If society is to become greener and more sustainable, we have to improve how we separate chemicals. For example, the most energy-consuming and polluting step in biomass conversion processes is typically the separation of water from organics (e.g. feedstocks, intermediates, or products). That step is often so environmentally and economically costly that it is better to make products from fossil fuels! Re-thinking how we achieve separations is crucial to achieving sustainability. Stimuli-responsive materials, such as CO2-switchable solvents, can enable separations without requiring distillation. Since the initial discovery of switchable solvents back in 2005, new developments include new types of switchable solvents, including: - high pressure switchable water - new switchable solvents so benign that they could be food-safe. and new applications such as: - methods for separating biomass-derived hydrophilic compounds from water, - methods for capturing organic vapours - concentrating food and beverage products - making bio-derived latex paints These developments will be described, along with a discussion of the progress and outlook for industrial commercialization of switchable solvents.

Recent advances in CO2-switchable solvents

ACS Fall 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.