Bio-derived oils and their derivatives as renewable-green solvents in organic synthesis

Despite numerous studies demonstrating the harmful environmental and health effects of traditional, non-renewable, toxic organic solvents derived from petroleum, these substances are still widely used in many industries for various purposes. However, there has recently been an increase in the research and development of green, renewable and biodegradable alternative substances for use in the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Many substances, including ionic liquids, water, glycerol, supercritical CO₂ and various bio-solvents, have previously been widely discussed in terms of their properties as potential solvents, reactants or catalysts from the perspective of green chemistry. This review focuses exclusively on vegetable oils and their derivatives, adopting a complementary perspective. Compared to the other environmentally friendly materials listed above, their use as solvents in organic transformations remains comparatively limited. The main reason for this is that they behave differently to conventional solvents in terms of their ability to dissolve reactants and isolate products in a synthesis reaction. Nevertheless, a small number of studies have identified their potential as superior green solvents for various organic reactions. This review focuses on recent studies in which vegetable oils and their derivatives were used as effective green solvents in well-known organic synthesis reactions. It is also important to note that these materials exhibit certain deficiencies when employed as solvents in organic synthesis reactions, in comparison to traditional organic solvents. These aspects require further enhancement. It is therefore hypothesized that this review will provide organic chemists with insight to help them plan future synthetic routes in accordance with the twelve fundamental principles of green chemistry.
The bibliography includes 198 references.