assignment on green chemistry

Key Elements of Green Chemistry

Lucian Lucia, North Carolina State University

Copyright Year: 2018

Publisher: North Carolina State University

Language: English

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Reviewed by Debasish Bandyopadhyay, Assistant Professor, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 12/22/21

The book presents the major concepts of green chemistry in six chapters. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The book presents the major concepts of green chemistry in six chapters.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content is accurate and to the point.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

All the materials presented in this book are updated.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is written in simple language that should be helpful for the readers to understand the topic.

Consistency rating: 4

The six chapters are well-aligned, and the whole concept of green chemistry has been thoughtfully presented in this book.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course. Under each chapter, there are several headings sections and subsections. The text is not overly self-referential and should be quickly reorganized and realigned with various subunits of a course without presenting much disruption to the reader.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

In each chapter, their sections and sub-sections have been organized stepwise.

Interface rating: 4

The text is free of significant interface issues, including navigation problems, distortion of images/charts, and any other display features that may distract or confuse the reader.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There are no significant grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.

Although the book's target readers are green chemists, it is an excellent reference book also for toxicologists, chemical engineers, pharmacologists, and biochemists. The author has successfully correlated the green chemistry parameters with the real world. For example, the author included the incidents of burning oil and debris that collected on the surface of the Cuyahoga River (Cleveland), the thalidomide issue etc. The discussion on the LCA software, the globally harmonized system (GHS) that attempts to categorize the general types of threats in society, specifically, is fascinating. The concept of different hazards such as carcinogens, mutagens, teratogens, tumor promoters, corrosives, neurotoxins, lachrymators has added special value to this book. The lethal dose of everyday things like water to Vit C provides real-world examples. The author has brilliantly correlated the chemistry world with the business world by the dual meaning of ‘solvent’. Discussion on alternative solvents like green biobased solvent methyl soyate, eutectic mixture, microemulsion, etc., are fascinating. Combinatorial chemistry and organic reaction mechanism part will undoubtedly draw attention to the organic chemistry students. In the last chapter, the classification of organic reactions and their correlation with green chemistry is eloquent. The images are significant. The author referenced each image so that curious readers could go more over it. At the end of each chapter, the review questions will insist the readers rethink the subject matter. A little comicalness throughout the book will keep the readers smiling.

Table of Contents

• Chapter 1: Principles Of Green Chemistry
• Chapter 2: Life-Cycle Analysis
• Chapter 3: Hazards
• Chapter 4: Alternative Solvents
• Chapter 5: Alternative Reagents
• Chapter 6: Reaction Types, Design, And Efficiency
• Index Of Terms

Ancillary Material

About the book.

Green chemistry, in addition to being a science, it is also a philosophy and nearly a religion. Attendance at American Chemical Society Green Chemistry & Engineering Conferences will instill such an ideal into any attendant because of the nearly universal appeal and possibilities in this novel approach to radicalizing the business of doing science and engineering.

About the Contributors

Lucian Lucia currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Departments of Forest Biomaterials and Chemistry and as a faculty in the programs of Fiber & Polymer Science and Environmental Sciences at North Carolina State University. His laboratory, The Laboratory of Soft Materials & Green Chemistry, probes fundamental materials chemistry of biopolymers. He received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Florida under Professor Kirk Schanze for modeling photoinduced charge separation states of novel Rhenium (I)-based organometallic ensembles as a first order approximation of photosynthesis. He began his professional career as an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Paper Science and Technology at the Georgia Institute of Technology examining the mechanism of singlet oxygen’s chemistry with lignin & cellulose. A large part of his recent work has been focused on the chemical modification of cellulosics for biomedical applications. He teaches From Papyrus to Plasma Screens: Paper & Society (PSE 220), Principles of Green Chemistry (PSE / CH 335), and is the graduate supervisor for the Forest Biomaterials Seminar Series (WPS 590 / 790) while providing workshops in Wood Chemistry and Green Chemistry at Qilu University of Technology in PR China. He has co-founded and co-edits an open-access international research journal, BioResources, dedicated to original research articles, reviews, and editorials on the fundamental science & engineering and advanced applications of lignocellulosic materials.

