From Olive Pomace to Squalane: A Green Chemistry Route Using 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran

Squalene (SQE) is a key triterpene used in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and cosmetics. Although olive pomace (OP) is a sustainable source of SQE, conventional hexane extraction raises environmental and health concerns. This study investigates the potential of 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) as a greener alternative for SQE extraction and catalytic hydrogenation to squalane (SQA); a high-value compound in industrial applications. 2-MeTHF provided 83% SQE recovery from OP, which was further concentrated in deodorizer distillates during refining. SQE hydrogenation in 2-MeTHF significantly improved reaction efficiency at lower temperatures (60 °C, 3 bar H2, 0.5 mol % Pd/C), enabling full conversion within 1 h. This represents a major advantage over conventional industrial hydrogenation, which requires harsher conditions (200 °C, 4–30 bar H2) and longer reaction times (6–7 h). In order to assess industrial feasibility, SQE from OP deodorizer distillates (6.8 wt %) was concentrated via saponification and molecular distillation (∼34 wt %), followed by flash chromatography (59 wt % purity, 85% recovery). However, residual impurities caused catalyst poisoning, lowering the SQA yield to 19.8%. This study highlights 2-MeTHF’s potential for industrial-scale SQE valorization via integrated extraction and hydrogenation. Future efforts should focus on improving SQE purification from OP-DDs and enhancing catalyst recyclability.