molecules-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Advances in Green Solvents for Analytical Chemistry: Deep Eutectic Solvents and Biosolvents

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Analytical Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 2312

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Cnr-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Instituto per i Sistemi Biologici (ISB), Rome, Italy
Interests: HPLC; nano-LC; capillary electrophoresis; electrochromatography; mass spectrometry; micro extraction; sample preparation; chiral separations; food analysis; pharmaceutical analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: eco-friendly synthesis of new sorbent materials and neoteric solvents for green sample preparation; development of sustainable sample preparation techniques; liquid chromatography; mass spectrometry; organic micronutrient profiling of foods and biological fluids; analysis of emerging contaminants in foodstuffs; environmental and biological samples
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Considering the pivotal importance of solvents in the development of analytical methods, as well as the need for sustainability in the future development of Chemistry, we are pleased to present this new Special Issue focused on green solvents for Analytical Chemistry. In recent decades, since Abbott described deep eutectic solvents (DESs) in 2003, the research on eutectic solvents and their application for analytical purposes has led to significant improvements in greening analytical procedures, as evidenced by the growing number of publications in this field. Due to the higher than usual viscosity and peculiar physico-chemical properties of eutectic solvents, their application in several fields, including the analytical one, still represents a challenge. In many cases, these difficulties have been overcome through the development of miniaturized extraction techniques. However, on the one hand, the negligible vapor pressure of eutectic mixtures is among the reasons for their green character, and on the other hand, it represents the main limitation to their use in the analytical field when there is a need to concentrate the extract or modify the solvent for better compatibility with the detection system. In such cases, a better solution seems to be the choice of a non-conventional solvent alternative to the traditional petroleum-derived solvents. Among these, biosolvents, such as naturally derived esters, are emerging solutions that are still scarcely explored in the literature.

This Special Issue addresses any eutectic liquid of analytical interest (DES, LTTM, (D)ES, NADES, etc.) and any solvent in compliance with Green Analytical Chemistry principles, collecting the latest advances in this topic and original applications in the analytical field: alternative solvents for green sample preparation in extraction procedure, as well as their use as mobile phase additives/modifiers in chromatography.

We warmly invite our colleagues to submit their original contributions—be it research manuscripts, short communications, or reviews—to this Special Issue. We believe that a comprehensive collection of the latest knowledge in this field will foster new connections among researchers and inspire innovative ideas for the sustainable development of Analytical Chemistry.

Dr. Giovanni D'Orazio
Dr. Chiara Dal Bosco
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • eutectic Solvents
  • biosolvents
  • green chemistry
  • microextraction techniques
  • environmentally friendly methods
  • green sample preparation
  • chromatography modifiers
  • sample preparation

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 2811 KiB  
Article
Extraction and Analysis of Phenolic Compounds from Rocket: Development of a Green and Innovative DES-Based Extraction Method
by Vittoria Terrigno, Susanna Della Posta, Giorgia Pietrangeli, Teodora Chiara Tonto, Vittoria Locato, Laura De Gara and Chiara Fanali
Molecules 2025, 30(5), 1177; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30051177 - 6 Mar 2025
Viewed by 344
Abstract
Eruca sativa Mill. is an annual plant belonging to the Cruciferous family that is characterized by the presence of antioxidant bioactive molecules such as phenolic compounds. Their extraction is usually performed through solid–liquid extraction based on the use of organic solvent. Deep eutectic [...] Read more.
Eruca sativa Mill. is an annual plant belonging to the Cruciferous family that is characterized by the presence of antioxidant bioactive molecules such as phenolic compounds. Their extraction is usually performed through solid–liquid extraction based on the use of organic solvent. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are new green solvents capable of increasing bioactive molecules yield if replaced with organic solvents. The aim of this work was to develop a green analytical method based on the use of DESs for the determination of phenolic compounds in rocket plants. The extraction optimization involved the selection of the best extraction solvent among different selected DESs and the study of the parameters that mainly affect the extraction yield: the quantity of water to add to the selected DES to reduce its viscosity, the matrix-to-solvent ratio, and the time and temperature of the extraction. ChCl-glucose (1:2 molar ratio) DES was selected as the extraction solvent under the following optimized conditions: 1:50 (w/v) as the matrix-to-solvent ratio; 30% of water was added to the DES; extraction time of 30 min; and extraction temperature of 50 °C. The rocket phenolic compounds profile was determined through a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analysis. The innovative green method was applied to real plant samples to determine the growth conditions that favored the accumulation of bioactive molecules. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

20 pages, 4655 KiB  
Article
Formulation of Ready-to-Use Broccoli Extracts Rich in Polyphenols and Glucosinolates Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents
by Ivona Karaula, Emma Vasung, Anja Damjanović, Manuela Panić, Mia Radović, Kristina Radošević, Martina Bagović Kolić, Marina Cvjetko Bubalo and Ivana Radojčić Redovniković
Molecules 2024, 29(23), 5794; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29235794 - 7 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1572
Abstract
Broccoli is rich in biologically active compounds, especially polyphenols and glucosinolates, known for their health benefits. Traditional extraction methods have limitations, leading to a shift towards using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) to create high-quality extracts with enhanced biological activity. This study focuses [...] Read more.
Broccoli is rich in biologically active compounds, especially polyphenols and glucosinolates, known for their health benefits. Traditional extraction methods have limitations, leading to a shift towards using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) to create high-quality extracts with enhanced biological activity. This study focuses on preparing broccoli extracts in NADES, enriched with polyphenols and glucosinolates, without additional purification steps. Using the COSMOtherm software, the solubility of polyphenols and glucosinolates in NADESs was predicted, and five biocompatible betaine-based NADESs were prepared with glucose (B:Glc1:1 and B:Glc5:2), sucrose (B:Suc), glycerol (B:Gly), and malic acid (B:MA) as hydrogen bond donors. The resulting extracts were assessed for total polyphenol and glucosinolate content, along with antioxidant capacity, using the ORAC assay. The results demonstrated that NADES extracts contained higher polyphenol content and exhibited enhanced antioxidant effects compared to the reference ethanol extract, with B:Glc1:1 extract showing the highest performance among all the extracts tested. On the other hand, the extract based on B:MA exhibited nearly six times higher total glucosinolate content compared to the ethanol extract. Additionally, polyphenols and glucosinolates were generally more stable in NADES extracts than in the reference solvent. Finally, the B:Glc1:1 extract, identified as optimal in terms of polyphenol and glucosinolate content and stability, exhibited mild stimulation of HaCaT cells growth and facilitated the wound-healing process. Through green chemistry parameter calculations, we demonstrated that the extraction of broccoli bioactives using B:Glc1:1 can be considered sustainable, underscoring the potential of NADESs for producing ready-to-use plant extracts. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop