Application of Green Solvent in Green Chemistry: An overview

Abstract

Purpose: Generally, conventional or volatile organic solvents are extracted from petroleum resources and other such resources harmful to living species' environment and wellbeing. Because of this severe threat, researchers developed some eco-friendly alternations to circumvent the difficulties associated with traditional solvents. This review paper provides an overview of different alternatives or substitutes to overcome the toxicity of conventional solvents.
 Methodology: The properties of a green solvent, tools, and techniques used to measure the greenness of solvent, its parameters, classification, and applications in various fields are the factors reviewed in this study.
 Principal Findings: Chemical and pharmaceutical industries use around 80% of chemical-based solvents out of the total volume for various chemical procedures. The evolution of green chemistry has led to the development of green solvents.
 Implications: The use of non-conventional solvents also offers prospects for facilitating the recycling and recovery of the solvents.
 Novelty: The novelty of this work includes its eco-friendliness and sustainability over traditional organic solvents. Along with these, green solvents can be recycled for further use. On a green note, we have discussed various types of solvents, parameters, their properties and applications in different fields in this chapter. And all of them possess some unique characteristics and advantages over conventional organic solvents. Some of them are completely eco-friendly and others in a way require some research and enhancement in techniques to behave like one.