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2.5: Practice of Green Chemistry

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• Page ID 284414

• Stanley E. Manahan
• University of Missouri

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The limitations of a command and control system for environmental protection have become more obvious even as the system has become more successful. In industrialized societies with good, well-enforced regulations, most of the easy and inexpensive measures that can be taken to reduce environmental pollution and exposure to harmful chemicals have been implemented. Therefore, small increases in environmental protection now require relatively large investments in money and effort. Is there a better way? There is, indeed. The better way is through the practice of green chemistry.

Green chemistry can be defined as the practice of chemical science and manufacturing in a manner that is sustainable, safe, and non-polluting and that consumes minimum amounts of materials and energy while producing little or no waste material. This definition of green chemistry is illustrated in Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\). The practice of green chemistry begins with recognition that the production, processing, use, and eventual disposal of chemical products may cause harm when performed incorrectly. In accomplishing its objectives, green chemistry and green chemical engineering may modify or totally redesign chemical products and processes with the objective of minimizing wastes and the use or generation of particularly dangerous materials. Those who practice green chemistry recognize that they are responsible for any effects on the world that their chemicals or chemical processes may have. Far from being economically regressive and a drag on profits, green chemistry is about increasing profits and promoting innovation while protecting human health and the environment.

To a degree, we are still finding out what green chemistry is. That is because it is a rapidly evolving and developing subdiscipline in the field of chemistry. And it is a very exciting time for those who are practitioners of this developing science. Basically, green chemistry harnesses a vast body of chemical knowledge and applies it to the production, use, and ultimate disposal of chemicals in a way that minimizes consumption of materials, exposure of living organisms, including humans, to toxic substances, and damage to the environment. And it does so in a manner that is economically feasible and cost effective. In one sense, green chemistry is the most efficient possible practice of chemistry and the least costly when all of the costs of doing chemistry, including hazards and potential environmental damage are taken into account.

Green chemistry is sustainable chemistry. There are several important respects in which green chemistry is sustainable:

• Economic: At a high level of sophistication green chemistry normally costs less in strictly economic terms (to say nothing of environmental costs) than chemistry as it is normally practiced.
• Materials: By efficiently using materials, maximum recycling, and minimum use of virgin raw materials, green chemistry is sustainable with respect to materials.
• Waste: By reducing insofar as possible, or even totally eliminating their production, green chemistry is sustainable with respect to wastes

Green Chemistry: Principles and Case Studies

Green chemistry as a discipline is gaining increasing attention globally, with environmentally conscious students keen to learn how they can contribute to a safer and more sustainable world. Many universities now offer courses or modules specifically on green chemistry – Green Chemistry: Principles and Case Studies is an essential learning resource for those interested in mastering the subject.

Providing a comprehensive overview of the concepts of green chemistry this book engages students with a thorough understanding of what we mean by green chemistry and how it can be put into practice. Structured around the well-known 12 Principles, and firmly grounded in real-world applications and case-studies, this book shows how green chemistry is already being put into practice and prepare them to think about how they can be incorporated into their own work.

Targeted at advanced undergraduate and first-year graduate students with a background in general and organic chemistry, it is a useful resource both for students and for teachers looking to develop new courses.

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F. A. Etzkorn, Green Chemistry: Principles and Case Studies, The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2019.

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Print format, table of contents.

