Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents in Extraction Applications
Summary
Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (HDESs) represent a bespoke class of designer liquids that combine low toxicity, biodegradability and tunable physicochemical properties with water immiscibility. By pairing hydrogen bond donors and acceptors drawn from natural or synthetic components, researchers can tailor melting point, viscosity and polarity to suit specific separations. HDESs have emerged as sustainable alternatives to conventional organic solvents in liquid–liquid extraction, enabling efficient recovery of non-polar pollutants, metal ions, bioactive compounds and fermentation products. Their adjustable hydrogen‐bond network confers selective affinity for target solutes, while their recyclability and low vapour pressure support green process intensification. Recent work has focused on elucidating structure–performance relationships, optimising extraction parameters and assessing environmental stability to advance large-scale and industrial applications.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent studies have demonstrated the remarkable extraction performance of a novel fatty-acid-based HDES for phenol removal. By combining medium-chain acids at an optimised molar ratio, the solvent achieves high distribution coefficients and separation factors across a range of temperatures, with thermodynamic modelling confirming predictive accuracy. Complementary molecular dynamics simulations of menthol–fatty acid eutectic mixtures have provided atomistic insight into hydrogen‐bonding networks, radial distribution functions and diffusion coefficients. These findings reveal how intermolecular interactions govern viscosity and mass transport, furnishing design principles for next-generation HDES tailored to specific extraction targets.
Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents in Extraction Applications publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents in extraction applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Deep eutectic solvent (DES): A eutectic mixture of hydrogen bond donors and acceptors that melts at a temperature lower than its individual constituents, forming a homogeneous liquid.
Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent (HDES): A DES composed of low-polarity components that is immiscible with water, designed to extract non-polar or weakly polar solutes.
Hydrogen bond donor (HBD): A molecule that supplies a hydrogen atom capable of forming hydrogen bonds within a DES.
Hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA): A molecule that accepts hydrogen bonds, stabilising eutectic interactions in a DES.
Liquid–liquid extraction (LLE): A separation process in which solutes partition between two immiscible liquid phases based on relative solubilities.
References
- Hydrophobic (deep) eutectic solvents (HDESs) as extractants for removal of pollutants from water and wastewater – A review. Chemical Engineering Journal (2023).
- Potential of microalgae biomass as carotenoids source using natural deep eutectic solvents. Future Foods (2024).
- Application of Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents in Extraction of Metals from Real Solutions Obtained by Leaching Cathodes from End-of-Life Li-Ion Batteries. Processes (2022).
- Green Extraction of Volatile Fatty Acids from Fermented Wastewater Using Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents. Fermentation (2021).
- A green hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent for extraction of phenol from aqueous phase. Scientific Reports (2023).
- Structural and dynamic properties of eutectic mixtures based on menthol and fatty acids derived from coconut oil: a MD simulation study. Scientific Reports (2022).
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