotrope concentration
was always found to be higher for the pure hydrotropes rather than
their combined HBA/HBD counterparts.