A case study in the emerging bioeconomy: biobased solvents dihydrolevoglucosenone and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran

Abstract

Obtained via catalytic conversion of substrates sourced from sugars respectively derived from cellulose or from hemicellulose, dihydrolevoglucosenone (tradenamed “Cyrene”) and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF, tradenamed “Ecomeo”) are biobased solvents that can be used to replace lipophilic petroleum-derived solvents in numerous applications, ranging from use as cleaning agents in the electronics industry to extraction of natural products. Whereas most of the petroleum-based solvents replaced have significant detrimental effects on human health or the environment, this is not the case for both Cyrene and 2-MeTHF. For example, in early 2023, 2-MeTHF was added to the list of permitted solvents for foodstuffs and food ingredients approved for use in food and feed production in EU countries. The analysis of their commercial uptake presents two remarkable case studies in the emerging bioeconomy whose outcomes confirm the validity of bioeconomy management guidelines concerning successful biobased productions.