Switchable Solvents in Novel Approaches to Sustainable Analytical Practices: A Comparative Review Applying SPMS, NQS, SAMI, and SIX Score Metrics

Sustainability has become an essential consideration in modern chemical analysis. The green analysis focused on reducing pollution, energy consumption, and waste generation. In addition, the sustainability rules take into account both economic and societal ramifications. Switchable Solvents (SSs) are green solvents developed last year to address pollution issues. This study provides a full examination of SSs, including their designation, characteristics, and applications, with a focus on their importance in sustainability. In this context, the present review examines the types of SS solvents used in sample preparation processes. In contrast, this work shifts the focus from "what" these solvents can do to "how" they align with global sustainability standards. This work introduces the computational tools necessary to measure environmental impact. By applying the Sustainability of Analytical Methods Index (SAMI) software and SIX Score tool for the first time, these provide an objective, data-driven score for sample preparation. In addition, this review adds strategic evaluation by using tools like the sample preparation metric of sustainability (SPMS) and need-quality-sustainability (NQS). This transition from a purely chemical perspective to a "sustainability-first" perspective is essential for the future. Furthermore, this review critically examines sustainability goals, sustainability tools, study cases, reproducibility analysis, conclusions, and future perspectives.