Recent advances in greener alternative solvents for reversed-phase liquid chromatography in pharmaceutical analysis.

Reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC) is widely used in pharmaceutical analysis, often relying on traditional organic solvents which present significant environmental and health risks. As a result, the growing demand for sustainable analytical practices has led to the development of eco-friendly solvents for RP-LC. This review discusses recent developments in the application of greener alternative solvents, such as ethanol, glycerol, dimethyl carbonate, cyrene, acetone, propylene carbonate, ionic liquids, propylene glycol, deep eutectic solvents, and surfactants, in pharmaceutical analysis using RP-LC. The review also highlights the potential of these greener solvents to replace conventional ones in the analysis of pharmaceuticals. Overall, green solvents can achieve analytical performance comparable to traditional methods while significantly reducing environmental burden and health risks. The limitations and practical strategies to overcome the challenges are also discussed.