Cyrene: A bio-based sustainable solvent for organic synthesis

Cyrene (dihydrolevoglucosenone) is a green dipolar aprotic solvent prepared by pyrolysis of cellulose-containing biomass. Cyrene possesses a beneficial occupational health and safety profile combined with good biodegradability without NOx or SOx production. Since 2014, when Cyrene was for the first time introduced as a green solvent, it has attracted much attention in different fields. In this review, we discuss organic reactions, for which Cyrene was employed to play the role of medium. Significant progress was achieved in the replacement of conventional aprotic solvents by Cyrene as a safe and sustainable alternative. Cyrene demonstrated to be an effective medium for diverse chemical transformations, from carbon-carbon coupling reactions to biocatalyzed processes and polymerization. The applications of Cyrene as a cosolvent (e.g. in form of aqueous solutions) for organic synthesis are also discussed.

Automated summary

This review discusses the applications of the green solvent Cyrene in organic synthesis. By replacing traditional solvents, Cyrene has been proven to be a safe and sustainable alternative, showing good performance in various chemical reactions.