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

ABSTRACT

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.