• Front Matter
• Acknowledgements
• The 12 Principles of Green Chemistry
• 1: Prevent Waste p1-22 Abstract Open the PDF Link PDF for 1: Prevent Waste in another window
• 2: Synthetic Efficiency p23-56 Abstract Open the PDF Link PDF for 2: Synthetic Efficiency in another window
• 3: Benign Synthesis p57-90 Abstract Open the PDF Link PDF for 3: Benign Synthesis in another window
• 4: Benign Products p91-124 Abstract Open the PDF Link PDF for 4: Benign Products in another window
• 5: Avoid Auxiliaries p125-168 Abstract Open the PDF Link PDF for 5: Avoid Auxiliaries in another window
• 6: Energy Efficiency p169-207 Abstract Open the PDF Link PDF for 6: Energy Efficiency in another window
• 7: Renewable Feedstocks p208-236 Abstract Open the PDF Link PDF for 7: Renewable Feedstocks in another window
• 8: Avoid Protecting Groups p237-270 Abstract Open the PDF Link PDF for 8: Avoid Protecting Groups in another window
• 9: Catalysis p271-298 Abstract Open the PDF Link PDF for 9: Catalysis in another window
• 10: Degradation or Recovery p299-320 Abstract Open the PDF Link PDF for 10: Degradation or Recovery in another window
• 11: Real-time Analysis p321-352 Abstract Open the PDF Link PDF for 11: Real-time Analysis in another window
• 12: Prevent Accidents p353-378 Abstract Open the PDF Link PDF for 12: Prevent Accidents in another window
• Appendix A: Organic Functional Groups p379-383 Open the PDF Link PDF for Appendix A: Organic Functional Groups in another window
• Appendix B: Organic Mechanism p384-408 Open the PDF Link PDF for Appendix B: Organic Mechanism in another window
• Appendix C: p K a Tables p409-415 Open the PDF Link PDF for Appendix C: p<em>K</em>_a Tables in another window
• Appendix D: Earth Abundance Periodic Table p416-417 Open the PDF Link PDF for Appendix D: Earth Abundance Periodic Table in another window
• Appendix E: Standard Reduction Potentials by Value p418-420 Open the PDF Link PDF for Appendix E: Standard Reduction Potentials by Value in another window
• Appendix F: Solvent Selection Guide p421-422 Open the PDF Link PDF for Appendix F: Solvent Selection Guide in another window
• Appendix G: Selected Bond Dissociation Energies p423-424 Open the PDF Link PDF for Appendix G: Selected Bond Dissociation Energies in another window
• Subject Index p425-447 Open the PDF Link PDF for Subject Index in another window

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Introduction to Green Chemistry

Green chemistry industry icon (Petmal, iStockphoto)

How does this align with my curriculum?

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Green chemistry is a field that looks at the sustainability of products and processes designed by people.

Do you recycle? Compost? Turn off the lights when you leave a room? If so, you’re practicing environmental  sustainability . You recognize that our planet has limited resources. And you support its long-term health.

Chemists design all kinds of products. These include plastics,  pesticides  and  pharmaceuticals . In the past, they focused on these products’ usefulness. They didn’t necessarily think about sustainability. But many products turned out to be harmful for the environment. So did the processes used to make them. Chemists who focus on the environmental impacts of products work in a growing field called  Green Chemistry .

In green chemistry, scientists think about a chemical’s impact from the laboratory, to the disposal site, to the environment. One way they can evaluate this impact is with the  12 Principles of Green Chemistry .

Shown is a colour infographic with twelve phrases and logos. The title, Green Chemistry: 12 Principles is on a green banner across the top. Below, twelve green diamonds are arranged around a green test tube with a small plant growing in it. Each diamond contains a small illustration and is labelled with numbered phrase. The first is labelled “Waste Prevention.” It has an illustration of a garbage can. The second is “Atom Economy” with a Bohr molecular model. The third is “Less Hazardous Chemical Synthesis” with an illustration of an explosion. Number four is “Designing Safer Chemicals” with a skull and crossbones. Five is “Safer Solvents and Auxiliaries with an illustration of a cup with two droplets inside. Six is “Design for Energy Efficiency” with an electrical plug. Seven is “Use of Renewable Feedstocks” with a green droplet surrounded by a round cycle symbol. Number eight is “Reduce Derivatives” with an illustration of atoms as light and dark spheres connected by sticks. None is “Catalysts” with an illustration of a gauge. Ten is “Design for Degradation” with solid green material crumbling. Eleven is “Real-time Pollution Prevention” with an illustration of an empty bottle next to a tree without leaves. Twelve is “Safer Chemistry for Accident Prevention” with tubes of corrosive liquid spilling on an object and a hand.

Let’s look at four of these principles in detail.

