Solvent Research Articles

Investigating Metastable Gelation Behavior of Coumarin‐Derived β‐Enaminone‐Boron Difluoride Complexes

Gelation behavior was unearthed while investigating the photophysical properties of β‐enaminones and their difluoroboron complexes. To perform a systematic investigation, a library of β‐enaminone’s difluoroboron complexes was prepared to examine their gelation behavior in organic solvents. Among the prepared compounds, the N‐butyl amine‐substituted β‐enamino diketone was found to exhibit metastable gelation properties in a mixed solvent system (methylene chloride and hexane). Our studies suggest that the presence of N‐butylamine moiety along with N,N‐dimethylamino substituent at difluoroboron enaminones is indispensable in imparting the metastable gelation behavior.

Investigating the Use of Natural Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents for Extracting Carotenoids from Food and Food By-products

Abstract In today’s food industry, the demand for sustainable methodologies in producing health-promoting natural products is rising. Traditional extraction techniques are increasingly deemed unreliable due to environmental concerns. To address these challenges, the scientific community has developed Green Chemistry , a specialized branch that aims to minimize or eliminate hazardous processes and substances in industrial applications. One promising and eco-friendly alternative emerging from Green Chemistry is the use of NaDESs which are prepared with natural components, generally recognized as safe (GRAS), and offer an environmentally benign option for various industrial processes. They are characterized by their biodegradability, low toxicity, and ability to be tailored for specific applications, making them an ideal choice for green extraction methods. In this context, NaHDESs have shown significant potential as extracting media for bioactive compounds, particularly carotenoids, from food and food by-products. Carotenoids, known for their antioxidant properties and health benefits, are highly sought after in the food and nutraceutical industries. Traditional extraction methods often rely on organic solvents, which pose environmental and health risks. In contrast, NaHDESs offer a safer and more sustainable alternative. This study explores the definition, properties, and applications of NaHDESs, with a particular focus on their use in extracting carotenoids. By examining various food and vegetable by-products, the research aims to evaluate the solvent’s efficiency and effectiveness in this application. The findings could pave the way for eco-friendly extraction techniques in the food industry, aligning with the principles of Green Chemistry and addressing the growing demand for natural and health-promoting products. Information © The Author 2024

Hass Avocado (Persea americana Mill) Peel Extract Reveals Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties against Verticillium theobromae, Colletotrichum musae, and Aspergillus niger Pathogens Affecting Musa acuminata Colla Species, in Ecuador

The utilization of agroindustrial residues, such as avocado peel, as a source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties has garnered significant attention. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant potential using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) methods, along with the antimicrobial activity of phenolic compounds extracted from Hass avocado peel. These soluble polyphenols were quantified and identified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The research focused on their effects against three fungal pathogens, Verticillium theobromae, Colletotrichum musae, and Aspergillus niger, which significantly impact banana crops, an essential agricultural commodity in Ecuador. The results have revealed that the application of 80% ethanol as an organic solvent led to increased soluble polyphenol content compared to 96% ethanol. Extraction time significantly influenced the phenolic content, with the highest values obtained at 90 min. Interestingly, despite substantial mycelial growth observed across all extract concentrations, the antifungal effect varied among the pathogens. Specifically, V. theobromae exhibited the highest sensitivity, while C. musae and A. niger were less affected. These results underscore the importance of considering both antioxidant and antimicrobial properties when evaluating natural extracts for potential applications in plant disease management.

Thin film nanocomposite membrane ornamented with Z-scheme heterojunction carbon dot/NiFe–LDH for removal of organic contaminants from industrial wastewater

Removal of organics from wastewater is a tedious process and industries are looking for a facile, energy efficient strategy of wastewater treatment for producing clean water and recycling. Membrane technology is one of the efficient processes for wastewater treatment due to its energy efficient nature, simple operation and excellent performance. But, proneness of membrane fouling often limits its path to triumph. In this work, we have designed a ‘carbon dot/NiFe-layered double hydroxide (CD/NiFe–LDH)’ nanocomposite via in situ approach, which is coated on a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and cellulose based superhydrophillic membrane. The membrane is found to have excellent separation efficiency. The photocatalytic activity of CD/NiFe–LDH shows high oxidative degradation of the accumulated organics contaminants on the membrane surface providing self-cleaning ability and hence enhances the membrane’s lifetime. The membrane exhibits stable performance for 30 days continuous operation under UV-A light. The membrane flux is found to be ∼42 Lm−2 h−1 and 48 Lm−2 h−1 for crude oil–water emulsion and phenol respectively while rejection around ≥99 % is obtained for the both. The flux recovery ratio (FRR) of the post photo irradiated membrane is found to be 88.07 %. The membrane also shows organic solvent resistance property and prevents bacterial pathogens in wastewater.

