Deep Eutectic Solvents

Solvents play a crucial role in promoting chemical reactions. They are essential for transporting reactants and energy transfer. Mostly volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are used as solvents. While volatile, such solvents are flammable, environmentally hazardous, highly polluting, toxic, derived from depleting petroleum reserves, and unsustainable, and hence not considered ‘green’. Society views VOCs as a necessary evil. The fortuitous discovery of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) has changed the bleak scenario. DESs allow the sustainable conduct of chemical reactions. Site-specific DESs meet most of the requirements to be called green solvents/designer solvents/solvents of the future. This preliminary review will high-light their discovery, characteristics, properties, and applications. Through this review, we intend to introduce the concept of DESs to the novice and kindle interest in this fast-emerging field of research.