Principle #1 : The Prevention of Waste

This principle applies to many aspects of life, inside and outside the laboratory. You might try to produce less garbage at home. Chemists try to produce less chemical waste.

You might not think of a car as something that produces waste, but it does. Inside a car’s engine, fuel and oxygen from the air undergo a chemical reaction called  combustion .  This produces the energy needed to move the car. But it also produces harmful  byproducts . These include  carbon dioxide (CO 2 )  and  nitrogen oxides (NOx) . Both are  greenhouse gases  that trap heat in our atmosphere. They are causing our Earth to warm and our climate to change.

Luckily, cars have something that helps reduce the harmful chemicals they produce. It’s called a  catalytic converter . This works while the car is running. It changes pollutants into less harmful molecules before they exit the car’s tailpipe. The molecules emitted include oxygen (O 2 ), nitrogen (N 2 ), and water (H 2 O).

Shown is a colour illustration of a catalytic converter, cut to reveal the materials inside. The converter is a silver metal, almond-shaped object with open pipes at each end. On either side of the pipe openings are empty bolt holes. Layers are cut away from the nearest side. The outer layer of metal is cut away to reveal a layer of darker metal. Most of the cavity inside is filled with two oval shaped blocks. These are coated in a rough, speckled, pale grey material. Inside, the block is made of a pale orange honeycomb, or fine gridded material.

Did you know? In 2021, transportation was the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. This sector accounted for  22% of total national emissions.

Principle #2 : Atom Economy

Imagine you’re making cookies. You measure out two cups of flour. But you only end up needing one. If you threw out the other cup, that would be very wasteful!

Sadly, chemists can also cause waste when making products with chemical reactions. Green chemists try to reduce this by looking at  atom economy . Atom economy includes questions like, “What percent of atoms from the  reactants  are incorporated into the  product?  What percent of atoms are wasted?”

For example,  photosynthesis  is a reaction that occurs in plants. This leads to two products: glucose (C 6 H 12 O 6 ) and oxygen gas (O 2 ). If glucose was the desired product, then oxygen gas would be a waste product.

Step 1:  Identify the reactants and products. For photosynthesis this would be: CO 2 + H 2 O ---> C 6 H 12 O 6 + O 2

Step 2:  Balance the chemical equation. For photosynthesis this would be: 6CO 2 + 6H 2 O ---> C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6O 2

Step 3:  Determine the masses of reactants and products based on atomic mass

The atomic mass of a C is 12, that of an O is 16 and that of an H is 1

6CO 2 = 6 x (12 + (16 x 2)44) = 264  C 6 H 12 O 6 = (12 x 6) + (1 x 12) + (12 x 6) = 180

6H 2 O = 6 x ((1 x 2) + 1618) = 108  6O 2 = 6 x (16 x 232) = 192

Total mass of reactants =264 +108= 372 Total mass of products = 180+192 = 372

Step 4:  Determine the percentage of desired product (C 6 H 12 O 6 ) (mass of desired product/total mass of products) x 100  180/372*100 = 48.4%

Students from the University of Toronto explain green chemistry principle #2, atom economy (3:57 min.).

In green chemistry, products should have a high atom economy. Most of the ingredients added during the process should be used to make the final product.

You might have an example of green chemistry in your medicine cabinet:  ibuprofen . This is the active ingredient in Advil and Motrin. The old method of making ibuprofen was wasteful and inefficient. Of the atoms used, only 40% made it into the final product. In the 1990s, the manufacturer developed a new method, using principles of green chemistry. Since the change, 77% of the atoms from the reactants are now in the final product! This innovation earned the manufacturer a  Green Chemistry Challenge  Award in 1997.

Principle #9 : Catalytic Ingredients

A  catalyst  is a substance that helps a chemical reaction happen, or makes it go faster. Catalysts can lead to reactions that produce less waste or have a greater atom economy.

Remember the  catalytic converter?  As its name suggests, the converter contains a catalyst. This catalyst helps convert some toxic gases into less harmful ones.

