Deep eutectic solvents as green media for efficient extraction of terpene trilactones from Ginkgo biloba leaves

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs)-based ultrasonic extraction of terpene trilactones (TTLs) from Ginkgo biloba leaves was efficiently developed. Sixteen DESs were prepared, and DESs composed of choline chloride-urea (ChCl-U) and betaine-ethylene glycol (BE-EG) gave higher TTL extraction yields than the present, most efficient solvent 70% ethanol. The extraction conditions were further optimized, and the optimum conditions were as follows: taking BE-EG containing 40% (w/w) water as the extraction solvent, 1:10 of G. biloba leaves powder-to-solvent ratio, and ultrasonic treatment at 45°C and 100?W for 20?min. A total extraction yield of 1.94?±?0.03?mg/g was obtained under the optimum conditions, which indicated that 99.37% of TTLs could be extracted from the G. biloba leaves powder by a single extraction. Moreover, the polyamide resin was used to recover the TTLs in DES extracting solution, and recovery yield of 95.1% was attained. Therefore, BE-EG containing 40% (w/w) water was a potential alternative solvent for TTLs extraction from G. biloba leaves.     

Evaluation of alternative solvents for improvement of oil extraction from rapeseeds

This present study was designed to evaluate the performances of five alternative solvents (alcohols: ethanol, isopropanol and terpenes: d-limonene, α-pinene, p-cymene) compared to n-hexane in rapeseed oil extraction. The extracted oils were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed to compare the solvents’ performances in terms of kinetics, fatty acid compositions, lipid yields, and classes. Moreover, micronutrients in extracted oils were also respectively quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC). In addition, the interactions between alternative solvents and rapeseed oil have been theoretically studied with the Hansen solubility methodology to get a better comprehension of dissolving mechanisms. The results indicated that p-cymene could be the most promising solvent for n-hexane substitution with higher lipid yield and good selectivity, despite the micronutrient contents were relatively low.     

Water as a green solvent combined with different techniques for extraction of essential oil from lavender flowers

Using water as a green solvent with a variable geometry makes use of physical and chemical phenomena that are fundamentally different from those applied in conventional extraction techniques such as hydro-distillation, steam distillation or solvent extraction. Advantages and drawbacks of using water as a solvent with different physical and chemical states have been compared. A total of ten extraction techniques: hydro-distillation (HD), steam distillation (SD), turbo-hydro-distillation (THD), salt-hydro-distillation (NaCL-HD), enzyme-hydro-distillation (Enzyme-HD), micelle-hydro-distillation (Micelle-HD), ultrasound-hydro-distillation (US-HD) or subcritical water-hydro-distillation (SW-HD), solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME) and microwave steam distillation (MSD) were used to extract the essential oil from lavender (Lavandula L.) and their results were compared. The quantity was measured by the yield of essential oil and the quality was evaluated using the oil composition especially the content of linalyl acetate, linalool and terpin-4-ol compared with the corresponding control sample: Hydro-distillation. For environmentally friendly of the process: extraction time, total energy consumption and CO₂ emission were considered and compared with conventional hydro-distillation. The mechanism explaining the linalyl acetate degradation has been resolved by using COSMO-RS software. Based on the present experimental conditions, it is recommended that lavender oil may be produced preferably by steam distillation assisted by microwave extraction to reduce the by-product formation by various chemical reactions and to get better oil recoveries.     

Deep eutectic solvents and their applications as green solvents

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Application of deep eutectic solvents for the extraction of phenolic compounds from extra-virgin olive oil

A HPLC–DAD/ESI–MS method has been developed and validated for the analysis of the most representative phenolic compounds in extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) samples using a green extraction approach based on deep eutectic solvents (DESs) at room temperature. We examined ten DESs based on choline chloride and betaine in combination with different hydrogen bond donors comprising six alcohols, two organic acids, and one urea. Five phenolic compounds, belonging to the classes of secoiridoids and phenolic alcohols, were selected for the evaluation of extraction efficiency. A betaine-based DES with glycerol (molar ratio 1:2) was found to be the most effective for extracting phenolic compounds as compared to a conventional solvent. The optimization of the extraction method involved the study of the quantity of water to be added to the DES and evaluation of the sample-to-solvent ratio optimal condition. Thirty percent of water added to DES and sample to solvent ratio 1:1 (w/v) were selected as the best conditions. The chromatographic method was validated by studying LOD, LOQ, intraday and interday retention time precision, and linearity range. Recovery values obtained spiking seed oil sample aliquots with standard compounds at 5 and 100 μg/g concentration were in the range between 75.2% and 98.7%.     

Ionic liquids as catalytic green solvents for cracking reactions

We demonstrate the use of room-temperature ionic liquids as catalysts and solvents for the cracking reaction of alkoxypropanes, eliminating the need for a volatile organic solvent and hazardous catalyst disposal.     

