Sustainable extraction of Sb(III) using a natural deep eutectic solvent: greenness assessment and application to real food and water samplesUmut Baskurt, Muath Njjar, Mehmet Alperen Ergun, Canan Onac, Ahmet Kaya, Umit Divrikli, and Abdullah Akdoğan Chemical Engineering Department, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey
E-mail: baskurtumut22@gmail.com Received: 9 November 2025 Accepted: 7 January 2026 Abstract: In this study, a novel and environmentally friendly method was developed for the efficient removal of Sb(III) from aqueous solutions using a hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvent (HNaDES) composed of choline chloride and carvacrol in a 1:3 molar ratio. The eutectic solvent was synthesized using a simple heating and stirring method, and its successful formation was confirmed through FTIR and NMR analyses, which revealed strong hydrogen bonding interactions between the components. The removal process was optimized by investigating parameters such as pH, HNaDES composition and volume, sample volume, mixing conditions, Sb(III) concentration, and foreign ion effects. Optimal removal efficiency (> 95%) was achieved under neutral pH (7), with 1 mL of HNaDES and vortex mixing at 1200 rpm for 4 min. The method demonstrated strong analytical performance, with a low detection limit of 0.34 µg/L and excellent repeatability (RSD: 2.15%). Application to real samples, including bonito fish and textile wastewater, confirmed the method’s applicability, with removal efficiencies exceeding 86% even at higher Sb(III) concentrations. Furthermore, the greenness of the method was evaluated using the Analytical Greenness (AGREE) tool, yielding a score of 0.67, reflecting its alignment with green analytical chemistry principles. Keywords: Natural deep eutectic solvent (NaDES); Sb(III); Green analytical chemistry; Thyme oil; Carvacrol Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com. DOI: 10.1007/s11696-026-04659-y
Chemical Papers 80 (4) 3895–3909 (2026) |
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 
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