Optimization and stabilization of the antioxidant properties from Alkanet (Alkanna tinctoria) with natural deep eutectic solvents

Natural Deep eutectic solvents (NaDESs) are promising green solvents for the extraction of phytochemical compounds with antioxidant properties. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the behavior of the antioxidant properties of Alkanet (Alkanna tinctoria) root in hydrophilic NaDESs. For this purpose, two NaDESs constituted of sodium acetate:lactic acid (SALA₁₂) and sodium acetate:formic acid (SAFA₁₂) were synthesized to evaluate the antioxidant properties of Alkanet. 70% ethanol, 80% methanol and water were used as conventional solvents for comparison. SALA₁₂ and SAFA₁₂ were characterized considering their viscosities and FITR spectra. The extracts obtained with SALA₁₂ and SAFA₁₂ presented the best results when compared to the conventional solvents. The NaDES presented the highest extraction performance was SAFA₁₂. This prominent NaDES was subjected to the response surface methodology using a Box-Behnken design to figure out the optimum conditions to have the maximum antioxidant activity of Alkanet root. For total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and DPPH radical scavenging, the optimum conditions were 1:4 molar ratio, 45% water content and 25% mL solvent ratio. The confirmed responses at the optimum conditions were 390.16 mg GAE/g, 10.69 mg ECE/g and 444.68 mmol TE/g, respectively. NaDES molar ratio and water content were found to impact most significantly the antioxidant properties Alkanet. The thermal stability experimentation revealed that phytochemicals along with the antioxidant properties of Alkanet were more stable in NaDES. These findings revealed that novel NaDES is an efficient green solvent for the extraction of bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties from plants.     

Biomass Valorization Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents: What’s New in France?

With the growing interest in more environmentally friendly solvents and processes, the introduction of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NaDES) as low cost, non-toxic and biodegradable solvents represent a new opportunity for green and sustainable chemistry. Thanks to their remarkable advantages, NaDES are now arousing growing interest in many fields of research such as food, health, cosmetics and biofuels. Around the world, NaDES are seen as a promising alternative to commonly used petrochemical solvents. The objective of this review is to draw up a panorama of the existing skills on NaDES in French laboratories and industries for the valuation of natural products. This review therefore focuses on current applications, skills and perspectives, in order to analyze the place of French research in the use of NaDES for the valorization of biomass since 2015.     

Wheat straw lignin extraction with bio-based solvents using enabling technologies

Two bio-based solvents, natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDESs) and γ-valerolactone (GVL), have been used under microwave (MW), and ultrasound (US) irradiation to design an efficient and sustainable process for wheat straw delignification and have been compared with the traditional alkali procedure. Best delignification (45%) was achieved with a three-component NaDES (lactic acid/glycerol/choline chloride) under MW irradiation (at 120 °C in 30 min), with solid/liquid ratio of 1:50. A GVL/water mixture (8:2) also gave an efficient delignification (27%) under US irradiation (40 kHz, 200 W) at 50 °C for 60 min. Analytical pyrolysis (Py) coupled with GC/MS/FID, provides valuable information on the extracts’ chemical profile. DPPH and Folin–Ciocalteu tests highlighted the efficiency of MW- and US-assisted extraction as well as the extracts quality. The highest antioxidant activity for the NaDES extracts was obtained under US irradiation.     

Click Mechanochemistry: Quantitative Synthesis of “Ready to Use” Chiral Organocatalysts by Efficient Two‐Fold Thiourea Coupling to Vicinal Diamines

