Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jae Bok Heo, Yong-Suk Lee, Chung-Han Chung
Summary: This article discusses the importance of sustainable chemistry in the chemical manufacturing industry, focusing on the use of seagrass biomass as a favorable raw material for producing HMF. By exploiting beach-cast seagrasses on seagrass-prairies, HMF can be produced at zero cost, making seagrass biomass a promising biofeedstock source for sustainable HMF production.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Crystallography
Andromachi Tzani, Maria-Anna Karadendrou, Styliani Kalafateli, Vasiliki Kakokefalou, Anastasia Detsi
Summary: This review presents the latest scientific research on the synthesis, characterization, and applications of Biocompatible Ionic Liquids (Bio-ILs). Bio-ILs are a new class of ILs derived or synthesized from natural compounds, combined with the biocompatibility of molecules, and have tailor-made physicochemical properties, making them suitable for various scientific fields.
Review
Polymer Science
Nahir Dib, Cristian M. O. Lepori, N. Mariano Correa, Juana J. Silber, R. Dario Falcone, Luis Garcia-Rio
Summary: This review discusses the formation and application of biocompatible water-in-oil microemulsions known as reverse micelles (RMs), emphasizing the use of biocompatible non-polar solvents and ionic liquids to create organized systems aligned with Green Chemistry principles. The versatility and importance of RMs in drug delivery and food science are highlighted, with a focus on the modification of properties through changes in surfactant and external solvents. The study emphasizes the need for deep analysis to understand the diverse properties of these novel systems.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Devendra S. Wagare, Sagar E. Shirsath, Mujahed Shaikh, Prashant Netankar
Summary: Solvents make up about 80% of the chemicals used in chemical synthesis, with many of them being flammable or toxic. Sustainable solvents can be easily recovered and reused, and can support catalysts effectively.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
P. Irizar, A. Pintor-Rial, I. Martinez-Arkarazo, M. A. Olazabal, L. Ruiz-Rubio, P. Cardiano, O. Gomez-Laserna
Summary: This study aimed to develop a sustainable versatile bio-based epoxy-silica material for stone conservation. Different synthetic strategies, including doping with ionic liquids, essential oils, and nanoparticles, were employed to evaluate their influence on the network formation, thermomechanical properties, hydrophobicity, and antibacterial capability of the material. The results showed that the nanoparticles had minimal interference with the material's properties, while the hybrid enriched with thymol-loaded SiO2 NPs exhibited the best thermomechanical and hydrophobic properties and provided effective stone protection.
PROGRESS IN ORGANIC COATINGS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
M. Pilar Garralaga, Laura Lomba, Alejandro Leal-Duaso, Sara Gracia-Barberan, Elisabet Pires, Beatriz Giner
Summary: The growing interest in more sustainable alternatives to non-renewable solvents has led to the development of deep eutectic solvents (DES), which have favorable physicochemical properties for various applications. However, the toxicological impact of DES has not been sufficiently studied. This study conducted acute ecotoxicity tests on different eutectic solvents composed of glycerol or glycerol-derived ethers and choline chloride (ChCl) or N,N,N-triethyl-N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl) ammonium chloride (N00Cl) to assess their aquatic toxicity. The preliminary results indicated a favorable eco-toxicological behavior of glycerol-derived DES, but further studies are recommended for a complete understanding of their toxicological profiles.
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Seyed Ali Naziri Mehrabani, Vahid Vatanpour, Ismail Koyuncu
Summary: The increasing consumption of toxic and non-renewable materials has led researchers to search for less dangerous and renewable alternatives. Green chemistry principles are being adopted globally to reduce the use of hazardous materials in chemical applications. Membrane technology has been widely used for environmental purposes but requires improvement in its fabrication and applications. This review focuses on recent research on membrane fabrication using green solvents as the primary solvent for polymer dissolution. Various green solvents, such as water, bio-sourced solvents, ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvents, green synthetic organic solvents, and supercritical fluids, are discussed. The use of Hansen solubility parameters (HSP) to determine the suitability of deep eutectic solvents as green solvents for polymeric membrane fabrication is also explored.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Kalyani A. Motghare, Diwakar Z. Shende, Kailas L. Wasewar
Summary: This study investigates the extraction of butanol from aqueous media using ionic liquids and other solvents, finding variations in extraction efficiency and distribution coefficients among different solvents, which could be beneficial for improving butanol extraction efficiency.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zonghua Wang, Congyi Wu, Ze Wang, Shaoze Zhang, Dezhong Yang
Summary: In this study, DESs were used for CO2 capture, and the results showed that the strength of hydrogen bonds plays a significant role in the absorption and desorption of CO2.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Roger A. Sheldon, Moira L. Bode, Nompumelelo Mathebula
Summary: The discovery of enzymes functioning efficiently in organic solvents has changed their industrial applications, but raised concerns about the environmentally undesirable solvents used. Efforts are being made to develop greener alternatives, such as bio-based solvents derived from waste biomass. Biocatalytic oxidations have shown potential in bio-based ether solvents and can be further explored in bio-based ester solvents. Ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvents, and designer amphiphiles are also promising solvents for biocatalytic oxidations, including the oxidative depolymerization of lignin catalyzed by laccases.
