Bioinspired green deep eutectic solvents: preparation, catalytic activity, and biocompatibility

Over the past decade, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) evolved as the green solvent and are used extensively due to their various advantages over traditional organic solvents and ionic liquids (ILs) such as low volatility, low flammability, easy preparation, and use of cost-effective compounds in their preparation. DESs are comprised of two or more solid components, which on mixing results in a new chemical entity having lower melting point than the initial compounds. Due to all these properties, it has been used widely in various applications, i.e., biotechnology, nanotechnology, synthesis, catalysis, etc. However, despite their evident potential, there is still uncertainty over their toxicity. Furthermore, there are some conflicting reports on the biocompatibility of these solvents. This review is divided into two parts: the first part provides formation about the catalytic potential of DESs consisting of their recent application in various reactions, and the second part discusses the biocompatibility of DESs on different living organisms.