Mechanochemical methods of neat grinding and liquid‐assisted grinding have been applied to the synthesis of mono‐ and bis(thiourea)s by using the click coupling of aromatic and aliphatic diamines with aromatic isothiocyanates. The ability to modify the reaction conditions allowed the optimization of each reaction, leading to the quantitative formation of chiral bis(thiourea)s with known uses as organocatalysts or anion sensors. Quantitative reaction yields, combined with the fact that mechanochemical reaction conditions avoid the use of bulk solvents, enabled solution‐based purification methods (such as chromatography or recrystallization) to be completely avoided. Importantly, by using selected model reactions, we also show that the described mechanochemical reaction procedures can be readily scaled up to at least the one‐gram scale. In that way, mechanochemical synthesis provides a facile method to fully transform valuable enantiomerically pure reagents into useful products that can immediately be applied in their designed purpose. This was demonstrated by using some of the mechanochemically prepared reagents as organocatalysts in a model Morita–Baylis–Hillman reaction and as cyanide ion sensors in organic solvents. The use of electronically and sterically hindered ortho‐phenylenediamine revealed that mechanochemical reaction conditions can be readily optimized to form either the 1:1 or the 1:2 click‐coupling product, demonstrating that reaction stoichiometry can be more efficiently controlled under these conditions than in solution‐based syntheses. In this way, it was shown that excellent stoichiometric control by mechanochemistry, previously established for mechanochemical syntheses of cocrystals and coordination polymers, can also be achieved in the context of covalent‐bond formation.     

Click mechanochemistry: quantitative synthesis of "ready to use" chiral organocatalysts by efficient two-fold thiourea coupling to vicinal diamines

Mechanochemical methods of neat grinding and liquid-assisted grinding have been applied to the synthesis of mono- and bis(thiourea)s by using the click coupling of aromatic and aliphatic diamines with aromatic isothiocyanates. The ability to modify the reaction conditions allowed the optimization of each reaction, leading to the quantitative formation of chiral bis(thiourea)s with known uses as organocatalysts or anion sensors. Quantitative reaction yields, combined with the fact that mechanochemical reaction conditions avoid the use of bulk solvents, enabled solution-based purification methods (such as chromatography or recrystallization) to be completely avoided. Importantly, by using selected model reactions, we also show that the described mechanochemical reaction procedures can be readily scaled up to at least the one-gram scale. In that way, mechanochemical synthesis provides a facile method to fully transform valuable enantiomerically pure reagents into useful products that can immediately be applied in their designed purpose. This was demonstrated by using some of the mechanochemically prepared reagents as organocatalysts in a model Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction and as cyanide ion sensors in organic solvents. The use of electronically and sterically hindered ortho-phenylenediamine revealed that mechanochemical reaction conditions can be readily optimized to form either the 1:1 or the 1:2 click-coupling product, demonstrating that reaction stoichiometry can be more efficiently controlled under these conditions than in solution-based syntheses. In this way, it was shown that excellent stoichiometric control by mechanochemistry, previously established for mechanochemical syntheses of cocrystals and coordination polymers, can also be achieved in the context of covalent-bond formation.     

Lactic Acid-Based Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents to Extract Bioactives from Marine By-Products

Natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDES) were used to extract bioactive compounds from marine by-products: codfish bones, mussel meat, and tuna vitreous humor. NaDES were prepared using natural compounds, including lactic acid (Lac), fructose (Fru), and urea (Ur), and were characterized to define their physicochemical properties, including the viscosity, density, surface tension, and refractive index. FTIR and NMR analysis confirmed the presence of intermolecular hydrogen bonding in NaDES. The extracts obtained using these NaDES were characterized to define their composition. Results demonstrated that the extract’s composition differed highly, depending not only on the DES used, but also on the structure and composition of the raw material. Proteins and lipids were mainly present in extracts obtained from mussels, while ash content was highest in the extracts obtained from codfish bones. The biocompatibility of NaDES and the soluble fractions (SF) of the raw materials in NaDES was evaluated, and it was possible to conclude that the soluble ingredients obtained from the raw materials improved the biocompatibility of NaDES.     

Recent advances in mechanochemical C–H functionalization reactions

The mechanochemical synthesis has provided a greener alternative to solution-based approaches by eliminating the use of organic solvents and reducing the energy consumption. The C–H functionalization is among the most concise and economical synthetic strategies. The combination of the benefits from these two methods provides new opportunities to further increase the efficiency and sustainability of organic synthesis. In this digest, we aim to provide a brief overview of the recent advances in mechanochemical C–H functionalization reactions.     