Shown are three colour photographs of noble metals and a black and white illustration of a catalytic converter. From left to right, the first photograph shows platinum. It is a shiny, bright silver pile of flat pieces with straight edges. The next photograph shows palladium. It is a darker, shiny silver, in two chunks that look like crumpled, twisted tinfoil. The last photograph is rhodium. It is bright, shiny, silver in two shapes. One is a cylinder, and the other is a sphere. Both are smooth and polished. Below, the illustration shows the process that happens in a catalytic converter. From left to right, it begins with a puffy white cloud that contains the chemical symbols for nitric oxides, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbon. An arrow points from here into a grey box with a pipe on either side.There is a grid of tiny white squares inside. On the right of the box, an arrow points out from the pipe, into another white cloud. This one contains the chemical symbols for carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen gas.

As a bonus, the catalysts in the catalytic converter aren’t used up in each reaction! That means they can be used over and over again.

Did you know? Vehicles with Diesel engines use different catalytic converters than vehicles with gasoline engines.

Principle #11 : Real-Time Pollution Prevention  

Imagine you have a leaky faucet. It's better to fix it right away, rather than waiting for the kitchen to flood, right? That's what real-time pollution prevention is all about. Chemists aim to fix problems before they can cause damage to the Earth.

One strategy is called  carbon capture . The goal of carbon capture is to remove excess carbon dioxide from the air before it becomes a problem. Carbon capture technology works by:

• Collecting carbon dioxide before it can escape into the atmosphere
• Storing it safely
• Reusing or neutralising it to make it into useful materials

Did you know? Two scientists at the University of Ottawa won Royal Society of Canada Medals for their work on carbon capture technology.  Read about them here.

Careers in Green Chemistry  

Green chemistry principles are important. They help chemists make some products less harmful to the environment. They mean more efficient processes with less waste material, less energy used, and less hazardous waste to clean up!

If you're passionate about protecting the environment and you want to be part of the solution, a career in green chemistry might be perfect for you. Here are some exciting careers options:

Environmental Chemist:  Finds solutions to environmental problems like pollution and climate change.

Chemical Engineer:  Designs processes to create products in an environmentally friendly way.

Sustainability Consultant:  Helps organisations become more environmentally responsible by advising them on green chemistry practices.

Research Scientist:  Explores new ways to make chemicals and processes more sustainable.

Interested in learning more? Check out the profiles of some cool people who work with green chemistry!

Magali Houde (she/her)

Research Scientist

Karissa Palinka (she/her)

Technical Engineer

Rachel Chow

Wastewater Process Engineer

Engineer, Renewable Energy

Graham Ballachey

Vice President, Engineering

Fairy Sahay

Civil Engineer (Green Economy Project)

Even if you do not pursue a career in green chemistry, you can still apply green chemistry practices! For example: 

• Reduce the waste you produce by recycling or composting when possible
• Try to choose products made using green chemistry practices
• Be mindful of how you use transportation in your community
• Dispose of harmful waste carefully. For example, recycle batteries and electronics at designated locations. Or return unused medicine to your pharmacy instead of pouring it down the drain.

Starting Points

Connecting and relating.

• Are you concerned about waste in your daily life? Are you conscious of the chemicals you put down the drain each day? 
• What things do you do to recycle, reduce or reuse to help decrease the amount waste you produce? 
• Do you think that the small changes you make can make a difference in terms of sustainability? Why or why not?

Relating Science and Technology to Society and the Environment

• Why might manufacturing companies be interested in implementing green chemistry processes? 
• How could the increased use of green chemistry principles affect the environment?

Exploring Concepts

• Define green chemistry. 
• What is a catalyst? 
• What specific principles of green chemistry from the chart can be applied to products like biodegradable plastic and microplastics? 

Nature of Science/Nature of Technology

• What social pressures, big questions and problems are influencing the science of chemistry currently?

