The dissolution and hydrolysis of wet fibre sludge in ionic liquids (ILs) with different reaction conditions are performed in this study. Novel types of hydroxyalkylimidazolium hydrogensulphate ILs, [glymim]HSO4, [hemim]HSO4 and [hpmim]HSO4, are especially designed and aimed to combine the dissolution and hydrolysis of wet fibre sludge in a onestep pretreatment. The results were obtained based on the analysis of total reducing sugars (TRS) with the DNS method. The dissolution and hydrolysis of fresh wild horse chestnut fruit (Aesculus hippocastanum) with the same ILs were also carried out as a comparison reference. Since fibre sludge is cellulose based and horse chestnut fruit is starch based, a direct comparison of the difference in functions between these ILs in one-step dissolution and hydrolysis were analysed based on the results. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.