Bio-based and safer solvents — Cyrene (dihydrolevoglucosenone from cellulose), 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF from furfural/levulinic acid), ethyl lactate, bio-ethanol, γ-valerolactone, limonene — instead of NMP, DMF, DMAc, dichloromethane and other hazardous solvents
N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethylacetamide (DMAc), dichloromethane (DCM), chloroform, toluene/xylene in some uses
Pharmaceutical and fine-chemical synthesis, polymer processing (membranes, battery electrode slurries), coatings and paint stripping, cleaning/degreasing, extraction
Suppliers 1
| India Glycols (NSE) | India | active |
Route into Russia / EAEU CHEM
- Regulator
- Minpromtorg (registration) / Rospotrebnadzor (notification of new substances)
- Typical time
- state registration ~10-15 working days after expert assessment; new substances need notification
- Legal basis
- TR EAEU 041/2017 on chemical safety (in force since 02.06.2021); Government Decree No. 1407 (11.09.2020); lubricants TR CU 030/2012
Information, not legal advice — confirm the procedure for your product.
Proof 5 claims
Conventional petroleum-derived solvents including NMP (N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone), DMF (dimethylformamide), DMAc (dimethylacetamide), and dichloromethane (DCM).
Bio-based solvents such as Cyrene (dihydrolevoglucosenone) and 2-MeTHF (2-methyltetrahydrofuran), and binary green solvent mixtures (e.g., DMSO/EtOAc).
- Displaced at scale?
- no
- Caveats
- Bio-based solvents like Cyrene are currently produced on a relatively small scale (few tonnes per year) and have not displaced conventional solvents like NMP or DMF at a large commercial scale. Large-scale adoption is currently limited by high production costs compared to petroleum-derived solvents.
- checked
- 2026-10-06
| Bio-based solvents like Cyrene have not been taken up on a large scale due to high costs, except for niche applications where superior performance is a technical necessity. “Until then, the bioproduct will never be taken up on a large scale except for niche applications in which the superior performance of the bioproduct is a technical necessity.” global · 2026 · pilot or niche | peer-reviewed pubs.rsc.org |
| The market for 2-MeTHF is growing at nearly a 10% annual growth rate, driven by its use as a safer solvent than conventional solvents like tetrahydrofuran and dichloromethane. “Meanwhile, driven by its increasing use as a safer solvent than conventional solvents like tetrahydrofuran and dichloromethane across various sectors, including pharmaceutical ingredient production, electronics, oil, cosmetic and food sectors, the market for 2-MeTHF ($450 million in 2024) is growing at nearly a 10% …” global · 2024-2033 · | peer-reviewed ✓ pubs.rsc.org |
| Binary mixtures of green solvents (e.g., DMSO/EtOAc, DMSO/DOL, DMSO/2-MeTHF) can replace DMF in solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) while maintaining comparable purity profiles. “We showed that the purity profile is not adversely impacted in binary solvent mixtures when compared with DMF. 2 The identified green binary solvent mixtures were employed for the synthesis of a range of challenging model peptides and peptide therapeutics on a meaningful scale, demonstrating that binary solvent …” global · 2021 · | weak (company, news, market research, other) www.bachem.com |
| The bulk price of Cyrene is significantly higher than that of conventional solvents like DMF, which hinders its large-scale commercial adoption. “To understand the scope of the challenge, it is helpful to learn that whereas the bulk price of Cyrene on the bulk scale is about $59 per kg (namely $59 000 per t), 15 the current (2025 first quarter) bulk price of DMF varies between $575 per t in China and $1570 per t in the USA.” global · 2025 · | peer-reviewed pubs.rsc.org |
| The market for 2-MeTHF amounted to 4500 tonnes in the early 2020s. “On the other hand, the substantially lower price of 2-MeTHF derived from furfural, in turn produced on the industrial scale from sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose since 1955, created a market for 2-MeTHF that in the early 2020s already amounted to 4500 tonnes.” global · early 2020s · pilot or niche | peer-reviewed ✓ pubs.rsc.org |
References 4
- Sherwood J, De bruyn M, Constantinou A, et al. (2014). Dihydrolevoglucosenone (Cyrene) as a bio-based alternative for dipolar aprotic solvents. *Chemical Commun VERIFIED DOI · cited by 453
- Prat D, Wells A, Hayler J, et al. (2016). CHEM21 selection guide of classical- and less classical-solvents. *Green Chemistry* 18: 288–296. VERIFIED DOI · cited by 2170
- Pace V, Hoyos P, Castoldi L, Domínguez de María P, Alcántara AR (2012). 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF): a biomass-derived solvent with broad application in o VERIFIED DOI
- Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/588 (NMP) and Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/2030 (DMF) amending Annex XVII to REACH. NOT CHECKED — regulation …
Details
Replaces: reprotoxic dipolar aprotic solvents and chlorinated solvents · Scope: chemical and manufacturing industries · Evidence: high for hazards
The chemical problem#
Solvents are often the largest mass of material in chemical processes, especially in pharmaceutical manufacture. NMP, DMF and DMAc are reproductive toxicants, and the EU restricted NMP (Regulation (EU) 2018/588) and DMF (2021/2030). Dichloromethane paint strippers have killed workers and consumers through acute exposure, and the EU and US restricted DCM for consumer paint stripping. Russia and the CIS still use these solvents widely.
