Hi Kenvan. Great question; thanks for asking it.
I think that one of the great challenges faced by green chemistry is to find solutions that meet published design principles. See, e.g.,: Principles of Green Chemistry and Green Engineering - American Chemical Society.
If one tries to be an honest broker and incorporate as many design principles as possible into the design and development of a new product, one quickly and frequently realizes that it is difficult to balance all the principles and deliver an optimal solution. In the case of cyrene, for example, a recent publication evaluating some of the "newer" and "greener" solvents, found cyrene was problematic from an environmental perspective. You may read more about that here: CHEM21 selection guide of classical- and less classical-solvents - Green Chemistry (RSC Publishing) ...
The case of Cyrene is similar to that of methyl-tetrahydrofuan derived from corn cobs, and also listed as problematic in the RSC publication. The current state of the art of green and sustainable chemistry is that there are always trade-offs and it is difficult, at times, to decide which approach is best. In terms of commercializing these and similar products, manufacturers should be careful to present a balanced picture of these trade-offs to avoid green washing.
Finally, commercializing any new product, whether it is greener or not, is frequently difficult because it is likely to be displacing chemicals and processes that are highly developed and optimized. I personally believe that your focus should be on how the product enhances the chemistry or delivers a function that is better than existing products. The fact that it is greener is truly a great thing, but it should not be seen as the primary means for marketing. Focus on the chemical innovation.
