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Separations
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Novel Solvents and Methods for Extraction of Chemicals
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Novel Solvents and Methods for Extraction of Chemicals

A special issue of Separations (ISSN 2297-8739). This special issue belongs to the section "Separation Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 3487

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Silvia Fraterrigo Garofalo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Turin, Italy
Interests: extraction; green extraction; process intensification; high-added value products; green solvents; waste valorization
Dr. Giuseppe Pipitone

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Turin, Italy
Interests: hydrogen production; biorefinery; wastewater; heterogeneous catalysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The extraction of chemicals is a fundamental process in many industrial applications, from pharmaceuticals to food production and environmental management. Traditionally, these processes have relied on solvents and methods that often pose significant environmental and economic challenges. However, the advent of novel solvents and innovative extraction methods is revolutionizing the field, offering more sustainable, efficient, and selective alternatives.

This Special Issue will focus on groundbreaking developments in solvents and chemical-process extraction methodologies. The aim is to highlight innovative approaches that enhance.

By contributing to this Special Issue, researchers will disseminate critical advancements and promote the adoption of sustainable practices in chemical extraction, fostering a greener and more efficient future for the industry

Key themes include but are not limited to:

  • Exploration of bio-based or innovative solvents that reduce ecological impact.
  • Techniques that utilize microwave energy or ultrsounds to improve extraction efficiency and reduce process times.
  • Utilization of supercritical fluids in extraction processes to achieve higher selectivity and lower solvent usage.
  • Advances in membrane technology for selective and efficient chemical separation.
  • Combination of traditional and novel methods to optimize extraction processes.

Dr. Silvia Fraterrigo Garofalo
Dr. Giuseppe Pipitone
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. Separations is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • sustainable extraction
  • chemical separation
  • innovative solvents
  • environmental sustainability
  • advanced extraction methods

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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11 pages, 1602 KiB  
Article
Green Protein Extraction from Hazelnut Press Cake: Yield, Efficiency, and Secondary Structure Analysis
by Bruna Anzà, Silvia Fraterrigo Garofalo, Alessandro Lapolla and Debora Fino
Separations 2025, 12(3), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations12030063 - 9 Mar 2025
Viewed by 632
Abstract
Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) oil production generates press cakes, a by-product rich in plant-based proteins. As demand for alternative proteins grows, sustainable extraction methods like deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are essential for reducing the environmental impact. Alkali solubilization/isoelectric precipitation (ALKIS) is a [...] Read more.
Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) oil production generates press cakes, a by-product rich in plant-based proteins. As demand for alternative proteins grows, sustainable extraction methods like deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are essential for reducing the environmental impact. Alkali solubilization/isoelectric precipitation (ALKIS) is a widely used method for protein extraction due to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. Despite that, ALKIS extraction has limitations due to the alteration in protein functionality, a reduction in protein stability, and significant wastewater production. This study compares DESs with ALKIS for extracting proteins from hazelnut press cake. ALKIS resulted in higher protein content (42.53 ± 17.45% vs. 8.55 ± 1.68%), while DES extraction showed higher efficiency (56.41 ± 2.4% vs. 45.16 ± 5.32%). FTIR analysis revealed significant structural differences: DES-extracted proteins exhibited higher β-sheet content (α-helix peak: 31.55 ± 6.97% vs. 18.13 ± 1.15%, p = 0.0302), indicating enhanced stability, whereas ALKIS-extracted proteins had more random coil structures (β-sheet peak: 57.92 ± 3.12% vs. 34.07 ± 12.45%, p = 0.0324), suggesting partial denaturation. The preservation of native protein structures in DES extraction is likely due to hydrogen bonding networks that stabilize proteins during processing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Solvents and Methods for Extraction of Chemicals)
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17 pages, 1767 KiB  
Article
Solid-State Fermentation of Brewery Spent Grains to Enhance Biomolecule Extraction
by Chiara Mollea and Francesca Bosco
Separations 2025, 12(3), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations12030058 - 22 Feb 2025
Viewed by 710
Abstract
In the present work, brewer’s spent grain, BSG, the main by-product of beer production, was applied for the recovery of total polyphenols (TPs). Whole and ground BSG (wBSG and gBSG), derived from a Pilsen beer, was subjected to a solvent extraction using ethanol/water [...] Read more.
In the present work, brewer’s spent grain, BSG, the main by-product of beer production, was applied for the recovery of total polyphenols (TPs). Whole and ground BSG (wBSG and gBSG), derived from a Pilsen beer, was subjected to a solvent extraction using ethanol/water (50:50 v/v), and then, to improve TP recovery, microwave, ultrasound bath or probe pre-treatments were applied. The highest total phenolic content (TPC) (5.8 mg GAE/gDW) was obtained with gBSG pre-treated with the ultrasound (US) probe for 15 min at 250 W. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) with Phanerochaete chrysosporium, in microcosms was investigated to improve the release of TPs. Microcosms were monitored by means of CO2 production, the total proteins, and laccase activity. Fungal growth on gBSG, after only 10 days of fermentation, resulted in a 30% increase in the TPC compared to the unfermented substrate. Applying US probe-assisted extraction to fermented, ground BSG resulted in a 51% improvement compared to the untreated sample. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Solvents and Methods for Extraction of Chemicals)
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12 pages, 1415 KiB  
Article
Recycling of Multilayer Flexible Packaging Waste Through Delamination with Recoverable Switchable Hydrophilicity Solvents
by Roberta Mastroddi, Chiara Samorì, Martina Vagnoni, Chiara Gualandi, Paola Galletti and Emilio Tagliavini
Separations 2025, 12(2), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations12020045 - 11 Feb 2025
Viewed by 1719
Abstract
Multilayer flexible packaging wastes (MFPWs) consist of complex materials composed of multiple plastic films, which are often laminated with aluminum foil, and they constitute a large portion of packaging waste. The use of several polymeric layers is essential to achieve the desired technical [...] Read more.
Multilayer flexible packaging wastes (MFPWs) consist of complex materials composed of multiple plastic films, which are often laminated with aluminum foil, and they constitute a large portion of packaging waste. The use of several polymeric layers is essential to achieve the desired technical and mechanical performance of the packaging; however, this makes layer separation and recycling challenging. Currently, this type of waste is predominantly incinerated or landfilled; non-industrial recycling processes have recently been developed, but they mostly rely on traditional solvent-based treatments, which can be problematic. We present a versatile process for recycling MFPWs using switchable hydrophilicity solvents (SHSs). By treating waste with SHSs through a temperature-controlled process, we efficiently recovered the polymeric layers as sorted transparent films, effectively removing all additives while preserving the original properties of the polymers. Aluminum was recovered as well. N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine was the best solvent for the delamination of the 26 different packaging materials tested, containing polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and aluminum. The main advantage of this method is the straightforward recovery of the different components that can be efficiently delaminated and easily removed from the solvent, even from highly variable input material. Moreover, by exploiting the CO2-triggered switchable behavior of the solvent, its purification and recovery can be achieved, maintaining its delamination efficacy over several cycles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Solvents and Methods for Extraction of Chemicals)
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