Solvent-free synthesis of metal complexes

Avoiding the use of solvents in synthesis can reduce environmental contamination and even be more convenient than using solvent-based synthesis. In this tutorial review we focus on recent research into the use of mechanochemistry (grinding) to synthesise metal complexes in the absence of solvent. We include synthesis of mononuclear complexes, coordination clusters, spacious coordination cages, and 1-, 2- and 3-dimensional coordination polymers (metal organic frameworks) which can even exhibit microporosity. Remarkably, in many cases, mechanochemical synthesis is actually faster and more convenient than the original solvent-based methods. Examples of solvent-free methods other than grinding are also briefly discussed, and the positive outlook for this growing topic is emphasised.     

Effect of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents on trans-Resveratrol Photo-Chemical Induced Isomerization and 2,4,6-Trihydroxyphenanthrene Electro-Cyclic Formation

trans-Resveratrol is a natural bioactive compound with well-recognized health promoting effects. When exposed to UV light, this compound can undergo a photochemically induced trans/cis isomerization and a 6π electrochemical cyclization with the subsequent formation of 2,4,6-trihydroxyphenanthrene (THP). THP is a potentially harmful compound which can exert genotoxic effects. In this work we improved the chromatographic separation and determination of the two resveratrol isomers and of THP by using a non-commercial pentafluorophenyl stationary phase. We assessed the effect of natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDES) as possible photo-protective agents by evaluating cis-resveratrol isomer and THP formation under different UV-light exposure conditions with the aim of enhancing resveratrol photostability and inhibiting THP production. Our results demonstrate a marked photoprotective effect exerted by glycerol-containing NaDES, and in particular by proline/glycerol NaDES, which exerts a strong inhibitory effect on the photochemical isomerization of resveratrol and significantly limits the formation of the toxic derivative THP. Considering the presence of resveratrol in various commercial products, these results are of note in view of the potential genotoxic risk associated with its photochemical degradation products and in view of the need for the development of green, eco-sustainable and biocompatible resveratrol photo-stable formulations.     

机械化学法制备金属-有机骨架及其复合物研究进展

金属-有机骨架(MOFs)是由金属离子/簇和多齿状有机配体通过配位键桥联而形成的多孔晶态材料。MOFs材料具有孔隙率高、比表面积大、尺寸可调、结构易修饰、功能多样化等特点,使其在气体吸附、分离和催化等方面都具有潜在应用价值。到目前为止,在MOFs合成的几种常见方法中,机械化学法(即在无溶剂或极少量溶剂的情况下研磨固体反应物进行的反应)作为一种清洁、绿色、高效的合成手段逐渐引起人们的关注。本综述总结了近年来机械化学合成MOFs及其复合物的典型进展,目的是为机械化学法合成MOFs及其复合材料提供一个通用而易于理解的概述。目前的研究进展表明,机械化学法是一种实用且环境友好的合成方法,为低成本、宏量生产MOFs及其复合物提供了可能。     

Systematic studies on mechanochemical synthesis: Schiff bases from solid aromatic primary amines and aldehydes

A versatile and robust mechanochemical route to Aldehyde–Schiff base conversions has been established for a broad range of aldehydes via a simple cogrinding in mortar with a pestle under a solvent‐free, as well as solvent‐assisted, environment. The extent of amines reactivity under these conditions has also been explored, along with an examination of the possible connection between reactivity and electronic substituent effects. Results obtained demonstrated that the solvent‐free mechanochemical conversion of p‐toluidine and aromatic aldehydes to the corresponding Schiff bases proceeded more smoothly than the corresponding synthesis with 4‐aminobenzonitrile. The present approach not only provides good to excellent yields but also eliminates the disadvantages of the traditional synthesis of Schiff bases, such as the use of hazardous solvents, more or less demand of expensive catalysts, and looking for optimization on reaction conditions.     

Green Deep Eutectic Solvents for Microwave-Assisted Biomass Delignification and Valorisation

Aiming to fulfil the sustainability criteria of future biorefineries, a novel biomass pretreatment combining natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDESs) and microwave (MW) technology was developed. Results showed that NaDESs have a high potential as green solvents for lignin fractionation/recovery and sugar release in the following enzymatic hydrolysis. A new class of lignin derived NaDESs (LigDESs) was also investigated, showing promising effects in wheat straw delignification. MW irradiation enabled a fast pretreatment under mild condition (120 °C, 30 min). To better understand the interaction of MW with these green solvents, the dielectric properties of NaDESs were investigated. Furthermore, a NaDES using the lignin recovered from biomass pretreatment as hydrogen bond donor was prepared, thus paving the way for a “closed-loop” biorefinery process.     

