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The goals of Green Analytical Chemistry (GAC) cover sample-preparation tools

(1) reduction in the amount of sample to be treated and reduction/elimination of pollutant solvents or acids
(miniaturization);
(2) simultaneous extraction of multiple compounds; and,
(3) automation and throughput determination, leading to understanding of the important role that techniques based
on compressed fluids can play.

M. de la Guardia, S. Armenta, Greening simple treatments, in: M. de la Guardia, S. Armenta (Editors), Comprehensive
Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 57, Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2011, pp. 87–120.

CO2 has interesting properties for bioactives extraction:


(1) its critical conditions are easily attainable (31.1oC and 7.39 MPa);
(2) it is a non-toxic, non-flammable solvent; and,
(3) it is considered Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for use in the food industry.

Miguel Herrero, Marı´a Castro-Puyana, Jose´ A. Mendiola, Elena Iban˜ez


Trends in Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 43, 2013
Compressed fluids for the extraction of bioactive compounds

The basic principle of PLE relies on the use of solvents to carry out extractions at high pressures and temperatures,
always below their critical points, so that the liquid state of the solvent is maintained during the whole extraction
process

Miguel Herrero, Marı´a Castro-Puyana, Jose´ A. Mendiola, Elena Iban˜ez


Trends in Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 43, 2013
Compressed fluids for the extraction of bioactive compounds

The use of CO2

Carbon dioxide (critical conditions = 30.9 ◦C and 73.8 bar) is cheap, environmental friendly
and generally recognized as safe by FDA and EFSA. Supercritical CO 2 (SC-CO2) is also attractive because of its
high diffusivity combined with its easily tunable solvent strength. Another advantage is that CO2 is gaseous at room
temperature and pressure which makes analyte recovery very simple and provides solvent-free analytes. Also,
important for food and natural products sample preparation, is the ability of SFE using CO 2 to be operated at low
temperatures using a non-oxidant medium, which allows the extraction of thermally labile or easily oxidized
compounds
J.A. Mendiola et al. / J. Chromatogr. A 1152 (2007) 234–246

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