Deep Eutectic Solvent as Green Solvent in Extraction of Biological Macromolecules: A Review

Greater awareness of environmental sustainability has driven many industries to transition from using synthetic organic solvents to greener solvents in their manufacturing. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as a highly promising category of green solvents with well-demonstrated and wide-ranging applications, including their use as a solvent in extraction of small-molecule bioactive compounds for food and pharmaceutical applications. The use of DES as an extraction solvent of biological macromolecules, on the other hand, has not been as extensively studied. Thereby, the feasibility of employing DES for biomacromolecule extraction has not been well elucidated. To bridge this gap, this review provides an overview of DES with an emphasis on its unique physicochemical properties that make it an attractive green solvent (e.g., non-toxicity, biodegradability, ease of preparation, renewable, tailorable properties). Recent advances in DES extraction of three classes of biomacromolecules—i.e., proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids—were discussed and future research needs were identified. The importance of DES’s properties—particularly its viscosity, polarity, molar ratio of DES components, and water addition—on the DES extraction’s performance were discussed. Not unlike the findings from DES extraction of bioactive small molecules, DES extraction of biomacromolecules was concluded to be generally superior to extraction using synthetic organic solvents.     

Effective Release of Intracellular Enzymes by Permeating the Cell Membrane with Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents

An efficient and green method is crucial for the recovery of intracellular biological products. The major drawbacks of the conventional cell disruption method are nonselectivity and enzyme denaturation. The permeability of hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DESs) to the cell membrane was studied, for the first time, and then hydrophobic DESs were innovatively applied to release intracellular enzymes from recombinant Escherichia coli. After optimization, a DES suspension of l -menthol/oleic acid (0.5 %, v/v) showed the highest release yield of intracellular enzyme. Compared with that released by sonication, a release yield of phospholipase D (PLD) of up to 114.58 % was achieved, and the specific activity was increased by 1.96 times. The microstructure of the cell membrane under different treatments was observed by using an electron microscope to understand the permeation of DESs to the cell membrane. The feasibility and applicability of the proposed release method in industrial applications were also demonstrated. The effective and green release method of intracellular enzymes developed herein has bright prospects for industrial application to replace traditional cell disruption methods. A preliminary study on the permeability of hydrophobic DESs to the cell membrane showed that there would be a potential application prospect of hydrophobic DESs not only in releasing intracellular contents, but also in seeking new green penetrating agents.     

尿素-氯化胆碱低共熔体系提取羊毛角蛋白

以尿素-氯化胆碱低共熔体系为提取剂从羊毛纤维中提取羊毛角蛋白。最佳的条件为:溶解温度130℃、溶解时间180min、m(羊毛):m(尿素-氯化胆碱低共熔体系)=1:33。采用FTIR、Raman、XRD、SDS-PAGE和TGA对原羊毛和再生羊毛角蛋白的结构进行了表征。结果表明:通过低共熔体系溶解再生得到的羊毛角蛋白,其主链结构得到了保留,但是与原羊毛相比,再生羊毛角蛋白中的?-螺旋结构数量减少,耐热性变差。     

低共熔溶剂在天然产物萃取中的应用进展

为了取代传统有毒有害有机溶剂,实现对天然产物的绿色高效萃取,低共熔溶剂(DES)已得到广泛应用和普遍关注。DES是一种新型绿色溶剂,具有易于合成、低毒或无毒及环境友好等优点。通过对近10年各类数据库中相关研究论文的梳理分析,简介了DES的分类、合成及性质,重点阐述低共熔溶剂在萃取天然产物中生物活性物质(如黄酮类化合物、酚类、酚酸、生物碱、多糖、萜类和皂苷类)的应用,尤其是在多糖和黄酮类物质提取工艺中的广泛使用。分析了影响DES萃取效率的主要因素。最后,进一步展望了DES未来的发展趋势和应用前景。     

Computer Simulations of Deep Eutectic Solvents: Challenges,Solutions, and Perspectives

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are one of the most rapidly evolving types of solvents, appearing in a broad range of applications, such as nanotechnology, electrochemistry, biomass transformation, pharmaceuticals, membrane technology, biocomposite development, modern 3D-printing, and many others. The range of their applicability continues to expand, which demands the development of new DESs with improved properties. To do so requires an understanding of the fundamental relationship between the structure and properties of DESs. Computer simulation and machine learning techniques provide a fruitful approach as they can predict and reveal physical mechanisms and readily be linked to experiments. This review is devoted to the computational research of DESs and describes technical features of DES simulations and the corresponding perspectives on various DES applications. The aim is to demonstrate the current frontiers of computational research of DESs and discuss future perspectives.     