Single-walled carbon nanotubes template the one-dimensional ordering of a polythiophene derivative

We have used a mechanochemical high-speed vibration milling (HSVM) technique to solubilize single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in organic solvents through the formation of complexes between the SWNTs and a polythiophene (PT) derivative. This HSVM approach is superior to the conventional sonication method used to solubilize SWNTs in organic solvents. Moreover, we found that in these supramolecular complexes the PT chains were ordered one-dimensionally on the SWNT surfaces in organic solvents. [structure: see text].     

Mechanochemistry in Portugal—A Step towards Sustainable Chemical Synthesis

In Portugal, publications with mechanochemical methods date back to 2009, with the report on mechanochemical strategies for the synthesis of metallopharmaceuticals. Since then, mechanochemical applications have grown in Portugal, spanning several fields, mainly crystal engineering and supramolecular chemistry, catalysis, and organic and inorganic chemistry. The area with the most increased development is the synthesis of multicomponent crystal forms, with several groups synthesizing solvates, salts, and cocrystals in which the main objective was to improve physical properties of the active pharmaceutical ingredients. Recently, non-crystalline materials, such as ionic liquids and amorphous solid dispersions, have also been studied using mechanochemical methods. An area that is in expansion is the use of mechanochemical synthesis of bioinspired metal-organic frameworks with an emphasis in antibiotic coordination frameworks. The use of mechanochemistry for catalysis and organic and inorganic synthesis has also grown due to the synthetic advantages, ease of synthesis, scalability, sustainability, and, in the majority of cases, the superior properties of the synthesized materials. It can be easily concluded that mechanochemistry is expanding in Portugal in diverse research areas.     

Toward a Greener World—Cyclodextrin Derivatization by Mechanochemistry

Cyclodextrin (CD) derivatives are a challenge, mainly due to solubility problems. In many cases, the synthesis of CD derivatives requires high-boiling solvents, whereas the product isolation from the aqueous methods often requires energy-intensive processes. Complex formation faces similar challenges in that it involves interacting materials with conflicting properties. However, many authors also refer to the formation of non-covalent bonds, such as the formation of inclusion complexes or metal–organic networks, as reactions or synthesis, which makes it difficult to classify the technical papers. In many cases, the solubility of both the starting material and the product in the same solvent differs significantly. The sweetest point of mechanochemistry is the reduced demand or complete elimination of solvents from the synthesis. The lack of solvents can make syntheses more economical and greener. The limited molecular movements in solid-state allow the preparation of CD derivatives, which are difficult to produce under solvent reaction conditions. A mechanochemical reaction generally has a higher reagent utilization rate. When the reaction yields a good guest co-product, solvent-free conditions can be slower than in solution conditions. Regioselective syntheses of per-6-amino and alkylthio-CD derivatives or insoluble cyclodextrin polymers and nanosponges are good examples of what a greener technology can offer through solvent-free reaction conditions. In the case of thiolated CD derivatives, the absence of solvents results in significant suppression of the thiol group oxidation, too. The insoluble polymer synthesis is also more efficient when using the same molar ratio of the reagents as the solution reaction. Solid reactants not only reduce the chance of hydrolysis of multifunctional reactants or side reactions, but the spatial proximity of macrocycles also reduces the length of the spacing formed by the crosslinker. The structure of insoluble polymers of the mechanochemical reactions generally is more compact, with fewer and shorter hydrophilic arms than the products of the solution reactions.     

Recent applications of mechanochemistry in enantioselective synthesis

In recent years, sustainable organocatalysis has become a relevant target in asymmetric organic synthesis. Among the most successful strategies to achieve “greener” organocatalyzed processes are (1) the elimination of solvent from reaction media, and (2) the use of alternative activation energies such as solvent-free mechanochemistry in high speed ball mills. In recent years we have stepped up efforts in the pursuit of organocatalysts and biocatalysts that allow reactions to take place in the absence of solvent and under mechanochemical activation. In this article we present the application of small dipeptides as chiral organocatalysts under solvent-free and high-speed ball milling conditions, with focus on the asymmetric aldol addition reaction. Finally, we report on recent results using supported enzymes for the resolution of racemic β-amino acids and amines, under mechanochemical conditions.     

