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Updated: May 6, 2026

Preparation of Binary and Ternary Deep Eutectic Systems
Published on: October 31, 2019
Ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents in natural products research: mixtures of solids as extraction solvents
Yuntao Dai1, Jaap van Spronsen, Geert-Jan Witkamp
1Natural Products Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Leiden University , 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Mixtures of solid chemicals may become liquid under certain conditions. These liquids are characterized by the formation of strong ionic (ionic liquids) or hydrogen bonds (deep eutectic solvents). Due to their extremely low vapor pressure, they are now widely used in polymer chemistry and synthetic organic chemistry, yet little attention has been paid to their use as extraction solvents of natural products. This review summarizes the preparation of ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents with natural product components and recent progress in their applications to the extraction and analysis of natural products as well as the recovery of extracted compounds from their extracts. Additionally, various factors affecting extraction features of ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents, as well as potential useful technologies including microwave and ultrasound to increase the extraction efficiency, are discussed.
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