CURRENT OPINION IN GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jocasta Avila, Chiara Corsini, Cintia M. Correa, Martin Rosenthal, Agilio Padua, Margarida Costa Gomes
Summary: This Perspective highlights the pathways to prepare porous ionic liquids using easily accessible materials for reduced environmental impact. The study demonstrates that suspensions of porous solids are stable in eutectic mixtures, which indicates their potential in preparing porous ionic liquids. Porous ionic liquids maintain the wide electrochemical window observed in their precursor pure ionic liquids, making them suitable for green electrochemical reactions, especially those involving gases with enhanced solubility in the porous suspensions. Furthermore, their capacity as gas-rich media suggests potential sustainable biomedical and pharmaceutical applications, provided that non-toxic, biocompatible ionic liquids and porous solids are utilized.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Slavica Razic, Jelena Arsenijevic, Svetlana Dogo Mracevic, Jasmina Musovic, Tatjana Trtic-Petrovic
Summary: To meet the high standards of sustainable chemistry and human welfare, more environment-friendly solvents are essential in analytical chemistry for sample preparation and analysis. This review paper critically examines the advantages and unresolved problems of various green solvents, providing an overview of the current state-of-the-art in this field. Replacing volatile organic compounds with eco-friendly solvents in extractions/separations is crucial for sustainable chemistry.
Review
Energy & Fuels
Suman Tahir, Umair Yaqub Qazi, Zubera Naseem, Noor Tahir, Muhammad Zahid, Rahat Javaid, Imran Shahid
Summary: The increasing energy consumption has led to a rise in sulfur emissions, causing economic and health issues, as well as impacting the efficiency of diesel engine emission control systems. To combat this, research is being conducted on various desulfurization technologies, including conventional methods like hydrodesulfurization and alternative processes such as adsorptive, extractive, oxidative, and bio-desulfurization. Factors such as DES selection, extraction temperature, extraction time, DES regeneration, and multistage extractions play a crucial role in the desulfurization efficiency, with deep eutectic solvents showing promise as a less toxic and more efficient alternative for extractive desulfurization.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xuantong Sun, Xi Wang, Fengqiang Sun, Mingwei Tian, Lijun Qu, Patsy Perry, Huw Ovens, Xuqing Liu
Summary: A green chemistry strategy has been developed to separate and regenerate waste textiles at the molecular level, aiming to reduce the large amount of waste textiles generated by the fast fashion industry. This strategy also provides a new source of fibers to address fossil fuel reserve shortages caused by chemical fiber industries and global food shortages caused by natural fiber production.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Ahmed Salama, Vincenzo Guarino
Summary: The use of ionic liquids in the design of bio-based materials offers a promising strategy for creating more effective, safer, and environmentally friendly products. This article provides an overview of the current technological approaches using ionic liquids to manipulate protein-based materials for various bio-sustainable and biomedical applications.
