Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-13-2025

Comments

This article is the author's final published version in Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 233, October 2025, 121348.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2025.121348.

Copyright © 2025 The Authors

Abstract

Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction is increasingly recognized as a green and efficient alternative to conventional solvent-based techniques for valorizing plant biomass. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in a scCO2 extraction method, focusing on its advantages in isolating high-value compounds from agricultural feedstocks. The unique physicochemical properties of scCO2, combining gas-like diffusivity with liquid-like solvating power, enable selective extraction under mild and tunable conditions, which preserves the integrity of thermally sensitive molecules. In addition, scCO2 reduces energy consumption, eliminates toxic solvent residues, and offers greater extraction precision than traditional methods. These features have contributed to its adoption across multiple industries including food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, textiles, and bioplastics. However, some limitations such as low solubility for polar compounds and high costs for recycling CO2 remain barriers to widespread implementation. Finally, this review highlights several promising directions, including the full utilization of biomass, the application of scCO2 in biomedical materials, and the integration of extraction processes within green biorefinery systems. These developments not only support the advancement of green extraction technologies but also reinforce the role of scCO2 in promoting a circular bioeconomy, where agricultural residues are transformed into high purity, functional products with minimal environmental impact.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Language

English

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