Exploring supported ionic liquids for IgY antibody purification

BACKGROUND Immunoglobulin Y (IgY), a scalable alternative to mammalian antibodies, typically found in hen's egg yolk, has gained attraction in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. However, its purification from egg yolk remains challenging due to the complex matrix and limitations of conventional techniques. Supported Ionic Liquids (SILs), formed by covalently immobilizing Ionic Liquids (ILs) onto solid supports, offer a sustainable and tunable platform for IgY purification. Therefore, this study evaluates the potential of SILs as effective and selective adsorbent materials towards IgY, allowing its purification from the Water‐Soluble Protein Fraction (WSPF) derived from hen's egg yolk. RESULTS Three SILs, namely [Ssi][C 3 mim]Cl, [Ssi][N 3444 ]Cl, and [Ssi][N 3888 ]Cl, were synthesized in a single‐step process and characterized by elemental analysis, Zeta Potential measurements, Solid‐state Carbon‐13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance ( 13 C NMR), Spectroscopy and Total Reflectance‐Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR). Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the pH, Solid: Liquid (S:L) ratio, and contact time for the separation of IgY from the WSPF. Optimal conditions enable up to 90 and 20% IgY purity and recovery yield with [Ssi][C 3 mim]Cl. Alongside the achieved high purity, this approach demonstrated reduced solvent usage and operational simplicity. CONCLUSION SILs represent a promising strategy for sustainable purification of IgY antibodies. Their high tunable surface chemistry, and environmentally friendly synthesis align current demands for greener and more efficient downstream processes. To this end, this work advances the development of next generation bioseparation technologies with potential industrial applicability.