Hydrophobic DES and water: intermolecular interactions for tailored solvents

In the recent years, the search for green solvents has intensified and Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs)* have emerged as an alternative to conventional molecular solvents and ionic liquids. The effect of water on the physicochemical properties and on the structural features of DESs is attracting increasing attention, due to practical implications. The high viscosity of DESs may hinder their practical applications for different industrial processes, but the water content can considerably reduce it. The addition of even small amounts of water was found to decrease significantly the viscosity of DESs and this could make some applications, such as food processing, extraction processes, enzyme reactions, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, much more efficient.This project aims at the understanding of the behaviour of DES with increasing water content.