Media Literacy

• Can you think of a green chemistry principle or process that has been reported in the media? If so, what was it? 
• Do you think advances in chemistry or green chemistry get as much media time as other scientific fields? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestions

• This article supports teaching and learning in chemistry and environmental studies for topics such as catalysts, combustion, stoichiometry, redox reactions and sustainability. Concepts explored include green chemistry, catalyst, and atom economy.
• After reading this article students could complete a Concept Definition Web learning strategy to help develop their understanding of the term Green Chemistry . Ready-to-use Concept Definition Web reproducibles are available in [ Google doc ] and [ .pdf ] formats. 
• To explore the Science/Technology/Engineering/Math of green chemistry, students could conduct research into one type of green chemistry initiative, such as using biopesticides to replace conventional pesticides, or converting waste biomass and waste cellulose into various products, such as animal foods, fuels and industrial chemicals. Once students have some understanding of a chosen initiative, they could complete a Pros & Cons Organizer learning strategy to see where the initiative may have particular strengths and weaknesses. Ready-to-use Pros & Cons Organizer reproducibles are available in [ Google doc ] and [ PDF ] formats.
• Students could also consider the implementation and impacts of a particular green chemistry initiative from different points of view and conduct an Issues & Stakeholders learning strategy. Ready-to-use Issues & Stakeholders reproducibles are available in [ Google doc ] and [ PDF ] formats.

Green Chem UofT Students at the University of Toronto have created videos for each of the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry!

Air Pollution in Canada: Real-time Air Quality Index Visual Map A real-time map to visual the air quality of a given region.

Green Chemistry Awards Learn about the Green Chemistry Awards offered by the Chemical Institute of Canada

Green Centre Canada Learn about a Canadian company that helps link green chemistry research with industry needs

American Chemical Society. (n.d.). 12 principles of green chemistry

American Chemical Society. (n.d.). Green chemistry history

American Chemical Society (n.d.). What is green chemistry?

Driving. (2018). All new cars and trucks sold in B.C. by 2040 must be zero-emission .

Government of Canada (2023).  Greenhouse Gas Emissions .

International Institute for Sustainable Development. (2017). Costs of pollution in Canada .

Kahlon, A., & Tang, T. (2018). Catalytic converters . LibreTexts.

Laber-Warren, E. (2010, May 28). Green chemistry: Scientists devise new "benign by design" drugs, paints, pesticides and more . Scientific American.

Nice, K., & Bryant, C. How catalytic converters work . HowStuffWorks.

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Inspirational chemistry book

• 1 Inspirational chemistry
• 2 Compounds and formula
• 3 Patterns in formula of compounds
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• 5 Heating Group 1 metals in air and in chlorine
• 6 The extraction of copper: a microscale version
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• 53 Cold light
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Green Chemistry, atom economy and sustainable development

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It’s not easy being green

The competing needs of development and environmental protection are often mentioned in the media and many students have opinions on the subject. Chemistry is seen as a ‘polluter,’ which partly accounts for its poor image among students and the general public.

This activity introduces the concept of atom economy in the context of sustainable development and Green Chemistry. It aims to show that development is necessary but can be achieved in a way which limits environmental damage.

Prior knowledge required

Students need to know/be able to:

• Calculate relative molecular mass (RMM or Mr)
• Know what a reversible reaction is and how the yield of a reaction might be affected by its reversible nature
• Calculate percentage yield – a section on this is included in the resource but it would be better if students had already covered it so that they do not get it mixed up with atom economy.

Further information

Further information on sustainable development is available on various websites, including: http://www.uyseg.org/sustain-ed/Index.htm – this website of the Chemical Industry Education Centre is a good introduction to why development is necessary and how it can be made more sustainable.

Students can calculate their personal sustainability and also how much carbon dioxide they produce in a year. Examples of chemical industries that are going greener are provided, along with links to several other sites.

A quarter of the world’s people have to survive on less than 70p a day. Millions have no health care and the world’s population is expected to increase by about another 3 billion over the next 50 years. Even in developed nations, poverty, education and healthcare could be improved. To help deal with this situation, the world’s economy needs to grow; in particular, the economies of developing nations need to expand. However, economic growth is often linked to environmental pollution problems.

The challenge is to develop in a way that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs – in other words, without causing a lot of environmental damage and wasting limited resources. This type of development is called ‘sustainable development’ and it will be more and more critical as the population of the world increases.

