Green Analytical Chemistry (Sep 2024)
Green and sustainable evaluation of methods for sample treatment in drug analysis
Abstract
The time-consuming nature of many sample treatment protocols continues to be recognized as the main bottleneck of analytical procedures, which, in most cases, use long analysis times, excessive amounts of solvents and reagents, and energy. However, the increased awareness of the need for environmental protection and the development of Green Analytical Chemistry (GAC) has led to significant advancements in the field of sample treatment. Today, advances in the miniaturization of sample treatment techniques, the development of sorbents with tunable properties, and greener alternatives (for example from waste valorization) are gaining interest in the analysis of psychoactive compounds. Indeed, techniques offering rapid sample preparation, minimal use of solvents, reagents, and energy, and a significant reduction of waste generation are chosen by the scientific community. In recent years, non-toxic extraction media, such as ionic liquids, and deep eutectic solvents have emerged as alternatives to petroleum-based solvent extractions. Similarly, sorbent-based techniques have benefited from engineered materials and nanotechnology, incorporating novel sorbents with optimized physicochemical properties to enhance extraction efficiency and selectivity. To meet sustainability standards, GAC provides a wealth of information in the field of green awareness, and the application of green metrics has been extended into the literature in the past decade. These tools serve as guides and encourage scientists to develop the most appropriate methodologies that focus on both analytical performance and sustainability, using different concepts and criteria. This article collects and discusses examples of different sample preparation techniques applied to drug analysis, highlighting their strategies for greening the processes and their evaluation using tools such as HEXAGON, Analytical greenness metric for sample preparation (AGREEprep), and Sample preparation metric of sustainability (SPMS) tools.
