Basics and properties of deep eutectic solvents: a review

Deep eutectic solvents have emerged in green chemistry only seventeen years ago and yet resulted in a plethora of publications covering various research areas and diverse fields of application. Deep eutectic solvents appear as promising alternatives to conventional organic solvents due to their straightforward preparation using highly accessible and natural compounds. They display also high tunability. Here we present the classification and preparation methods of deep eutectic solvents. We detail their physicochemical properties such as phase behavior, density, viscosity, ionic conductivity, surface tension, and polarity. Properties are controlled by the choice of the forming compounds, molar ratio, temperature, and water content.