The Effect of Montmorillonites on the Physicochemical Properties of Potato Starch Films Plasticized with Deep Eutectic Solvent

In the paper, the method of obtaining the potato starch nanocomposites plasticized with a deep eutectic solvent is described. The deep eutectic solvent based on choline chloride and malic acid (CM, molar ratio 1:1) was used as the plasticizer. The effect of the sodium and calcium montmorillonite (MMTNa, MMTCa respectively) addition on the properties of potato starch films was investigated. The thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties were determined. Moreover, a moisture absorption test was performed. The starch gelatinization temperature increased in the presence of montmorillonite. The values of glass transition determined by DMTA depended on the nanofiller type. For the systems containing MMTCa, they generally decreased with its content (although still lower than reference samples). The obtained nanocomposites showed improved mechanical and barrier properties. The highest values of tensile strength and Young’s modulus were noted for the system containing 1% MMTNa. The XRD revealed that only the films with MMTNa exhibited intercalation. The homogeneity of the samples decreased with increasing nanofiller concentration. This was probably due to the occurrence of choline chloride-montmorillonite interactions, which were more favored than clay-starch interactions.     

Intensification of Mass Transfer in the Extraction Process with a Nanofluid Prepared in a Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent

The phytotoxic residues after olive oil production and residue leaves after pruning contain valuable bioactive compounds. A natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) and an ethanol-water mixture were used for polyphenol extraction from olive pomace and leaves. Type of solvent, extraction temperature, and particle size of the leaves were optimized. NADES demonstrated better efficiency in the extraction process than conventional solvents; with higher temperature and smaller fraction of olive leaves, a higher yield of polyphenols was obtained from leaves. Extraction with a nanofluid as solvent was carried out. A stable nanofluid was prepared from NADES by adding Al₂O₃ nanoparticles. A higher yield was obtained with nanofluid from leaves, while an improvement of polyphenol extraction was achieved after the removal of oil from olive pomace.     

三元低共熔溶剂中纳米硫化铜的合成及其光催化研究

以铜粉和硫粉为原料,在摩尔比为0.48:0.32:0.2的乙酰胺,尿素,硝酸铵三元低共熔溶剂中通过单质直接反应合成了纳米CuS。通过XRD、SEM、EDS和UV-Vis DRS等手段进行了表征,XRD、EDS表明产品为纯净的CuS晶体。SEM显示产品是由纳米片交错连结而成的球体结构。UV-Vis DRS表明产品的禁带宽度为1.86 e V。测试产品的光催化降解染料性能,光照100 min后亚甲基蓝(10 mg/L)的降解率可达到100%。表明CuS具有良好的光催化活性。     

在深共熔溶剂中合成喹啉衍生物

首次在深共熔溶剂（氯化胆碱/草酸）中,通过2-氨基芳基酮与α-亚甲基酮之间的Friedländer缩合反应,合成了一系列喹啉衍生物;在80 ℃和无催化剂条件下油浴加热反应1 h,取得了62-94%的产率,深共熔溶剂重复利用3次性能无明显降低。     

New Carvone-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents for Siloxanes Capture from Biogas

During biogas combustion, siloxanes form deposits of SiO₂ on engine components, thus shortening the lifespan of the installation. Therefore, the development of new methods for the purification of biogas is receiving increasing attention. One of the most effective methods is physical absorption with the use of appropriate solvents. According to the principles of green engineering, solvents should be biodegradable, non-toxic, and have a high absorption capacity. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) possess such characteristics. In the literature, due to the very large number of DES combinations, conductor-like screening models for real solvents (COSMO-RS), based on the comparison of siloxane activity coefficient of 90 DESs of various types, were studied. DESs, which have the highest affinity to siloxanes, were synthesized. The most important physicochemical properties of DESs were carefully studied. In order to explain of the mechanism of DES formation, and the interaction between DES and siloxanes, the theoretical studies based on σ-profiles, and experimental studies including the ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and FT-IR spectra, were applied. The obtained results indicated that the new DESs, which were composed of carvone and carboxylic acids, were characterized by the highest affinity to siloxanes. It was shown that the hydrogen bonds between the active ketone group (=O) and the carboxyl group (-COOH) determined the formation of stable DESs with a melting point much lower than those of the individual components. On the other hand, non-bonded interactions mainly determined the effective capture of siloxanes with DES.     

