CHEM21 selection guide of classical- and less classical-solventsElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5gc01008j

A selection guide of common solvents has been elaborated, based on a survey of publically available solvent selection guides. In order to rank less classical solvents, a set of Safety, Health and Environment criteria is proposed, aligned with the Global Harmonized System (GHS) and European regulations. A methodology based on a simple combination of these criteria gives an overall preliminary ranking of any solvent. This enables in particular a simplified greenness evaluation of bio-derived solvents. A methodology, based on a combination of SH&E criteria, enables a simplified greenness evaluation of any solvent, in the context of fine or pharmaceutical chemistry.