Biodegradable materials and their applications in sample preparation techniques–A review

• Application of biodegradable materials in microextraction techniques has been reviewed. • The physicochemical properties of biodegradable materials with their source and application have been reviewed. • Tunable biodegradable materials characteristics make them ideal as green materials in analytical chemistry. • Different biodegradable materials (biosurfactants, biopolymers and biosolvents) have been used in microextraction techniques. In recent years modification of sample preparation techniques has been in the spotlight for minimizing the volume of extraction solvent, increase the hydrophilicity of sorbent and decreasing the amount of sorptive phase to implement the principles of green chemistry. Significant progress has been made in sample preparation techniques to find greener solvents and sorbents. In this regard, the application of sample preparation techniques based on biodegradable materials has grabbed the attention of many researchers due to increasing concern about environmental degradation and resource depletion. Biodegradable materials with an environmentally friendly character emerged as sorbent or solvent in microextraction techniques. This review introduces the source and properties of biodegradable materials and discusses their analytical applications in liquid phase microextraction and sorbent-based microextraction techniques. The review also includes a comparison of new microextraction approaches with traditional methods to show their strengths.