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New Horizons in Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs): Synthesis, Characterization and...
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New Horizons in Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs): Synthesis, Characterization and Applications

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Liquids".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2025 | Viewed by 1389

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dorota Warmińska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
Interests: green chemistry; ionic liquids; deep eutectic solvents; physicochemical properties; thermodynamic investigation; molecular interactions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Iwona Cichowska-Kopczyńska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Process Engineering and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
Interests: ionic liquids; deep eutectic solvents; mass transfer; membrane processes; physicochemical properties; gas separation; sustainable technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maciej Smiechowski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland
Interests: molecular interactions; density functional theory; ab initio molecular dynamics; molecular simulations; hydration; infrared spectroscopy; computational spectroscopy; deep eutectic solvents

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have gained considerable attention in recent years due to their potential as environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional volatile organic solvents. The main objective of this Special Issue is to publish original research articles and reviews that focus on the current status and future trends in the field of these solvents. The aim of this issue is to provide comprehensive coverage of both the scientific foundations and the industrial applications of DESs. We invite submissions that explore various aspects, including the design, synthesis, characterization, and properties of deep eutectic solvents, as well as their potential in various fields of industry such as pharmaceuticals, energy storage, catalysis, extraction and separation, and environmental technologies.

Dr. Dorota Warmińska
Dr. Iwona Cichowska-Kopczyńska
Dr. Maciej Smiechowski
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • deep eutectic solvent
  • methods of synthesis
  • physicochemical and thermal properties
  • extraction and separation
  • catalysis
  • pharmaceuticals
  • energy storage

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1520 KiB  
Article
Insights from Femtosecond Transient Absorption Spectroscopy into the Structure–Function Relationship of Glyceline Deep Eutectic Solvents
by Rathiesh Pandian and Clemens Burda
Molecules 2025, 30(5), 1059; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30051059 - 26 Feb 2025
Viewed by 482
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the structure–function relationship (SFR) for ChCl–glycerol mixtures, a deep eutectic solvent (DES), by investigating their microscopic solvation dynamics and how it relates to their macroscopic properties across varying concentrations of ChCl. Femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA) spectroscopy revealed two [...] Read more.
This study aimed to determine the structure–function relationship (SFR) for ChCl–glycerol mixtures, a deep eutectic solvent (DES), by investigating their microscopic solvation dynamics and how it relates to their macroscopic properties across varying concentrations of ChCl. Femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA) spectroscopy revealed two distinct solvation dynamics time constants: τ1, governed by glycerol–glycerol interactions, and τ2, dominated by the choline response. The τ2 minimum at 25–30 mol % ChCl closely aligned with the eutectic composition (~33.33 mol % ChCl), where the glycerol network was the most organized and the choline ions exhibited the fastest relaxation. The viscosity decreased sharply up to ~25 mol % ChCl and then plateaued, while the conductivity increased monotonically with ChCl concentration, reflecting enhanced ionic mobility. The density decreased with both increasing ChCl concentration and temperature, indicating disrupted hydrogen bonding and reduced molecular packing. The polarity, measured using betaine-30 (B30) and the ET(30) polarity scale, increased steeply up to approximately 25 mol % ChCl before reaching a plateau. These findings identified the eutectic composition as the optimal concentration range for balancing stability, fluidity, conductivity, and enhanced dynamics within the glycerol system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Horizons in Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs): Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)
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23 pages, 5174 KiB  
Article
Designed Reactive Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents for Lipase-Catalyzed Esterification
by Alina Ramona Buzatu, Anamaria Todea, Raluca Pop, Diana Maria Dreavă, Cristina Paul, Ioan Bîtcan, Marilena Motoc, Francisc Peter and Carmen Gabriela Boeriu
Molecules 2025, 30(4), 778; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30040778 - 7 Feb 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 709
Abstract
Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) are a sustainable, green option for extraction and reaction media in biorefineries and various chemical and biotechnological applications. Particularly, enzymatic reactions profit from NADES applications, as these solvents help to maintain high substrate solubility while improving both enzyme [...] Read more.
Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) are a sustainable, green option for extraction and reaction media in biorefineries and various chemical and biotechnological applications. Particularly, enzymatic reactions profit from NADES applications, as these solvents help to maintain high substrate solubility while improving both enzyme stability and efficiency. Recent studies confirmed that NADESs can perform multiple functions simultaneously, as reaction media for biocatalytic conversions, but also as substrates and catalysts for reactions, fulfilling the role of a reactive solvent. This study reports the beneficial effect of designed reactive natural deep eutectic solvents (R-NADESs) on the esterification activity and thermal stability of free and immobilized lipases in the synthesis of polyol- and carbohydrate-based biosurfactants. We manufactured and characterized 16 binary and ternary R-NADES systems with choline chloride (ChCl) as the hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and carbohydrate polyols; mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides; urea (U); N-methyl urea (MU); and water as the hydrogen bond donors (HBDs), in different combinations and molar ratios, most of which are reported for the first time in this paper. We determined their physicochemical, thermal, and molecular properties, including among others viscosity, polarizability, and the number of hydrogen bonds, and we showed that these properties are controlled by composition, molar ratio, molecular properties, temperature, and water content. Many lipases, both native and immobilized, showed high stability and remarkable catalytic performance in R-NADESs during esterification reactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Horizons in Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs): Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)
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