@article{article_1673341, title={Next Generation Solvents: A Sustainable Future with Green Chemistry Solvents}, journal={Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi}, volume={12}, pages={763–780}, year={2025}, DOI={10.35193/bseufbd.1673341}, author={Yaylaci, Cihan}, keywords={Bio-Based Solvents, Deep Eutectic Solvents, Ionic Liquids, Sustainability}, abstract={Solvents are indispensable in industrial and consumer applications, yet conventional solvents, often comprising toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pose significant risks to environmental and human health. The urgent need for sustainable alternatives has driven the development of green solvents, characterized by low toxicity, biodegradability, and alignment with green chemistry principles. This review conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 21.991 articles on green solvents published in the ScienceDirect database from 2010 to 2025, utilizing VOSviewer to map publication trends, journal distributions, subject areas, and keyword relationships. The analysis reveals a surge in publications since 2020, with approximately 80% of studies concentrated between 2010 and 2025, reflecting global sustainability priorities such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and EU regulations on VOC emissions. This study critically synthesizes the literature, comparing green solvent types—water, supercritical fluids (CO2 and ethanol), ionic liquids (ILs), deep eutectic solvents (DESs), and bio-based solvents—and their applications in chemical synthesis, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and environmental remediation, including heavy metal and dye removal. By analyzing highly cited works and publication trends, it addresses the question: “What makes green solvents promising for sustainable chemical processes, and what barriers must be overcome to realize their full potential?” The review identifies key challenges, such as scalability, cost, and lifecycle impacts, and proposes targeted research directions, including lifecycle assessments (LCAs), interdisciplinary applications, hybrid solvent systems, and policy frameworks, to advance green solvent development and align with global sustainability goals.}, number={2}, publisher={Bilecik Seyh Edebali University}