低共熔溶剂的分子结构及物性估算的研究进展

低共熔溶剂具有熔点低、不挥发、不易燃、溶解性良好、易合成、廉价、低毒、腐蚀性低、生物降解性好等特点,常被作为"绿色"溶剂应用于金属加工和合成反应中。然而,目前对低共熔溶剂的结构和性质的研究只限于少部分具体的低共熔溶剂,没有形成系统全面的理论体系。简述了低共熔溶剂的合成与分类、分子结构和形成机理的研究进展,归纳了低共熔溶剂的物性估算方法,并指出了一些关于低共熔溶剂研究中存在的问题,提出了可能的解决方案。     

Improved Production of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural in Acidic Deep Eutectic Solvents Using Microwave-Assisted Reactions

Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is a key platform chemical, essential for the production of other chemicals, as well as fuels. Despite its importance, the production methods applied so far still lack in sustainability. In this work, acidic deep eutectic solvents (DES), acting both as solvent and catalyst, were studied for the conversion of fructose into 5-HMF using microwave-assisted reactions. These solvents were screened and optimized by varying the hydrogen bond donor (HBD) and hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA). The bio-based solvent γ-valerolactone (GVL) was also applied as additive, leading to a boost in 5-HMF yield. Then, a response surface methodology was applied to further optimize operating conditions, such as reaction time, temperature and wt.% of added GVL. The highest 5-HMF yield attained, after optimization, was 82.4% at 130 °C, in 4 min of reaction time and with the addition of 10 wt.% of GVL. Moreover, a process for 5-HMF recovery and DES reuse was developed through the use of the bio-based solvent 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-Me-THF), allowing at least three cycles of 5-HMF production with minimal yield losses, while maintaining the purity of the isolated 5-HMF and the efficacy of the reaction media.     

低共熔溶剂在化工分离过程中的应用及研究进展

近年来,低共熔溶剂由于具有廉价、原材料易得、蒸汽压低且更加环境友好的合成过程等特点,越来越成为绿色化学领域的研究热点,特别是低共熔溶剂作为萃取剂在化工分离过程中的应用引起广泛关注。本文主要介绍了低共熔溶剂的组成、性质以及在分离过程中的一些应用和研究进展,最后对其未来的研究方向和存在的问题进行了讨论。     

深度共熔溶剂对桉木组分的溶解选择性

制备了不同季铵盐三丁基甲基氯化铵(MTBAC)、四甲基氯化铵(TMAC)、苄基三乙基氯化铵(TEBA)和氯化胆碱(ChCl)分别与DL-乳酸(HL)以摩尔比1:9合成的深度共熔溶剂,并将用于溶解桉木粉中木质素。结果表明,由苄基三乙基氯化铵/DL-乳酸(TEBA/HL)合成的深度共熔溶剂处理桉木粉,在90 ℃下反应10 h,木质素溶解率达92.3wt%,综纤维素溶解率仅为8.3wt%;同时,木质素与综纤维素溶解选择性系数之比K达到158.5,表明TEBA/HL对木质素的溶解选择性最佳。通过红外光谱(FT-IR)分析各分离产物,证明提取物中有木质素特征官能团。通过凝胶渗透色谱(GPC)分析表明分离产物相对分子质量均有所降低。通过固体13C核磁共振谱(CP/MAS 13C NMR)分析90 ℃下TEBA/HL中分离产物结构,证明其结构征符合阔叶材木质素结构特点。     

Separation of Diacteone Alcohol‐Water Mixtures by Membrane Pervaporation

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate membrane pervaporation for the separation of diacetone alcohol‐water mixtures using commercially available membranes for organic enrichment and dehydration. Empirical correlations for the effect of the process parameters of feed concentration, feed temperature, permeate‐side pressure, and scale‐up were developed. The solvent‐water mixture was successfully separated with a poly(vinyl alcohol) based Sulzer PERVAP 2210 dehydration membrane. Various dehydration membranes were evaluated and a comparison of the flux and separation factor was made. The membrane performance in separating acetone‐water mixtures was also studied. An overall model to predict the membrane area needed for a scale‐up was developed based on the results.     

