The Chromatography Forum

of Delaware Valley

Join us at EAS 2026 for a joint meeting with the North Jersey Chromatography Discussion Group!!

More details on exact schedule and location at EAS will be provided soon.

The Low-Hanging Fruit: Solvent Selection and Solvent Replacement in Green Analytical Chemistry

Solvent use is arguably the low-hanging fruit for greening analytical methods, since solvents often are the chemicals used in the greatest amount in an analytical scheme and can be quickly exchanged. However, most analysts have little familiarity with how to address solvent selection from the green perspective. While the same physico-chemical properties conducive to our analytical method (such as polarity, viscosity, etc.) are important, how do we consider the environmental and human health consequences of solvent selection? In a general sense, there are two approaches. First, we may select more suitable solvents from the world of molecular solvents, either aqueous or organic. Secondly, we could choose to utilize nontraditional solvents, such as supercritical fluids, ionic liquids, natural products, and others. In this presentation, both of these approaches will be presented. Following an overview of green solvent selection, several examples will be demonstrated. The equivalency of extraction methods will be discussed, methods using natural products and deep eutectic solvents will be compared, and the assessment of analytical methods from the green perspective will be presented.