Green Solvents in Organic Synthesis: Sustainable Alternatives for Eco-Friendly Chemical Transformations

Abstract

Organic solvents are widely employed in organic synthesis but raise significant concerns due to their high flammability, volatility, toxicity, and hazardous nature. According to the principles of green chemistry, the use of solvents should be avoided or minimized whenever possible. However, in cases where their use is unavoidable, it is essential to prioritize greener, less toxic alternatives to reduce environmental and health impacts. These challenges make it difficult to identify a compound or class of compounds that can be truly recognized as a green solvent.This chapter focuses onunconventional solvents, such as ionic liquids, supercritical fluids like water and carbon dioxide, deep-eutectic solvent and water, biosolvent, which serve as alternative reaction media to overcome the challenges linked to traditional organic solvents.