Deep Eutectic Solvents for Sustainable Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Biomass: Mechanistic Insights and Scale-Up Challenges

TL;DR

This paper reviews how deep eutectic solvents can be used to sustainably extract bioactive compounds from biomass, focusing on the science and engineering behind scaling up the process.

Contribution

The paper offers a mechanistic and process engineering perspective on DES-based extraction, bridging lab research and industrial application.

Findings

DES composition and physicochemical properties strongly influence extraction efficiency and selectivity.

Parameters like viscosity, hydrogen bonding, and temperature are critical for optimizing DES-based extraction processes.

Solvent recovery and process intensification are key challenges for scaling up DES extraction technologies.

Abstract

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as promising green alternatives to conventional organic solvents for the extraction of bioactive compounds from natural matrices because of their tunable physicochemical properties, low toxicity, and environmental compatibility. However, most existing reviews primarily focus on application-based results, with limited mechanistic and process engineering interpretations necessary for industrial applications. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of DES-based extraction from the perspective of separation and process engineering, emphasizing the relationships between DES composition, physicochemical properties, mass-transfer behavior, and extraction performance. Key parameters, including viscosity, hydrogen bonding interactions, solvent-to-feed ratio, temperature, and water content, are critically evaluated in terms of their influence on extraction efficiency, selectivity, and scalability. Furthermore, solvent recovery, process intensification strategies, and industrial implementation challenges are discussed to bridge the gap between laboratory research and large-scale application. By integrating mechanistic insights with process-level considerations, this review provides a systematic framework for the rational design and optimization of DES-based extraction processes as sustainable and scalable-separation technologies.

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