Biocatalysis in non-conventional media—ionic liquids, supercritical fluids and the gas phase

During the last decades much attention has been paid, by both academia and industry, to the development of new solvents. The introduction of ILs, sc-fluids and solid–gas interphase reactions has definitely opened new perspectives. ILs have been introduced into organic chemistry to meet the increasing demand for clean technologies in industrial processes. However, the toxicology of ILs remains unclear and further studies are necessary to assess their sustainability. Use of supercritical fluids is already a mature technique and their power lies less in their number but more in the variety of characteristics that one sc-fluid can have depending on the pressure. Enzyme-catalysed reactions at the solid–gas interphase have undergone a rapid development, and this will definitely find a place in the production of high value added compounds, such as fragrances.