Bio-Derived Solvents

Within the framework of sustainable chemistry, the search and design of green solvents has become a top priority, not only to reduce the impact of chemical processes on human health and environment, but also to facilitate chemical processing. Among the different reported strategies, renewably-sourced solvents have attracted considerable interest due to their renewability, biodegradability and low toxicity, and for some of them, their abilities to promote organic reactions that are not feasible in conventional solvents.

Opening with an overview of the current solvent markets and both the challenges and opportunities involved, the following chapters are dedicated to different classes of solvent arranged by their origin or chemical structure. In all examples, advantages, drawbacks and limits of these solvents will be highlighted. The potential of different identified renewably-sourced solvents such as glycerol are detailed as well as providing a comparison between fossil and bio-derived solvents. The book will conclude with a look at the emerging trends in the field, and the prospects for the future. 

Topics covered include:
The potential of renewably-sourced solvents for the design of eco-efficient processes
Solvents from wastes
Life cycle assessment and the predictive methods of bio-based solvents
Industrial viability of a bio-based solvents 
Potential and limitations of methodologies involving bio-derived solvents
Prospective and emerging trends in the field.

Due to the large number of existing applications, Bio-Based Solventswill be a valuable reference for students and researchers in catalysis, organic synthesis, electrochemistry and pharmaceuticals, as well as policy makers and industrial chemists involved in manufacturing processes and formulation.