Cross-Linked Metathesis Polynorbornenes Based on Nadimides Bearing Hydrocarbon Substituents: Synthesis and Physicochemical Properties.

Metathesis homo- and copolymerization of bifunctional monomers bearing two norbornene moieties was studied. The monomers were synthesized from cis-5-norbornene-exo-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride and various diamines (hexamethylenediamine, decamethylenediamine, 1R,3S-isophoronediamine). The metathesis homopolymerization of these bis(nadimides) in the presence of the second-generation Grubbs catalyst afforded glassy cross-linked polymers in more than 90% yields. The metathesis copolymerization of the bis(nadimides) and a monofunctional norbornene derivative containing the β-pinene fragment also resulted in insoluble cross-linked polymers in nearly quantitative yields. The structures and purity of the synthesized polymers were confirmed via IR spectroscopy and CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy. Conditions for the fabrication of mechanically strong solution-cast thin films based on copolymers synthesized from the comonomers mentioned above were determined by varying the content of the cross-linking agent. It was shown that the films made in this way are stable in a range of organic solvents and could be useful as semipermeable or membrane materials for use in liquid organic media. The permeability of the polymer films in question to 1-phenylethanol and mandelic acid was studied. The results obtained are discussed along with the data from the DSC, TGA, and powder X-ray diffraction studies of the properties of the synthesized metathesis homo- and copolymers.

Simultaneous rare earth sulfate transformation and carbon dioxide mineralization

The wet metallurgical process route for recovering rare earth elements usually uses sulfuric acid. To obtain marketable individual rare earth products, converting rare earth sulfates to chlorides is essential. Conventional chemical precipitation and solvent extraction methods result in significant amounts of ammonia wastewater and greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, we propose a novel process that integrates CO2 mineralization with rare earth sulfates transformation. By utilizing a base-catalyzed mechanism with trioctylamine (TOA), CO2 is effectively employed for selective precipitation of more than 95 % of rare earths from magnesium and calcium under optimized conditions. Subsequently, dissolution in hydrochloric acid allows for enrichment of the concentration of rare earths up to 188.3 g/L. The reaction mechanism is examined through Visual MINTEQ simulations and various analytical techniques. This process not only offers a sustainable approach to rare earth sulfates transformation but also contributes to carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration efforts.

Development of a superheated water chromatography method for the sustainable determination of preservatives in foods and cosmetics

The present research focused on the use of high temperatures to achieve fast separations in Liquid Chromatography (LC) and minimize the consumption of organic solvents. Particularly, superheated water was employed, by exploiting the decrease in dielectric constant of water when increasing the temperature. To realize this kind of application, the availability of LC columns resistant at high temperature is mandatory. Recently, porous graphitic carbon (PGC) columns have been proposed as stationary phases resistant up to 250 °C. Hardware modifications were also necessary to guarantee the efficient heating of the mobile phase prior of entering the column, as well as its rapid cooling before detection by photodiode array (PDA). Specifically, an LC system was interfaced to a GC oven, which hosted the LC column; to achieve a fast and efficient heating of the eluent coming from the autosampler prior to enter into the column, a pre-heating tube was interposed between the autosampler outlet and the column inlet. Instead, a cooling loop was connected between the column outlet and the PDA cell. A mixture of 1-nitroalkanes was used to evaluate the performance of the system in terms of dead volumes, band broadening and peak shape, as well as chromatographic efficiency and resolution. The use of higher temperatures allowed to perform analyses at higher flow rates in reduced analysis time and was also in terms of peak bandwidth resulting to increased efficiency for the most retained compound. Moreover, van't Hoff plots were obtained at different temperature, confirming that the most retained analyte greatly benefited of the temperature increase.The system was applied to the analysis of parabens in cosmetic and food products. The method combined eco-sustainable sample preparation with high-temperature LC separation on a PGC column and was fully validated in terms of linearity, precision, accuracy and detection and quantification limits. The developed method was critically evaluated by comparing the output of different metric tools implemented in the last decade for the quantitative assessment of the greenness.

