Deep Eutectic Solvents in Green Extraction Technologies
Summary
Deep eutectic solvents are designer liquids formed by mixing two or more components, typically a hydrogen bond donor and a hydrogen bond acceptor, to yield a eutectic mixture with a melting point far below that of its individual constituents. Their low volatility, biodegradability and ease of preparation make them ideal replacements for conventional organic solvents in extraction processes. In green extraction applications, deep eutectic solvents enhance the solubility and selectivity for a broad spectrum of bioactive compounds—from carotenoids and phenolics to alkaloids and essential oils—while minimising environmental impact. They can be tailored to hydrophilic or hydrophobic targets and integrated into various process schemes, including direct solid–liquid extraction, aqueous two-phase systems and molecularly imprinted polymer platforms. Optimisation strategies, such as response surface methodology and computational modelling, further refine operating parameters for maximum yield and purity. Collectively, these advances are driving sustainable practices in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and environmental industries, underscoring the global significance of deep eutectic solvents as green extraction media.
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Recent work on hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvents based on terpenes and fatty acids has demonstrated efficient extraction of lycopene from tomato matrices. By adjusting molar ratios of menthol, thymol, decanoic and dodecanoic acid and applying response surface methodology, researchers achieved extraction capacities comparable to acetone, with the added benefits of biodegradability and low toxicity. In microalgal biomass processing, choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvents mixed with water were shown to solubilise carotenoids and phenolics from Chlorella vulgaris. Systematic screening and optimisation of solvent-to-biomass ratio, temperature and time enabled enhanced antioxidant recoveries, highlighting the versatility of eutectic mixtures in algal biorefineries. Furthermore, aqueous two-phase systems incorporating ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents have emerged as selective platforms for recovery of non-protein bioactives. Recent reviews outline how molecular modelling guides phase formation, and how tuning polymer–salt–eutectic compositions improves partitioning of flavonoids and other nutraceuticals, paving the way for scalable purification schemes.
Deep Eutectic Solvents in Green Extraction Technologies publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in deep eutectic solvents in green extraction technologies across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Deep eutectic solvent (DES): A low-melting mixture of two or more components that interact via hydrogen bonding to form a eutectic system with a melting point lower than that of each individual component.
Hydrogen bond donor (HBD): A molecule that provides hydrogen atoms capable of forming hydrogen bonds within a deep eutectic solvent, influencing solvent polarity and solvation properties.
Hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA): A species, often a quaternary ammonium salt or amine, that accepts hydrogen bonds in a eutectic mixture, contributing to the depression of the melting point.
Natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES): A subclass of DES formed from naturally occurring compounds, such as sugars, amino acids or organic acids, with enhanced biocompatibility for food and pharmaceutical applications.
Aqueous two-phase system (ATPS): A liquid–liquid extraction method in which two immiscible aqueous phases are formed—often by combining polymers or salts with DES or ionic liquids—to selectively partition target compounds.
Response surface methodology (RSM): A statistical and mathematical technique used to model and optimise processes by evaluating the relationships between multiple experimental variables and response outcomes.
References
- Extraction of Lycopene from Tomato Using Hydrophobic Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents Based on Terpenes and Fatty Acids. Foods (2022).
- Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from C. vulgaris Biomass Using Deep Eutectic Solvents. Molecules (2023).
- Aqueous Two-Phase Systems Based on Ionic Liquids and Deep Eutectic Solvents as a Tool for the Recovery of Non-Protein Bioactive Compounds—A Review. Processes (2022).
- Involvement of Deep Eutectic Solvents in Extraction by Molecularly Imprinted Polymers—A Minireview. Crystals (2020).
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