# Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents for PHB Recovery: Mechanistic Insights and Implications for Sustainable Downstream Processing

## TL;DR

This paper explores the use of natural deep eutectic solvents for recovering PHB, a biodegradable plastic, to make the process more sustainable and cost-effective.

## Contribution

The study introduces natural deep eutectic solvents as a promising green chemistry solution for PHB recovery.

## Key findings

- Natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDESs) show potential for improving PHB recovery efficiency and sustainability.
- Challenges remain in solvent recyclability, viscosity control, and scaling up the process for industrial use.
- NaDESs can align biopolymer quality with green chemistry principles.

## Abstract

The growing concern over plastic pollution and the widespread presence of micro- and nanoplastics has renewed interest in polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) as a biodegradable alternative; however, its industrial deployment remains constrained by costly recovery operations with a high environmental burden. This study examines how PHB biosynthesis and intracellular organization, physicochemical properties, and the characteristics of the producing microorganism influence the performance of conventional recovery routes, including extraction with organic solvents, alkaline/oxidative chemical digestion, and enzymatic–physical schemes coupled with mechanical disruption. Based on this foundation, quantitative data are analyzed for PHB content in bacteria, mixed microbial cultures, cyanobacteria, and microalgae, along with extraction yields, polymer purity, and solvent recyclability in processes employing chlorine-free solvents, green solvents, and hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDESs) formulated with terpenes and organic acids. The analysis integrates mechanistic perspectives on NaDES–cell and NaDES–PHB interactions with solvent design criteria, biorefinery configurations, and preliminary evidence from technoeconomic and life cycle assessments. The findings identify NaDES as an up-and-coming platform capable of reconciling biopolymer quality with the principles of green chemistry while delineating critical gaps in recovery efficiency, viscosity management, solvent recycling, and pilot-scale validation.