Natural Rubber Films Reinforced with Cellulose and Chitosan Prepared by Latex Aqueous Microdispersion.

In this paper, green composite films comprising natural rubber (NR), cellulose (CE), and chitosan (CS) were successfully fabricated through a simple, facile, cost-effective method in order to improve mechanical, chemical, and antimicrobial properties of NR composite films. Chitosan with a low molecular weight of 30,000-50,000 g/mol (CS-L) and a medium molecular weight of 300,000-500,000 g/mol (CS-M) was used for the fabrication. The composite films were prepared via a latex aqueous microdispersion method with different weight ratios of NR:CE:CS-L/CS-M. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results demonstrated strong interactions of hydrogen bonds between CE and CS-L/CS-M in the composite films. The tensile strength and the modulus of the composite films in dried form were found to significantly increase with the reinforcement of CE and CS-L/CS-M. The maximum tensile strength (13.8 MPa) and Young's modulus (12.7 MPa) were obtained from the composite films reinforced with CE at 10 wt.% and CS-L at 10 wt.%. The high elongation of 500-526% was obtained from the composite films reinforced with CE at 10 wt.% and CS (CS-L or CS-M) at 5.0 wt.%. The modification could also significantly promote antimicrobial activities and chemical resistance against non-polar solvents in the composite films. The NR composite films have potential uses as flexible films for sustainable green packaging.

Extraction behaviors of minor actinides and rare earth elements with NTA amide extractants

ABSTRACT Nitrilotriacetamide (NTA amide) has been developed as an extractant for the mutual separation of minor actinides (MA; Am and Cm) and rare earth elements (REs) by solvent extraction. NTA amide is a tertiary amine in which the three carboxyl groups of nitrilotriacetic acid are amidated. NTA amides have six hydrophobic long-chain alkyl groups on the side chains, and they have enhanced solubility in organic solvents, thereby allowing for the use of nonpolar diluents, such as n-dodecane. This study examined the extraction behavior of MA and REs using four NTA amides with six side chains comprising n-octyl groups, 2-ethylhexyl groups, and a mixture of these groups. The results showed that the linear-type hexaoctyl NTA amide (HONTA) had the highest extraction ability for MA. Furthermore, the extraction behavior of MA and REs was different under low and high nitrate conditions, and that of scandium (Sc) was found to be considerably different depending on the side chains.

Developments and Applications of Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Based In-Tube Solid Phase Microextraction Technique for Efficient Sample Preparation.

Despite advancements in the sensitivity and performance of analytical instruments, sample preparation remains a bottleneck in the analytical process. Currently, solid-phase extraction is more widely used than traditional organic solvent extraction due to its ease of use and lower solvent requirements. Moreover, various microextraction techniques such as micro solid-phase extraction, dispersive micro solid-phase extraction, solid-phase microextraction, stir bar sorptive extraction, liquid-phase microextraction, and magnetic bead extraction have been developed to minimize sample size, reduce solvent usage, and enable automation. Among these, in-tube solid-phase microextraction (IT-SPME) using capillaries as extraction devices has gained attention as an advanced "green extraction technique" that combines miniaturization, on-line automation, and reduced solvent consumption. Capillary tubes in IT-SPME are categorized into configurations: inner-wall-coated, particle-packed, fiber-packed, and rod monolith, operating either in a draw/eject system or a flow-through system. Additionally, the developments of novel adsorbents such as monoliths, ionic liquids, restricted-access materials, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), graphene, carbon nanotubes, inorganic nanoparticles, and organometallic frameworks have improved extraction efficiency and selectivity. MIPs, in particular, are stable, custom-made polymers with molecular recognition capabilities formed during synthesis, making them exceptional "smart adsorbents" for selective sample preparation. The MIP fabrication process involves three main stages: pre-arrangement for recognition capability, polymerization, and template removal. After forming the template-monomer complex, polymerization creates a polymer network where the template molecules are anchored, and the final step involves removing the template to produce an MIP with cavities complementary to the template molecules. This review is the first paper to focus on advanced MIP-based IT-SPME, which integrates the selectivity of MIPs into efficient IT-SPME, and summarizes its recent developments and applications.

