CHAPTER 9. Biomass-derived Solvents

Application of Biobased Solvents in Asymmetric Catalysis

“…Although the use of water is extensively investigated [ 30 ], several compounds obtained from renewable sources, presenting a low ecotoxicity, can be applied as green solvents in chemical processes [ 30 ]. Glycerol and its derivatives; mixtures of carbohydrates; secondary metabolites of plants, such as limonene or α-pinene; fatty acid methyl esters (biodiesel); esters of lactic or gluconic acid; biobased ethers; and dihydrolevoglucosenone and γ-valerolactone are considered as biobased solvents [ 28 , 29 ]. Among all of them, in the present review, we will focus on those solvents that have demonstrated their utility as reaction media in catalytic asymmetric procedures leading to chiral products, such as the ethereal solvents 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) and cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME) and the heterocyclic cycloalakanone dihydrolevoglucosenone or Cyrene TM ( Table 1 shows some of these three solvents’ properties).…”

“…Other alternatives that can be considered for carrying out reactions in green solvents are the use of supercritical solvents (mainly supercritical CO 2 ) [ 26 , 27 ]. A recent approach to the “classical” organic solvents in asymmetric chemical synthesis has been the use of the biomass-derived solvents, the so-called biosolvents [ 28 , 29 ]. These solvents, which are very similar to the “classical” solvents, present a set of properties, such as low toxicity, high biodegradability and being obtained from renewable sources, which convert them into a valuable alternative for the development of sustainable chemical processes.…”