Performance and selectivity of organic solvents in extraction of caprolactam from lactam oil

The extraction of lactam from lactam oil with benzene, toluene, cyclohexane, and cyclohexane-benzene and cyclohexane-cyclohexanol mixtures, followed by its backwashing with water, was studied. The distribution ratios of caprolactam and main characteristics of the resulting aqueous lactam (permanganate number, content of volatile bases) were determined.     

Organic solar cells processed from green solvents

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Natural deep eutectic solvents as new potential media for green technology

Developing new green solvents is one of the key subjects in Green Chemistry. Ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents, thus, have been paid great attention to replace current harsh organic solvents and have been applied to many chemical processing such as extraction and synthesis. However, current ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents have still limitations to be applied to a real chemical industry due to toxicity against human and environment and high cost of ILs and solid state of most deep eutectic solvents at room temperature. Recently we discovered that many plant abundant primary metabolites changed their state from solid to liquid when they were mixed in proper ratio. This finding made us hypothesize that natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) play a role as alternative media to water in living organisms and tested a wide range of natural products, which resulted in discovery of over 100 NADES from nature. In order to prove deep eutectic feature the interaction between the molecules was investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. All the tested NADES show clear hydrogen bonding between components. As next step physical properties of NADES such as water activity, density, viscosity, polarity and thermal properties were measured as well as the effect of water on the physical properties. In the last stage the novel NADES were applied to the solubilization of wide range of biomolecules such as non-water soluble bioactive natural products, gluten, starch, and DNA. In most cases the solubility of the biomolecules evaluated in this study was greatly higher than water. Based on the results the novel NADES may be expected as potential green solvents at room temperature in diverse fields of chemistry.     

Evaluation of green and efficient deep eutectic solvents as media for extracting alkaloids from lotus leaf

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were applied as eco-friendly solvents in this study for the extraction of alkaloids from lotus leaf, including O-nornuciferine, N-nornuciferine, nuciferine and roemerine. A series of hydrophilic and hydrophobic DESs with different hydrogen bond donors and a acceptors were synthesized and screened for a suitable DESs for extraction of alkaloids from lotus leaf. The study results showed that the hydrophilic DES with choline chloride and propanediol had the highest extraction yield. The main factors affecting the extraction efficiency—choline chloride–propanediol ratio, water content in deep eutectic solvents, solid–liquid ratio and extraction time—were investigated via a single-factor experiment. The optimized extraction conditions were 30% of water in choline chloride–propanediol (1:4) for heated extraction for 30 min and solid–liquid ratio 1:100 g/ml. Under optimum conditions, the extraction yields of O-nornuciferine, N-nornuciferine, nuciferine and roemerine were 0.069, 0.152, 0.334 and 0.041 g/100 g respectively, which were higher than those of methanol in acidified aqueous solution. This study suggests considerable potential for DESs as promising materials for the green and efficient extraction solvents for bioactive alkaloids from natural sources.     

A surprising method for green extraction of essential oil from dry spices: Microwave dry-diffusion and gravity

Without adding any solvent or water, we proposed a novel and green approach for the extraction of secondary metabolites from dried plant materials. This "solvent, water and vapor free" approach based on a simple principle involves the application of microwave irradiation and earth gravity to extract the essential oil from dried caraway seeds. Microwave dry-diffusion and gravity (MDG) has been compared with a conventional technique, hydrodistillation (HD), for the extraction of essential oil from dried caraway seeds. Essential oils isolated by MDG were quantitatively (yield) and qualitatively (aromatic profile) similar to those obtained by HD, but MDG was better than HD in terms of rapidity (45min versus 300min), energy saving, and cleanliness. The present apparatus permits fast and efficient extraction, reduces waste, avoids water and solvent consumption, and allows substantial energy savings.     

Gas chromatographic screening of cyclic alcohols as selective solvents for cyclohexane extraction

Summary Gas chromatography has been employed for screening cyclic alkanols as selective solvents for the extraction of cyclohexane from an aromatic-free cyclohexane-rich fraction (77–81°C). The relative volatilities for close boiling hydrocarbons in all three cyclic alcohol solvents have been compared. Activity coefficient data at infinite dilution for nine binary hydrocarbon systems at 25°C have also been presented.     

Some aspects of green solvents

Chemical solvents constitute around 80% of the total volume of chemicals used in many important chemical processes, especially fine chemical manufacturing. Unfortunately, these solvents are often volatile organic compounds from petroleum resource bearing several health and environmental risks. Numerous researchers take these two aspects as a reason to search for novel green solvents to replace the conventional ones. As a consequence, there are an increasing number of publications dealing with green solvents. In this review, we discuss the definition and accuracy of the term “green solvent”. We explain our urgent request for application-oriented research in this field. Finally, we point out some promising and interesting kinds of solvents, solvent systems and solubilization concepts for a successful research towards “greener solvents”.     