ACFs-NH2 developed for dispersive solid phase extraction combined with Py-GC/MS for nanoplastic analysis in ambient water samples

Accurate determination of nanoplastics (NPs) in aquatic ecosystems constitutes a challenge for which highly sensitive analytical methods are necessitated. Herein, a sample pretreatment based on self-made amino-functionalized activated carbon fibers (ACFs-NH2) dispersive solid-phase extraction (DSPE) allows for high-recovery, followed by high-sensitivity detection of NPs by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). The developed methodology allowed low detection limits (20–100 μg/L) to be achieved quickly in a few steps. Under optimal conditions, ACFs-NH2 (12.5 mg) was able to recover ≥98.45 % of polystyrene (PS) nanoplastics at high concentration (100 mg/L) in 10 mL seawater. Based on the high adsorption performance of materials, the adsorption dynamics and isotherms were determined to infer the interaction mechanism of PSNPs on ACFs-NH2. After adsorption, the target on the surface of the adsorbent can be directly pyrolyzed, which can simplify the operation steps and avoid the elution of organic solvents, making the process more environmentally friendly. This strategy is feasible for the analysis of trace NPs in water systems.

Chemically Separable Co(II) Spin-State Isomers.

The phenomenon of spin crossover involves coordination complexes with switchable spin states. This spin state change is accompanied by significant geometric changes such that low and high spin forms of a complex are distinct isomers that exist in equilibrium with one another. Typically, spin-state isomers interconvert rapidly and are similar enough in polarity to prevent their independent separation and isolation. We report here the first example, to our knowledge, of cobalt(II) spin-state isomers that can be physically separated. The reaction of Mo2(dpa)4 (dpa = 2,2'-dipyridylamide) with CoBr2 produces a mixture of two heterometallic compounds with a linear, metal-metal-bonded Mo[Formula: see text]Mo-Co chain. The complexes, SC-[BrMo2(dpa)4Co]Br (SC-2) and HS-[BrMo2(dpa)4CoBr] (HS-2), have identical compositions (Mo2Co(dpa)4Br2) but different ground spin states and coordination geometries of the Co(II) ion. In the solid state, SC-2 undergoes incomplete spin crossover from an S = 1/2 state to an S = 3/2 state, and HS-2 has a high spin, S = 3/2, ground state, as confirmed by SQUID magnetometry and EPR spectroscopy. Crystallographic analyses of SC-2 and HS-2 show that SC-2 has an elongated Co-Br distance relative to HS-2 and is best described as the salt [BrMo2(dpa)4Co]Br. This limits SC-2's solubility in nonpolar solvents and allows for the physical separation of the two isomers. Solution studies of SC-2 and HS-2 indicate that SC-2 and HS-2 interconvert slowly relative to the NMR time scale. Additional solution-state EPR and UV-vis absorption measurements demonstrate that the choice of solvent polarity determines the predominant isomer present in solution.

Isopropanol/Water Bi‐Solvent Enhanced the Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation of Levulinic Acid to γ‐Valerolactone over Ru‐PC Catalyst

AbstractCatalytic transfer hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA) to γ‐valerolactone (GVL) was attractive in biomass conversions since GVL is highly useful in different applications, such as polymer synthesis, fuel, and food. Various catalytic systems were reported for the reaction, yet harsh reaction conditions were generally required, which could restrict the scaling up of the reaction. Herein, we developed an effective and green bi‐solvent system of isopropanol/water for the catalytic transfer hydrogenation of LA to GVL over a ruthenium–phosphorous carbon (Ru‐PC) catalyst. It was found that the presence of water in the solvent system promoted the production of GVL from LA. The effect of isopropanol/water ratios and other reaction conditions were investigated, exhibiting that 93.8% yield of GVL was achieved using isopropanol/water ratio of 2.5:2.5 at 140 °C for 4 h and over Ru‐PC catalyst. Combining water and organic solvent not only reduced the usage of organic solvent but also created an effective bi‐solvent system for catalytic reactions.

Facile Synthesis of a Layered Bismuth-Based MOF With Superhydrophobic-Oleophilic Property and High Oil-Water Separation Performance.

