1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane; from refrigerant and propellant to solvent

There is growing interest in the use of liquid 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R-134a) as a solvent in industrial and research activities. This paper will explore the solvency properties of R-134a and describe its application in the extraction of natural products where the combination of solvency character and convenient physical properties combine to make it a useful, viable alternative to conventional organic solvents and, in some cases, supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2).