Natural deep eutectic solvents as multifunctional media for the valorisation of agricultural wastes.

We report the use of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) as multifunctional solvents for limonene bioprocessing: for the extraction of limonene from orange peel wastes, as solvent for the chemoenzymatic epoxidation of the limonene and as sacrificial electron donor for the in situ generation of H2O2 to promote the epoxidation reaction. The proof of concept for this multifunctional use is provided and the scope and current limitations of the concept are outlined.