Green solvents in analytical chemistry

Current trends in incorporating the principles of green chemistry in analytical methods have led to the design and usage of new solvents to replace conventional organic solvents, which characterize by their high volatility, flammability, and toxicity. Among the alternatives that have emerged, amphiphilic solvents, ionic liquids, and deep eutectic solvents are the most explored candidates in this research field. Taking advantage of the solvation properties of these new solvents, together with the synthetic versatility in the case of ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents, a wide variety of applications of these solvents within green analytical chemistry appear in the recent literature. The aim of this article is to provide a quick summary of the state of the art on the usage of these new green solvents in analytical chemistry, particularly in liquid-phase microextraction methods (within sample preparation) and as additives or pseudostationary phases in liquid chromatography (within analytical separation methods).