The Treatment of Solvent in Multiscale Biophysical Modeling

Different approaches for treating the solvent in biophysical simulations are reviewed. They include explicit atomistic (classical fixed-charge, polarizable, or ab initio), explicit coarse-grained (polarizable or not), and implicit approaches (dielectric-based or empirical). The solvent is usually an aqueous electrolyte solution, but it can also be an aqueous mixture or heterogeneous, as in micelles and lipid bilayers. The treatment of the solvent is tied to that of the solute, with implicit solvation exhibiting the highest versatility. Applications of implicit and coarse-grained solvent modeling include a wide range of biological processes, such as protein folding, ligand binding, lipid self-assembly, and transmembrane translocation. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach are discussed and thoughts are offered on the optimal choice of method for different problems.     

An Efficient Strategy for the Production of Epoxidized Oils: Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent-Based Enzymatic Epoxidation

Poor H₂O₂-resistance by enzymes is a key bottleneck in the epoxidation process of oil by enzymatic methods. In this study, the stability of three lipases, from Aspergillus oryzae lipase (AOL), Aspergillus fumigatus lipase B (AflB), and marine Janibacter (MAJ1), in the presence of H₂O₂ was evaluated in different types of natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES). This stability was strengthened significantly in the NADES compared to the buffer. Specifically, AOL retained 84.7% of its initial activity in the presence of choline chloride/sorbitol (1:1 M ratio) and 3 mol L⁻¹ H₂O₂ after 24 h incubation at 40°C. In addition, the two-phase epoxidation process was optimized with AOL in ChCl/sorbitol to reach up to 96.8% conversion under the optimized conditions (molar ratio of octanoic acid/H₂O₂/C=C-bonds = 0.3:1.5:1, enzyme loading of 15 U g⁻¹ of soybean oil, ChCl/sorbitol content of 70.0% of the weight of hydrophilic phase, and reaction temperature of 50°C). Moreover, the lipase dispersed in NADES retained approximately 66% of its initial activity after being used for seven batch cycles. Overall, NADES-based enzymatic epoxidation is a feasible and promising strategy for the synthesis of epoxidized oils.     

硫化铜在低共熔溶剂中的合成及光催化研究

在四丁基氯化铵:乙二醇(1:3)低共熔溶剂中,以硫粉和铜粉为原材料,直接反应一步成功合成具有分层结构的微米级球状硫化铜。用XRD表征手段分析了合成的硫化铜的纯度、用SEM、TEM表征手段观察了硫化铜的形貌与微观结构。通过在紫外光下降解染料亚甲基蓝,探究了硫化铜的光催化性能,考察了光催化反应的影响因素。实验表明,合成的硫化铜对亚甲基蓝染料的降解有极佳的催化活性。     

Elimination of All Free Glycerol and Reduction of Total Glycerol from Palm Oil-Based Biodiesel Using Non-Glycerol Based Deep Eutectic Solvents

Purification of biodiesel prior to utilizing it as an alternative fuel is an essential industrial practice. Low glycerol content is one of the important pointers needed for passing the EN 14214 and ASTM D6751 international biodiesel standards. In this study, choline chloride (ChCl) as salt and ethylene glycol and 2,2,2-Trifluoroacetamide as hydrogen bond donors (HBDs) were employed to synthesize two ammonium salt-non glycerol based Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES). The physical properties of the synthesized DESs were measured and analyzed. These DESs were utilized to remove all the free glycerol from the palm oil-based biodiesel. The results indicated that all the tested DESs were able to remove all free glycerol successfully. The Central Composite Design (CCD) of the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to to experiment design and optimization of total glycerol removal using ethylene glycol-based DESs and 2,2,2-Trifluoroacetamide-based DESs. The maximum total glycerol removal by ethylene glycol-based DESs was obtained at 0.66 ethylene glycol mole fraction and at DES/biodiesel molar ratio of 3 with removal efficiency of 23.85% as well as by 2,2,2-Trifluoroacetamide-based DESs at 0.60 2,2,2-Trifluoroacetamide mole fraction and at DES/biodiesel molar ratio of 2.93 with removal efficiency of 29.29%. The reusability of these DESs for removing free glycerol and total glycerol content from palm oil-based biodiesel was also investigated. This study proves that both ammonium salt-non glycerol based DESs can be successfully employed to remove the glycerol from palm oil-based biodiesel.