2.2 DES formation
ChCl and DHBA were first mixed at molar ratios of 3:2, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, and 2:3 at 110 °C to determine the optimal composition of binary DES prior to the formation of two types of ternary DESs (Figure S1 ). Among the five tested molar ratios, 3:2 and 2:1 resulted in a clear and homogeneous liquid. Two solvents, distilled water and ethylene glycol, were added as the third constituent in the DES system with a 3:2:5 molar ratio of ChCl, DHBA, and the solvent component. The molar ratio of the third constituent was chosen based on the previous study.28 The DES solvent formation temperature and time were 90–120 °C for 0.5 – 3 h in a 150 ml Pyrex bottle.