Product overview#
Bio-based solvents produced from biomass:
- Cyrene™ (dihydrolevoglucosenone): made in 2 steps from cellulose (via levoglucosenone); a dipolar aprotic substitute for NMP/DMF in some reactions, membrane manufacture and graphene dispersion (Sherwood et al. 2014).
- 2-MeTHF: from furfural or levulinic acid (hemicellulose/cellulose); replaces THF and DCM in extractions and organometallic reactions.
- Ethyl lactate: from fermentation-derived lactic acid + bio-ethanol; cleaning and coatings.
- γ-Valerolactone (GVL): from levulinic acid; a dipolar solvent for some applications.
- d-Limonene (citrus peel): degreasing, replacing chlorinated or aromatic solvents.
- Bio-ethanol and bio-based esters for extractions and cleaning. Solvent selection guides (CHEM21, GSK, Pfizer) rank the options by health, safety and environment.
Active ingredient / Composition#
Cyrene, 2-MeTHF, ethyl lactate, GVL, limonene, ethanol: all derived from cellulose, hemicellulose, sugars or fruit waste.
Key facts#
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Class | Bio-based solvents |
| Toxicity | Generally lower: e.g. Cyrene is not classified reprotoxic; 2-MeTHF has lower toxicity than DCM |
| Feedstock | Cellulose, hemicellulose (furfural), sugars, citrus waste |
| Guides | CHEM21 solvent selection guide |
Advantages#
- Removes reproductive toxicants and carcinogens from workplaces.
- Uses biomass waste streams (wood, agricultural residues, citrus peel).
- Often easier recycling and lower VOC toxicity.
Mode of action#
The solvents have similar polarity and solvating power to the ones they replace (for example, Cyrene has dipolar aprotic properties close to NMP), allowing reactions and dissolution processes to run with process adjustments.
Application#
| Use | Bio-based alternative |
|---|---|
| Polymer membranes (PES, PVDF) | Cyrene, GVL (partial) |
| Organic synthesis (amide couplings, SNAr) | Cyrene, 2-MeTHF, bio-esters |
| Extractions | 2-MeTHF instead of DCM |
| Paint stripping, degreasing | Benzyl alcohol-based, limonene, ethyl lactate |
| Battery cathode slurries (NMP) | Water-based binders (not bio) or emerging bio-solvents: partial |
Limitations#
- Not drop-in for every reaction (Cyrene is unstable with strong bases).
- Cost and supply scale are still developing for some (Cyrene).
- The biomass origin alone does not guarantee low toxicity; each solvent needs a hazard assessment.
