Could quintessence unify the dark sector?

Abstract We consider a quintessence scalar field with a class of hyperbolic potential. This potential effectively introduces matter-like components into the cosmological fluid, contributing to the dark sector of the universe. For the observational analysis, we employ the PantheonPlus and Union3.0 catalogues, Cosmic Chronometers, and Baryon Acoustic Oscillations from the DESI DR2 collaboration. We test the hypothesis that quintessence can unify the dark sector. Our results reveal that, although the quintessence field provides a minor contribution to the matter component, the data do not show any support for the unification scenario.