JOURNAL OF POLYMERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Materials Science, Paper & Wood
Bahareh Azimi, Homa Maleki, Vito Gigante, Roohollah Bagherzadeh, Andrea Mezzetta, Mario Milazzo, Lorenzo Guazzelli, Patrizia Cinelli, Andrea Lazzeri, Serena Danti
Summary: Cellulose, as a natural and renewable biopolymer, is not widely processed currently due to its unique structure. Ionic liquids have been proposed as green solvents for cellulose dissolution and have been used for the production of cellulose fibers in recent years.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sotiria Kripotou, Georgios Tsonos, Andrea Mezzetta, Angelica Mero, Lorenzo Guazzelli, Konstantinos Moutzouris, Ilias Stavrakas, Christos Tsonos
Summary: Broadband dielectric spectroscopy was used to study ionic conductivity and dynamics in tetraalkylammonium- and tetraalkylphosphonium-based ionic liquids with levulinate as the common anion. The results showed that ionic conductivity is controlled by viscosity and there is a strong association of ions. Tetraalkylphosphonium-based ionic liquids exhibited higher ionic conductivities than their ammonium counterparts due to their lower viscosity. The levulinate anion used in this study showed stronger interaction and association with the cations compared to the NTf2 anion. Different fitting approaches were employed to analyze dielectric data, and the correlation of relaxation processes was discussed in terms of ionic interactions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Matilde Vieira Sanches, Rosa Freitas, Matteo Oliva, Angelica Mero, Lucia De Marchi, Alessia Cuccaro, Giorgia Fumagalli, Andrea Mezzetta, Greta Colombo Dugoni, Monica Ferro, Andrea Mele, Lorenzo Guazzelli, Carlo Pretti
Summary: The traditional use of organic solvents is being rethought due to their high volatility, toxicity, and interaction with biological membranes. Green Chemistry focuses on developing sustainable and cost-effective solvent alternatives such as Ionic Liquids (ILs), bio-based solvents, and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs). This study screened 15 NADESs for ecotoxicity using marine and freshwater bioassays, finding no toxicity to invertebrates but potential biostimulation effects on algae. However, the intentional or accidental release of NADESs into aquatic systems may pose risks to ecosystem functioning.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Federica Balzano, Anna Iuliano, Gloria Uccello-Barretta, Valerio Zullo
Summary: A new family of chiral selectors was synthesized in a single step, and the influence of different structural features on the enantiodifferentiation was determined. The best chiral solvating agent for separating the enantiomers of the analyte was optimized.
JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
J. Afonso, A. Mezzetta, I. M. Marrucho, L. Guazzelli
Summary: The establishment of Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) as a new class of green solvents was initially based on naive comparisons with Ionic Liquids (ILs), but further research has emphasized the need for a thermodynamic definition and differentiation from other solvents. This perspective review presents experimental and computational data to dispel myths about DESs and make fair comparisons with other solvents, such as ILs, eutectic solvents (ESs), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The unique potential of DESs in biopolymer dissolution and treatment is highlighted, along with considerations for recycling and techno-economic aspects.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Brunella Grassiri, Andrea Mezzetta, Giuseppantionio Maisetta, Chiara Migone, Angela Fabiano, Semih Esin, Lorenzo Guazzelli, Ylenia Zambito, Giovanna Batoni, Anna Maria Piras
Summary: The study evaluated the use of ionic liquids (ILs) as functional excipients for solubilizing and stabilizing diacerein (DIA) in eye drop formulations and prolonging its ocular residence time. Two ILs based on natural zwitterionic compounds were investigated: L-carnitine C6 alkyl ester bromide (Carn6) and betaine C6 alkyl ester bromide (Bet6). The ILs demonstrated solubilizing, stabilizing, mucoadhesive, and antimicrobial properties, with potential for future use in ophthalmic applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Physics, Applied
Nicola Melchioni, Giacomo Trupiano, Giorgio Tofani, Riccardo Bertini, Andrea Mezzetta, Federica Bianco, Lorenzo Guazzelli, Fabio Beltram, Christian Silvio Pomelli, Stefano Roddaro, Alessandro Tredicucci, Federico Paolucci
Summary: Controlling charge density in low-dimensional materials using an electrostatic potential is a powerful tool to explore and manipulate their electronic and optical properties. Ionic liquid (IL) gating, which only requires a metallic electrode in contact with IL, provides an alternative method with excellent gating properties. However, many ILs are not suitable for optical experiments in the mid-IR region due to low optical transparency and degradation. In this study, we present two electrolytes based on bromide ILs dissolved in PMMA, which can achieve high charge densities and exhibit optical transparency, making them promising candidates for electronic and mid-IR optoelectronic devices.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Angelica Mero, Spyridon Koutsoumpos, Panagiotis Giannios, Ilias Stavrakas, Konstantinos Moutzouris, Andrea Mezzetta, Lorenzo Guazzelli