One of the ways in which the chemical industry is working towards sustainable development is by using ‘Green Chemistry.’ One of the basic ideas of Green Chemistry is to prevent pollution and the production of hazardous materials instead of producing them and then cleaning them up.

This means that Green Chemistry:

• Conserves raw materials and energy 
• Is more cost-effective than conventional methods.

There are three main ways to make chemical processes ‘greener’:

• Redesign production methods to use different, less hazardous starting materials
• Use milder reaction conditions, better catalysts and less hazardous solvents
• Use production methods with fewer steps and higher atom economy.

Yield 

Most of the chemical industry is concerned with turning one material (the raw material) into another one that is more useful and valuable (the product). This process may have several steps and is called a ‘chemical synthesis.’ All the designers of chemical processes want to make the maximum amount of product they can from a given raw material. It is possible to calculate how successful one of these processes is by using the idea of yield.

Atom economy

The idea of yield is useful, but from a Green Chemistry and sustainable development perspective, it is not the full picture. This is because yield is calculated by considering only one reactant and one product. One of the key principles of Green Chemistry is that processes should be designed so that the maximum amount of all the raw materials ends up in the product and a minimum amount of waste is produced.

A reaction can have a high percentage yield but also make a lot of waste product. This kind of reaction has a low atom economy. Both the yield and the atom economy have to be taken into account when designing a green chemical process.

Find out more about chemistry careers

Read about chief executive officer , Daniel who is turning manufacturers’ waste carbon dioxide into chemicals that can be used in everyday products.

Green chemistry

Additional information.

This resource is a part of our Inspirational chemistry collection.

Inspirational chemistry

Compounds and formula

Patterns in formula of compounds

Taboo – chemical reactions

Heating Group 1 metals in air and in chlorine

The extraction of copper: a microscale version

Extracting metals | words

Alloys | making an alloy

Alloys | modelling an alloy

Alloys of iron | steels

Electrolysis of molten zinc chloride

A colourful electrolysis

Cracking hydrocarbons | A microscale version

Nail varnish removal

Carbon monoxide

Polymers in everyday things

Monomer | Polymer card game

Changing the properties of polymers and plastics

Polythene bags

Using potato starch to make plastic

Investigating cross-linking | making slime

Cross-linking polymers | alginate worms

Polylactic acid

Emulsifiers

Textile conservation

Epoxy glues and the ATLAS project: the biggest experiment ever?

Cooking potatoes

Baking powder

Rates and rhubarb

The importance of structure: chocolate

Making new medicines | combinatorial chemistry

A composite material: concrete

Investigating a natural composite | chicken bone

Hydrogels | smart materials

Superconductors

Nanotechnology size and scale

Nanotechnology and smelly socks

Nanosilver in medicine

The surfaces of substances

Changing the surface

Active and intelligent packaging

Disposable cups and the environment

Managing waste and rubbish

Nappy choice and the environment

Dry cleaning and green Chemistry

Feed the world: artificial nitrogen fertilisers

Making oil from waste

Reactions of positive ions with sodium hydroxide

Testing for negative ions

Spectroscopy

• 11-14 years
• Investigation
• Problem solving

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What is Green Chemistry?

Green chemistry (sometimes referred to as sustainable chemistry) is the branch of chemistry that deals with the design and optimization of processes and products in order to lower, or remove altogether, the production and use of toxic substances. Green chemistry is not the same as environmental chemistry.

The former focuses on the environmental impact of chemistry and the development of sustainable practices that are environment-friendly (such as a reduction in the consumption of non-renewable resources and strategies to control environmental pollution ). The latter focuses on the effects that certain toxic or hazardous chemicals have on the environment.

The 12 Key Principles of Green Chemistry

The twelve principles put forward by the American chemists Paul Anastas and John Warner in the year 1998 to lay the foundation for green chemistry are listed below.

