(R)-(+)-Limonene and its close derivative p-cymene has been shown to be viable yet sustainable alternative solvents for amidation and esterification reactions.
James Clark and colleagues from the University of York, UK report the use of bio-derived solvents from citrus waste and their application in some organic reactions. Approximately 15 million tons of citrus waste is generated annually, but it is usually disposed of or incorporated into animal feed. However, this waste material provides excellent opportunities to obtain useful and/or valuable chemicals. Here, limonene obtained directly from citrus wastes, and p-cymene which can be synthesised easily from waste biomass, have been shown to be viable alternatives to conventional solvents in esterification and amidation reactions.
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A quantitative comparison between conventional and bio-derived solvents from citrus waste in esterification and amidation kinetic studies, James H. Clark, Duncan J. Macquarrie and James Sherwood, Green Chem., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C1GC16299C
