From Utility to Risk: Chlorinated Solvents and Their Alternatives in Drug Design

Dr. Bandana Dwivedi and Dr. Shailendra Singh

Volume 5 | Issue 1 | Pages 8-12

Abstract

The usage of solvents is an integral part of pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry and is
applied at virtually all stages of drug discovery and development such as synthesis,
extraction, purification and formation. Chlorinated solvents among other varieties of
organic solvents such as dichloromethane, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride and 1 ,2-
dichloroethane have played a prominent role due to their exceptional solvation properties,
chemical stability and good physical characteristics.
Their extensive usage has greatly facilitated the development of pharmaceutical research
and manufacturing. However, increasing scientific studies revealed that chlorinated
solvents may cause serious harm to the health of people and the environment. The issues
of toxicity, carcinogenic properties, occupational exposure and long-lasting
environmental effects stimulated pharmaceutical companies to seek alternatives to
chlorinated solvents.
This paper analyzes the shift from usefulness of chlorinated solvents to their hazards and
explores the issue of emergence of green solvents in drug designing and pharmaceutical
synthesis.

Keywords

Chlorinated solvents, drug design, pharmaceutical synthesis, medicinal chemistry

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