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of potential superhydrophobic-oleophilic materials. The organic ligands in superhydrophobic MOFs usually contain long alkyl chains, fluorine groups or aromatic rings with large π conjugation, the preparation of which suffers from high cost, complex operation and so on. In addition, the topological structure of MOFs plays an important role in the hydrophobicity, which may be ignored previously. Here we report a superhydrophobic-oleophilic MOF (BiPPA2) obtained by a facile and fast method, which not only displays a large water contact angle of up to 163° and a small sliding angle of nearly equal to 0°, but also exhibits high sorption capacity for multiple oils and organic solvents, well reusability and high oil retention. In addition, BiPPA2 is stable in a wide pH range (0.5-11.0). Finally, the single crystal structure of BiPPA2 is resolved to reveal the intrinsic reason for the super-hydrophobicity. This work may inspire the further design of pristine superhydrophobic MOFs based on a simple method, which enriches the family of superhydrophobic MOFs and has great significance for practical applications.

Electrical Conductivity, Thermo-Mechanical Properties, and Cytotoxicity of Poly(3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene):Poly(Styrene Sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)/Sulfonated Polyurethane Blends.

Electrically conductive polymeric materials have recently garnered significant interest from researchers due to their potential applications in the biomedical field, including medical implants, tissue engineering, flexible electronic devices, and biosensors. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is considered the most successful conducting polymer due to its higher electrical conductivity and chemical stability, but it suffers from limited solubility in common organic solvents, poor mechanical properties, and low biocompatibility. An area of tremendous interest is in combining PEDOT:PSS with another polymer to form a blend or composite material in order to access the beneficial properties of both materials. However, the hydrophilic nature of PEDOT:PSS makes it difficult to produce composites with non-polar polymers. In order to overcome these problems, we have specifically designed and synthesized two new sulfonated polyurethanes (PUS) with high sulfonic acid functionality. The two polyurethanes, one water-soluble (PUS1) and one water-insoluble (PUS2), were used to make blends with two commercially available PEDOT:PSS formulations (CleviosTM FET and PH1000). Solvent cast films on glass substrates were made from water-soluble PEDOT:PSS/PUS1 blends while free-standing films of PEDOT:PSS/PUS2 blends were fabricated by compression-moulding. Ethylene glycol was used as conductivity enhancer, which showed an increase in the conductivity by several orders of magnitude in most of the compositions investigated. The highest conductivity of 438 S cm-1 was achieved for the blend with 80 wt% of PEDOT:PSS (PH1000) in PUS1.

Lattice reconstruction for mixed-halide blue perovskite light-emitting diodes with high brightness, outstanding color stability and low efficiency roll-off

AbstractWe report a simple, effective, and universal lattice reconstruction approach to improve the quality of perovskite films by using nonpolar solvents with high Gutmann donor numbers (DNs). We find that high-DN nonpolar solvents, for instance, ethyl acetate, can interact with perovskite precursors. Such a solvent can make the perovskite lattice more ordered and “harder” and promote the formation of heterostructures with low-dimensional perovskite impurities and residual solvent molecules. As a result, the lattice-reconstructed perovskite films exhibit reduced defect densities and suppressed ion migration. The resultant mixed-halide blue perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) show greatly enhanced tolerance to high driving current densities and voltages, demonstrating high brightness, outstanding color stability and low efficiency roll-off. Our work provides a deep understanding of the interactions between nonpolar solvents and perovskites and offers useful guidelines for further development of high-power PeLEDs.

Structure‐Based Design and in‐Flow Synthesis of Aromatic Endoperoxides Acting as Oxygen Releasing Agents

AbstractHypoxia occurs in different pathological settings as a consequence of poor vascularization, and it results in reduced efficacy of some current nosocomial treatments i. e. chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy. In order to overcome these boundaries, aromatic endoperoxides (EPOs) have been studied and proposed as oxygen‐releasing agents (ORAs) due to their ability to reversibly bind molecular oxygen (O2), liberating it upon suitable triggering. DFT calculation of the dissociation energy (Ediss) of the intramolecular O−O bridge and structural crystallographic data of synthesized and studied EPOs drove the design of an array of 9,10‐disubstituted anthracenes among which three candidates were carefully selected. Once optimized the synthesis of the aromatic substrates, for the first time the corresponding EPOs have been produced under continuous flow irradiation in the presence of a sub‐stoichiometric amount of a photosensitizer in organic solvents. The release of O2 could be obtained straightforwardly at 37.5 °C by thermolysis. In accordance with the calculated Ediss=3.2 kcal mol−1 and an experimental t1/2=40 minutes, 3,3′‐(anthracene‐9,10‐diyl)bis(prop‐2‐yn‐1‐ol) resulted as the best candidate for the sustained release of O2 under physiologically relevant conditions. Its exploitation as ORA to relieve hypoxia will be evaluated and described in due course.