Evidence of displacement — D1: works, adoption not proven#
Verified figures (the number is in the quoted sentence and the sentence is on the source page):
- driver — The market for 2-MeTHF is growing at nearly a 10% annual growth rate, driven by its use as a safer solvent than conventional solvents like tetrahydrofuran and dichloromethane. (global, 2024-2033; peer-reviewed: pubs.rsc.org)
- performance — The market for 2-MeTHF amounted to 4500 tonnes in the early 2020s. (global, early 2020s; peer-reviewed: pubs.rsc.org)
Suppliers — real products and services (from the vendor index)#
Companies below are active vendors in the vendor index whose own card (profile / official website) shows this product or service — matched 2026-09-28 by keyword and checked by hand against the card text. Being listed is not an endorsement; open each card for evidence, contacts and status.
| Company | Region · Country | What the index shows | Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| India Glycols (NSE) | Asia · India | bio-based chemicals and green solvents | card |
Government funding signals#
Public grants for a specific technology are a leading indicator: governments fund what regulators want to replace and what is close to practical adoption. Searched on 2026-09-27 in: EU CORDIS (FP7, Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe), US federal awards (USAspending: USDA NIFA/ARS/APHIS/Forest Service, EPA, DOE, NOAA, USAID; plus NSF and NIH), UK UKRI Gateway to Research, Australian Research Council. Each grant below was reviewed by hand for relevance. China, Brazil and India are covered in the subsection below (publication-acknowledged grants). Not covered: Russia (RSF, FASIE — not reachable from the research environment) and national agencies outside these databases. Amounts are the funder’s contribution as recorded (US NIH/UKRI: per award or fiscal year).
Signal: Strong. 3 relevant grant(s) · about €11.5M in total · jurisdictions: EU, UK.
| Funder / programme | Project | Lead organisation | Start | Amount | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Commission — HORIZON HORIZON-JU-IA | Innovative biotech routes for efficient bio-based solvent production promoting a safe and sustainable European industry | Aimplas - Asociacion De Investigacion De Mate (ES) | 2025 | 7,044,900 EUR | link |
| European Commission — H2020 BBI-RIA | ReSolve: REnewable SOLVEnts with high performance in application and improved toxicity profile | University Of York (UK) | 2017 | 4,358,412 EUR | link |
| UKRI — ISCF | Bio-based solvent identification and evaluation for use in polyurethane resin binders for the roofing industry | (UK) | 2021 | 48,410 GBP | link |
China, Brazil, India — national research grants acknowledged in publications#
Chinese, Brazilian and Indian funders have no open grant databases reachable here, so this measures scientific papers published since 2015 that acknowledge national government grants, taken from the grant numbers publishers deposit with Crossref. Only papers whose title contains this article’s key terms are counted (a conservative lower bound; “100+” = search window full). It shows research-funding intensity, not budgets. Funders: China — NSFC, National Key R&D Program, China Agriculture Research System; Brazil — CNPq, CAPES, FAPESP, Embrapa, FAPEMIG; India — DBT, DST, ICAR, SERB, CSIR, BIRAC. Rating per country: Strong ≥50 papers · Moderate 10–49 · Weak 1–9.
| Country | Papers funded (2015–2026) | Signal | Main funders (grant acknowledgements) | Example grant → funded paper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 6 | Weak | NSFC (7), National Key R&D Program (2) | NSFC 22078010 → Experimental and mechanistic study of bio-based solvent Cyrene for de-aromatization of model diesel (2023) doi |
| Brazil | 9 | Weak | CAPES (9), CNPq (7), FAPESP (2) | CNPq 312486/2022-7 → Magnetic field and a bio-based solvent as greener alternatives in Phaffia rhodozyma cultivation: insights… (2024) doi |
| India | 5 | Weak | SERB (4), CSIR (2) | SERB CRG/2018/000522 → Thermal performance of bio‐nanofluid dihydrolevoglucosenone: Experimental and atomistic simulation… (2024) doi |
Scientific evidence#
- Sherwood J, De bruyn M, Constantinou A, et al. (2014). Dihydrolevoglucosenone (Cyrene) as a bio-based alternative for dipolar aprotic solvents. Chemical Communications 50: 9650–9652.
- Prat D, Wells A, Hayler J, et al. (2016). CHEM21 selection guide of classical- and less classical-solvents. Green Chemistry 18: 288–296.
- Pace V, Hoyos P, Castoldi L, Domínguez de María P, Alcántara AR (2012). 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF): a biomass-derived solvent with broad application in organic chemistry. ChemSusChem 5: 1369–1379.
- Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/588 (NMP) and Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/2030 (DMF) amending Annex XVII to REACH.
Bioeconomy value#
Biorefinery platform chemicals (levoglucosenone, furfural, lactic acid) become high-value solvents, replacing toxic petrochemical solvents.