Ethanol extraction from its azeotropic mixture with hexane employing different ionic liquids as solvents

In this work, the ionic liquids 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, [EMim][NTf₂], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, [BMim][NTf₂], 1-butyl-3-methylpyridinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, [BMpy][NTf₂], 1-butyl-3-methylpyridinium trifluoromethanesulfonate, [BMpy][TfO], have been investigated for their use as solvents in extraction processes for the ethanol removal from its azeotropic mixture with hexane. Therefore, the experimental determination of the liquid + liquid equilibrium for the ternary systems {hexane (1) + ethanol (2) + [EMim][NTf₂] (3)}, {hexane (1) + ethanol (2) + [BMim][NTf₂] (3)}, {hexane (1) + ethanol (2) + [BMpy][NTf₂] (3)} and {hexane (1) + ethanol (2) + [BMpy][TfO] (3)} was carried out at T = 298.15 K and atmospheric pressure. Classical parameters such as selectivity and solute distribution ratio, derived from the tie-line data, were calculated and afterwards, the structural influence of the ionic liquids on the extraction process was analyzed. Finally, the experimental LLE data were correlated by means of the NRTL and UNIQUAC models.     

Supercritical fluids:Clean solvents for green chemistry

Supercritical fluids are becoming increasingly attractive as environmentally acceptable replacement for organic solvents in chemical reactions and material processing. This paper highlights some of the properties of supercritical fluids, especially supercritical CO2, which offer particular advantages for the handling of polymers, metal complexes and the environmentally more friendly synthesis and manufacture of chemicals. The paper includes some of the researches in University of Nottingham and a number of recent reviews which together provide a comprehensive introduction.     

基于离子液的超声辅助萃取小蓼叶中的精油及真实溶剂似导体屏蔽模型研究（英文）

Ionic liquids (ILs) based ultrasonic-assisted extract has been applied for the extraction of essential oil from Persicaria minor leaves. The effects of temperature, sonication time, and particle size of the plant material on the yield of essential oil were investigated. Among the different ILs employed, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate was the most effective, providing a 9.55% yield of the essential oil under optimum conditions (70 ℃, 25 min, IL:hexane ratio of 7:10 (v/v), particle size 60-80 mesh). The performance of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate in the extraction was attributed to its low viscosity and ability to disintegrate the structural matrix of the plant material. The ability of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate was also confirmed using the conductor like-screening model for realistic solvents. This research proves that ILs can be used to extract essential oils from lignocellulosic biomass.     

Magnetic ionic liquids as non-conventional extraction solvents for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

This work describes the applicability of magnetic ionic liquids (MILs) in the analytical determination of a group of heavy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Three different MILs, namely, benzyltrioctylammonium bromotrichloroferrate (III) (MIL A), methoxybenzyltrioctylammonium bromotrichloroferrate (III) (MIL B), and 1,12-di(3-benzylbenzimidazolium) dodecane bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl)]imide bromotrichloroferrate (III) (MIL C), were designed to exhibit hydrophobic properties, and their performance examined in a microextraction method for hydrophobic analytes. The magnet-assisted approach with these MILs was performed in combination with high performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection. The study of the extraction performance showed that MIL A was the most suitable solvent for the extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and under optimum conditions the fast extraction step required ∼20 μL of MIL A for 10 mL of aqueous sample, 24 mmol L⁻¹ NaOH, high ionic strength content of NaCl (25% (w/v)), 500 μL of acetone as dispersive solvent, and 5 min of vortex. The desorption step required the aid of an external magnetic field with a strong NdFeB magnet (the separation requires few seconds), two back-extraction steps for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons retained in the MIL droplet with n-hexane, evaporation and reconstitution with acetonitrile. The overall method presented limits of detection down to 5 ng L⁻¹, relative recoveries ranging from 91.5 to 119%, and inter-day reproducibility values (expressed as relative standard derivation) lower than 16.4% for a spiked level of 0.4 μg L⁻¹ (n = 9). The method was also applied for the analysis of real samples, including tap water, wastewater, and tea infusion.     

Comparison of microwave-assisted extraction of triazines from soils using water and organic solvents as the extractants

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) for the separation of atrazine, simazine and prometryne from synthetic soil samples, using water and some organic solvents as the extractants, was studied in detail. The effects of the soil matrix, the soil moisture and the pH of the aqueous extraction system on the MAE efficiency were also studied. It was found that the three triazines could be efficiently extracted under the conditions of 100% magnetron power output (600 W), the first grade of pressure (from 0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa), 30 ml solvent and 4 min microwave heating with water or organic solvents, except for prometryne with dichloromethane solvent for 1-4 g sandy loam sample. This interesting result was explained by triazines' solubility in water, their sorption properties in soils and the ability of the solvent to absorb microwave energy. Finally, evaluation of the extraction efficiency, as well as the treatment and determination of MAE extracts, suggested that water, as a cheap, safe and environmentally friendly solvent, can be a good alternative to organic solvents, used as the extractants for MAE of triazines from soils.     

Synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyridine esters using low-melting sugar mixtures as green solvents

Several low-melting sugar mixtures (LMMs) were synthesized and used for preparation of 1,4-dihydropyridines with aldehydes, 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, and a nitrogen source as starting materials. Good yields, low reaction times, recyclability of LMMs, and catalyst-free methodology are some of the highlights of this new protocol.