Recent Advances in the Use of Glycerol as Green Solvent for Synthetic Organic Chemistry

Abstract

Owing to its biodegradable and non-toxic nature, glycerol, the main byproduct in the production of biodiesel fuel, is being actively investigated as a green reaction medium for synthetic organic chemistry. A huge number of synthetic transformations have been conducted in glycerol in recent years, showing most of them similar or even superior efficiency and selectivity than those performed in conventional petroleum-based organic solvents. Herein, an overview on the most recent advances reached in the field is presented. Short Running Title: Synthetic organic chemistry in glycerol

Environmental risk-based ranking of solvents using the combination of a multimedia model and multi-criteria decision analysis

“…It is obtained from plant oils with its price depending on the purity grade and is considered to be a renewable resource. 43 In fact, it is a by-product of biodiesel production from triglycerides as a raw material, 44 but this process yield is not high. It possesses a series of desired properties as a solvent and its main drawback is its high viscosity.…”

Glycerol: An Optimal Hydrogen Source for Microwave-Promoted Cu-Catalyzed Transfer Hydrogenation of Nitrobenzene to Aniline

“…Intensive research is conducted to find ways to valorise glycerol and many fields of interest focus on its transformation into chemicals and hydrocarbon fuels (Dodekatos et al, 2018). Furthermore, its use as a convenient green reaction medium has been widely documented (Wolfson et al, 2009;Díaz-Álvarez and Cadierno, 2013;Díaz-Álvarez et al, 2014;Tagliapietra et al, 2015;Santoro et al, 2017).…”

Synthesis of 3-alkoxypropan-1,2-diols from glycidol: experimental and theoretical studies for the optimization of the synthesis of glycerol derived solvents

“…[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] In this regard, the use of glycerol itself and its derivatives as solvents is a field of growing interest. [20][21][22][23][24][25] Glycerol esters, ketals and ethers are commonly used as solvents and additives in cleaning, cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical industry. [26][27][28][29][30] Glycerol ethers stand out among other glycerol derivatives by their relative chemical inertness, which make them very suitable as solvents.…”