Efficient Extraction of Nicotine From Tobacco Absolute Oil by Ionic Liquid-Decorated Boron Nitride/Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Composite Hydrogel

Nicotine, a tobacco alkaloid with biological activity and unique pharmacological characteristics, holds significant value across pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial applications. Given these attributes, there is a growing demand for efficient nicotine extraction from tobacco and its by-products. In this study, a novel ionic liquid (IL)-decorated boron nitride/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) composite hydrogel (IL-BNNs@P) was synthesized for the effective extraction of nicotine from tobacco absolute oil. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared analyses confirmed the successful integration of IL-functionalized BNNs within the gel's network structure. This hydrogel revealed an adsorption capacity of 81.49 mg·g −1 with 93.5% extraction efficiency. Furthermore, this hydrogel exhibited exceptional selectivity, with distribution coefficients ( K d ) for nicotine (6.27 L·g −1 ) being 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than those for co-existing impurities, yielding selectivity coefficients (α) of 62.6–174.9. Additionally, after five consecutive adsorption-desorption cycles, the extraction efficiency showed a slight decrease from 93.5% to 90.0%, demonstrating excellent reusability. Notably, rapid nicotine desorption was achieved at 40°C within 15 min. This strategy streamlines the nicotine extraction process while providing a promising pathway for advancing green chemistry techniques in the tobacco industry and related fields.