DEVELOPMENT OF GREEN ANALYTICAL METHODS USING DEEP EUTECTIC SOLVENTS: A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS

G. Swapna, Tayyaba Mahtab, C. Nagamani, B. Varshitha, Narottam Pal*

ABSTRACT

Background: The growing environmental consciousness in analytical chemistry has driven the development of sustainable methodologies that minimize environmental impact while maintaining analytical performance. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional organic solvents in analytical applications. Objective: This study aims to develop and validate green analytical methods using various deep eutectic solvents for the determination of pharmaceutical compounds, environmental pollutants, and food additives, while evaluating their environmental impact and analytical performance. Methods: Multiple DES systems were synthesized using hydrogen bond acceptors (quaternary ammonium salts) and hydrogen bond donors (carboxylic acids, alcohols, and amides). Green analytical methods were developed for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), capillary electrophoresis (CE), and spectrophotometric analysis. Environmental assessment was conducted using green chemistry metrics and life cycle assessment principles. Results: Choline chloride-based DESs demonstrated superior extraction efficiency for pharmaceutical compounds (recovery rates 85-98%), while betaine-glycolic acid DES showed optimal performance for environmental pollutants analysis. The developed methods achieved detection limits comparable to conventional methods (0.05-2.5 μg/mL) with significantly reduced environmental impact scores (E-factor reduction of 65-85%). Conclusion: Deep eutectic solvents provide viable alternatives to traditional organic solvents in analytical chemistry, offering excellent analytical performance while significantly improving environmental sustainability. The developed green analytical methods demonstrate practical applicability across diverse analytical challenges.

Keywords: Deep eutectic solvents, green analytical chemistry, sustainable methods, environmental assessment, pharmaceutical analysis, HPLC, capillary electrophoresis.