Synthesis of amino acid derivative Schiff base copper(II) complexes by microwave and wet mechanochemical methods

As resource- and time-saving and environmentally friendly synthetic methods than conventional one in a solution, microwave, and wet mechanochemical synthesis are tested for l-amino acid derivative Schiff base copper(II) complexes. Herein, we systematically compared efficiency (low-temperature, time, and yield (if possible to detect)) for both conventional solution method and microwave or mechanochemical methods. The wet mechanochemical synthesis promoted fast reaction (typically 20 ​min by mechanochemical vs 4 ​h by conventional) by a little amount of solvent for preparations of amino acid derivative Schiff base copper(II) complexes. New crystal structure of a five-coordinated square pyramidal copper(II) complex as one of the products of microwave method was also reported.     

Application of Mechanochemical Catalysis to the Synthesis of Boric Acid Esters

The syntheses of triisopropyl borate and other boric acid esters under conditions of mechanochemical activation with the use of zeolite catalysts were found to be highly efficient. The proposed method exhibits the following advantages over known methods: short synthesis times, low energy consumption, higher yields of target products, and the absence of byproducts. The mechanism of the catalytic esterification of boric acid under conditions of mechanochemical activation is discussed.     

Determination of phthalate esters in soil using a quick,easy, cheap,effective, rugged,and safe method followed by GC–MS

A quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe procedure was designed to extract pesticide residues from fruits and vegetables with a high percentage of water. It has not been used extensively for the extraction of phthalate esters from sediments, soils, and sludges. In this work, this procedure was combined with gas chromatography with mass spectrometry to determine 16 selected phthalate esters in soil. The extraction efficiency of the samples was improved by ultrasonic extraction and dissolution of the soil samples in ultra‐pure water, which promoted the dispersion of the samples. Furthermore, we have simplified the extraction step and reduced the risk of organic solvent contamination by minimizing the use of organic solvents. Different extraction solvents and clean‐up adsorbents were compared to optimize the procedure. Dichloromethane/n‐hexane (1:1, v/v) and n‐hexane/acetone (1:1, v/v) were selected as the extractants from the six extraction solvents tested. C18/primary secondary amine (1:1, m/m) was selected as the sorbent from the five clean‐up adsorbents tested. The recoveries from the spiked soils ranged from 70.00 to 117.90% with relative standard deviation values of 0.67–4.62%. The proposed approach was satisfactorily applied for the determination of phthalate esters in 12 contaminated soil samples.     

The mechanochemical Friedel-Crafts polymerization as a solvent-free cross-linking approach toward microporous polymers

Herein we report the mechanochemical Friedel-Crafts alkylation of 1,3,5-triphenylbenzene (TPB) with two organochloride cross-linking agents, dichloromethane (DCM) and chloroform (CHCl₃), respectively. During a thorough milling parameter evaluation, the DCM-linked polymers were found to be flexible and extremely sensitive toward parameter changes, which even enables the synthesis of a polymer with a SSA_BET of 1670 m²/g, on par with the solution-based reference. Contrary, CHCl₃-linked polymers are exhibiting a rigid structure, with a high porosity that is widely unaffected by parameter changes. As a result, a polymer with a SSA_BET of 1280 m²/g could be generated in as little as 30 minutes, outperforming the reported literature analogue in terms of synthesis time and SSA_BET. To underline the environmental benefits of our fast and solvent-free synthesis approach, the green metrics are discussed, revealing an enhancement of the mass intensity, mass productivity and the E-factor, as well as of synthesis time and the work-up in comparison to the classical synthesis. Therefore, the mechanochemical polymerization is presented as a versatile tool, enabling the generation of highly porous polymers within short reaction times, with a minimal use of chlorinated cross-linker and with the possibility of a post polymerization modification.