• Prevention of waste: Preventing the formation of waste products is always preferable to the clean-up of the waste once it is generated.
• Atom economy: The synthetic processes and methods that are devices through green chemistry must always try to maximise the consumption and incorporation of all the raw materials into the final product. This must strictly be followed in order to minimise the waste generated by any process.
• Avoiding the generation of hazardous chemicals: Reactions and processes that involve the synthesis of certain toxic substances that pose hazards to human health must be optimised in order to prevent the generation of such substances.
• The design of safe chemicals: During the design of chemical products that accomplish a specific function, care must be taken to make the chemical as non-toxic to humans and the environment as possible.
• Design of safe auxiliaries and solvents: The use of auxiliaries in processes must be avoided to the largest possible extent. Even in the circumstances where they absolutely need to be employed, they must be optimized to be as non-hazardous as possible.
• Energy efficiency: The amount of energy consumed by the process must be minimized to the maximum possible extent.
• Incorporation of renewable feedstock: The use of renewable feedstock and renewable raw materials must be preferred over the use of non-renewable ones.
• Reduction in the generation of derivatives: The unnecessary use of derivatives must be minimalized since they tend to require the use of additional reagents and chemicals, resulting in the generation of excess waste.
• Incorporation of Catalysis: In order to reduce the energy requirements of the chemical reactions in the process, the use of chemical catalysts and catalytic reagents must be advocated.
• Designing the chemicals for degradation: When designing a chemical product in order to serve a specific function, care must be taken during the design process to make sure that the chemical is not an environmental pollutant. This can be done by making sure that the chemical breaks down into non-toxic substances.
• Incorporating real-time analysis: Processes and analytical methodologies must be developed to the point that they can offer real-time data for their monitoring. This can enable the involved parties to stop or control the process before toxic/dangerous substances are formed.
• Incorporation of safe chemistry for the prevention of accidents: While designing chemical processes, it is important to make sure that the substances that are used in the processes are safe to use. This can help prevent certain workplace accidents, such as explosions and fires. Furthermore, this can help develop a safer environment for the process to take place in.

Examples of the Impact of Green Chemistry

Use of green solvents.

Many chemical synthesis reactions that are carried out on an industrial scale require large amounts of chemical solvents. Furthermore, these solvents are also used industrially for degreasing and cleaning purposes. However, many traditional solvents that have been used for such purposes in the past are known to be toxic to human beings. Some such solvents are also known to be chlorinated.

Click here to learn about the different examples of solvents .

The advancement of green chemistry has brought many alternatives to these toxic solvents. The green solvents that are coming up as alternatives are known to be derived from renewable sources and are also known to be biodegradable. Thus, green chemistry has great potential to lower the toxicity of certain industrial environments by developing safer alternatives.

Development of Specialised Synthetic Techniques

The development of specialised synthetic techniques can optimise processes in order to make them more environmentally friendly by making them adhere to the principles of green chemistry. An important example of such an enhanced synthetic technique is the development of the olefin metathesis reaction in the field of organic chemistry. This reaction, developed by Robert Grubbs, Richard Schrock, and Yves Chauvin, won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in the year 2005.

Other notable developments brought forward by advancements in green chemistry include:

• The employment of supercritical carbon dioxide as a green solvent (as an alternative to other toxic solvents).
• Incorporating the use of hydrogen in enantioselective synthesis reactions (also known as asymmetric synthesis).
• Incorporating aqueous solutions of hydrogen peroxide (a chemical compound with the formula H 2 O 2 ) to drive relatively clean oxidation reactions.

Other notable applications of green chemistry include supercritical water oxidation (often abbreviated to SCWO), dry media reactions (also known as solid-state reactions and solvent fewer reactions), and on water reactions.

Production of Hydrazine

Initially, the most popular method for the production of hydrazine (an inorganic chemical compound with the chemical formula N 2 H 4 ) was the Olin Raschig process, which involved the use of ammonia and sodium hypochlorite. However, with the development of green chemistry, a more environment-friendly alternative to this process was discovered.

In the peroxide process for the production of hydrazine, ammonia is reacted with hydrogen peroxide. In this alternate method, water is produced as the only side product. It can also be noted that the peroxide process does not require any auxiliary extracting solvents.

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