An imine-functionalized silicone-based epoxy coating with stable adhesion and controllable degradation for enhanced marine antifouling and anticorrosion properties.

Biofouling and corrosion of submerged equipment caused by marine organisms severely restrict the rapid development of the marine industry. Traditional antifouling or anticorrosion coatings typically serve a sole purpose and exhibit limited degradability upon failure, rendering them inadequate for current demands. Herein, a novel imine-functionalized command-degradable bio-based epoxy coating (SAHPEP-DDM) with enhanced integrated antifouling and anticorrosion performances was synthesized utilizing 1,3-bis (3-aminopropyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane and syringaldehyde. Compared with commercial epoxy resins (E51-DDM) and polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS), the SAHPEP-DDM coating exhibits superior antifouling and anticorrosion properties due to the existence of -C=N- and Si-O-Si chain segments in the cross-linking network. The coatingshows promising resistance against bacteria, algae and proteins, as well as excellent corrosion resistance in artificial seawater. The coating also exhibits excellent chemical resistance in organic solvents as well as neutral and alkaline environments. Moreover, its controlled degradation afterfailure can be achieved in acid aqueous solutions through temperature and acidity adjustments, facilitated by the presence of -C=N-. This work presents a novel degradable coating successfully coupled the dual functions of antifouling and anticorrosion coatings, avoiding the employment of intermediate coat, indicating vast potential for application inmarine engineering fields.

Probing morphology-dependent PDI/g-C3N4 heterostructures for co-production of H2O2 and 2,5-diformylfuran

Perylene diimide/Carbon nitride (PDI/CN) is an excellent photocatalyst consisting of self-assembled PDI with a π-π stacking structure, and has wide applications. But the effect of PDI morphology over their photocatalytic performance has been scarcely investigated. Herein, we successfully synthesized three different morphologies of PDI, inducement formed by different organic solvents, and coupled them with CN, respectively. For simultaneous production of H2O2 and DFF, their photocatalytic activity has the order of PDI-F/CN > PDI-S/CN > PDI-B/CN. H-stacked PDI-F/CN exhibits good crystallinity, larger specific surface area, higher π-conjugation and large dipole moment, which could improve charge-carrier separation, and its activity was 4.2-fold higher than that of CN. Theoretical calculation results indicated that the PDI-F/CN heterojunction could benefit the adsorption of O2 and 5-HMF and lower the energy barrier, which is an important factor for the enhanced photocatalytic activity. This work provides a new and excellent photocatalyst for biomass oxidation.

SWIEET-a salt-free alternative to QuEChERS.

The efficient extraction of various analytes from a wide spectrum of matrices with organic solvents is still a great challenge in analytical chemistry. Especially polar and charged compounds are hard to extract in combination with neutral analytes of intermediate to low polarity. The QuEChERS method is often chosen and has been adapted not only to the analysis of food samples, but also to environmental matrices (soil, wastewater) or biota. In this study, we overcome major drawbacks of QuEChERS such as low recoveries of charged analytes and impairment of downstream analysis by high salt loads. The new extraction method, applicable to liquid and solid samples, is called SWIEET (sugar water isopropanol ethyl nitrile extraction technique). Phase separation of the otherwise miscible extraction solvents water and acetonitrile is achieved by sugaring-out instead of salting-out. Extraction efficiencies were greatly improved by adding isopropanol to the acetonitrile phase. The concentrations of the additives glucose and isopropanol, as well as temperature, were optimized by a design of experiment. Further improvement was achieved through electro- or double-extractions. For all sample types tested (surface water, wastewater treatment plant effluent, tomato, soil, and oats), recoveries and precision were higher with SWIEET than with the established QuEChERS method. From wastewater treatment plant effluent, 75% recovery on average were achieved with our SWIEET method compared to 37% with QuEChERS for a model analyte mixture with polarities of logDpH7 = - 5.7 - 3.5. Higher recoveries and lower standard deviations compared to QuEChERS were achieved especially for polar and charged analytes such as metformin. Handling proved to be easy, since there was no additional solid phase and no tedious weighing of salts.