Summary: Within the field of green chemistry, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are becoming increasingly important due to their unique physicochemical properties. In this study, a comparative analysis was conducted on six different DESs to investigate the effects of various parameters such as the nature of the hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and donor (HBD) and their molar ratio on properties including density, viscosity, refractive index, thermal stability, and thermal behavior. The results showed that DESs based on ethylene glycol (EG) exhibited the lowest density and viscosity, while those based on glycerol (Gly) had the highest values. Switching from choline chloride (ChCl) to betaine (Bet) as the HBA resulted in higher viscosity and density. Increasing the amount of HBD in the DESs led to lower viscosity, increased density for Gly-based DESs, and decreased density for EG and levulinic acid (LevA)-based DESs. The refractive index decreased with increasing HBD portion, but using ChCl instead of Bet as the HBA resulted in a higher refractive index. The thermal stability of the DESs was strongly influenced by the HBD used, with EG-based DESs being less stable than LevA-based ones and Gly-based DESs exhibiting the highest stability. Additionally, three characteristic mass loss events were observed in all DESs, attributed to the evaporation/degradation of the HBD, HBD-HBA interaction, and the HBA. Finally, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses showed that all DESs can be used as solvents due to their liquid state at room temperature and their ability to maintain liquid state over a wide temperature range.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Elvira Spatolisano, Giorgia De Guido, Vito Andrea Sangiorgio, Laura A. Pellegrini, Andrea Mezzetta, Lorenzo Guazzelli, Alberto Renato de Angelise, Lucia Bonoldi
Summary: Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a critical issue due to increased sulfur content and stricter environmental regulations. The HydroClaus process by Eni S.p.A. can convert H2S into a hydrophilic mixture of sulfur and sulfur-rich compounds for use as fertilizer. This study proposes an improved configuration for efficient water management and successfully demonstrated the process operability at the bench scale.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Crystallography
Valerio Zullo, Tianao Guo, Anna Iuliano, Mark. R. R. Ringenberg
Summary: Intramolecular electronic communication can be altered by small changes in spatial disposition and central core nature. Chiral bio-based compounds, isomannide and isosorbide, were used as cheap and easy-to-functionalize chiral scaffolds to bridge two ferrocenyl electroactive moieties. Crystal structures of both bis-ferrocenyl diester complexes showed that chirality of the bridge resulted in either an open or tight helical crystal packing. The electron communication between the electroactive units in the mixed valent monocations was studied using electrochemistry and spectroelectrochemistry, and computational analysis was performed using time-dependent DFT.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Aida Cavallo, Tamer Al Kayal, Angelica Mero, Andrea Mezzetta, Anissa Pisani, Ilenia Foffa, Cecilia Vecoli, Marianna Buscemi, Lorenzo Guazzelli, Giorgio Soldani, Paola Losi
Summary: Marine collagen, derived from marine organisms, is an abundant and eco-friendly source of collagen that possesses several advantages over mammalian collagen such as easy extraction, water solubility, avoidance of transmissible diseases, and antibacterial activity. This study investigated the use of collagen extracted from basa fish skin for the development of a bioink for 3D bioprinting of a bilayered skin model. The bioink was successfully formulated and showed good printability, supporting cell viability and proliferation of fibroblasts and keratinocytes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sharon Monaci, Daniela Minudri, Lorenzo Guazzelli, Andrea Mezzetta, David Mecerreyes, Maria Forsyth, Anthony Somers
Summary: Corrosion is a major problem that affects structures and buildings, leading to premature failure and economic loss. Biobased lignin and ionic liquids have shown potential as corrosion inhibitors. This study investigated the inhibitory properties of new biobased lignin ionic liquids and found that one of them exhibited promising performance.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Aida Cavallo, Tamer Al Kayal, Angelica Mero, Andrea Mezzetta, Lorenzo Guazzelli, Giorgio Soldani, Paola Losi
Summary: Three-dimensional bioprinting with a blend of fibrinogen and alginate-based bioink has been successfully used to print skin equivalents with a tissue-like structure resembling native skin. This study demonstrates the potential of bioprinting technology as a promising approach for wound healing applications.
JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL BIOMATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Matilde Vieira Sanches, Rosa Freitas, Matteo Oliva, Alessia Cuccaro, Gianfranca Monni, Andrea Mezzetta, Lorenzo Guazzelli, Carlo Pretti
Summary: The potential release of ionic liquids into aquatic systems has led to concerns about their ecotoxicological effects on aquatic microorganisms and invertebrate species. This review examines 103 studies on ionic liquids and their toxicity to aquatic organisms, focusing on the factors influencing their toxicity. Freshwater species were studied more frequently than marine species, with algal species being the most commonly assessed. The combination of imidazolium cations with long alkyl-chain anions was found to be the most toxic.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
