Method for breaking down cellulose

5:

• The process according to claim 1, wherein the ionic liquid or mixture thereof is selected from among the compounds of the formula I,
• [A]+n[Y]n− (I),
• where
• n is 1, 2, 3 or 4;
• [A]+ is a quaternary ammonium cation, an oxonium cation, a sulfonium cation or a phosphonium cation;
• and
• [Y]n− is a monovalent, divalent, trivalent or tetravalent anion;
• or
• the compounds of the formula II
• [A1]+[A2]+[Y]n− (IIa), where n=2;
• [A1]+[A2]+[A3]+[Y]n− (IIb), where n=3;
• or
• [A1]+[A2]+[A3]+[A4]+[Y]n− (Ic), where n=4, and
• [A1]+, [A2]+, [A3]+ and [A4]+ are selected independently from among the groups specified for [A]+;
• and
• [Y]n− is as defined above.

6:

• The process according to claim 5, wherein [A]+ is a cation selected from among the compounds of the formulae (IIIa) to (IIIy)
• and oligomers comprising these structures, where
• the radical R is hydrogen or a carbon-comprising organic, saturated or unsaturated, acyclic or cyclic, aliphatic, aromatic or araliphatic radical which has from 1 to 20 carbon atoms and may be unsubstituted or be interrupted or substituted by from 1 to 5 heteroatoms or functional groups;
• and
• the radicals R1 to R9 are each, independently of one another, hydrogen, a sulfo group or a carbon-comprising organic, saturated or unsaturated, acyclic or cyclic, aliphatic, aromatic or araliphatic radical which has from 1 to 20 carbon atoms and may be unsubstituted or be interrupted or substituted by from 1 to 5 heteroatoms or functional groups, where the radicals R1 to R9 which are bound to a carbon atom (and not to a heteroatom) in the abovementioned formulae (III) can additionally be halogen or a functional group;
• or two adjacent radicals from the group consisting of R1 to R9 may together also form a divalent, carbon-comprising organic, saturated or unsaturated, acyclic or cyclic, aliphatic, aromatic or araliphatic radical which has from 1 to 30 carbon atoms and may be unsubstituted or be interrupted or substituted by from 1 to 5 heteroatoms or functional groups.

7:

• The process according to claim 5, wherein [Y]n− is an anion selected from among
• the group of halides and halogen-comprising compounds of the formulae:
• F—, Cl—, Br—, I—, BF4—, PF6—, CF3SO3—, (CF3SO3)2N—, CF3CO2—, CCl3CO2—, CN—, SCN—, OCN—
• the group of sulfates, sulfites and sulfonates of the general formulae:
• SO42—, HSO4—, SO32—, HSO3—, RaOSO3—, RaSO3—
• the group of phosphates of the general formulae PO43—, HPO2—, H2PO4—, RaPO42—, HRaPO4—, RaRbPO4—
• the group of phosphonates and phosphinates of the general formulae:
• RaHPO3—,RaRbPO2—, RaRbPO3—
• the group of phosphites of the general formulae:
• PO33—, HPO32—, H2PO3—, RaPO32—, RaHPO3—, RaRbPO3—
• the group of phosphonites and phosphinites of the general formulae:
• RaRbPO2—, RaHPO2—, RaRbPO—, RaHPO—
• the group of carboxylic acids of the general formula:
• RaCOO—
• the group of borates of the general formulae:
• BO33—, HBO32—, H2BO3—, RaRbBO3—, RaHBO3—, RaBO32—, B(ORa)(ORb)(ORc)(ORd)—, B(HSO4)—, B(RaSO4)—
• the group of boronates of the general formulae:
• RaBO22—, RaRbBO—
• the group of silicates and silicic esters of the general formulae:
• SiO44—, HSiO43—, H2SiO42—, H3SiO4—, RaSiO43—, RaRbSiO42—, RaRbRcSiO4—, HRaSiO42—, H2RaSiO4—, HRaRbSiO4—
• the group of alkylsilane and arylsilane salts of the general formulae:
• RaSiO33—, RaRbSiO22—, RaRbRcSiO—, RaRbRcSiO3—, RaRbRcSiO2—, RaRbSiO32—
• the group of carboximides, bis(sulfonyl)imides and sulfonylimides of the general formulae:
• the group of methides of the general formula:
• where the radicals Ra, Rb, Rc and Rd are each, independently of one another, hydrogen, C1-C30-alkyl, C2-C18-alkyl which may optionally be interrupted by one or more nonadjacent oxygen and/or sulfur atoms and/or one or more substituted or unsubstituted imino groups, C6-C14-aryl, C5-C12-cycloalkyl or a five- or six-membered, oxygen-, nitrogen- and/or sulfur-comprising heterocycle, where two of them may together form an unsaturated, saturated or aromatic ring which may optionally be interrupted by one or more oxygen and/or sulfur atoms and/or one or more unsubstituted or substituted imino groups, where the radicals mentioned may each be additionally substituted by functional groups, aryl, alkyl, aryloxy, alkyloxy, halogen, heteroatoms and/or heterocycles.