What is Green Chemistry?

Concepts&Ideas

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

Whatdoesachemistdo?

Chemistsmakethingssuchas:
Medicines
Materials:plastics,metals
Coatings:paint,lacquers
Electronics:cellphonesandcomputers

Chemistsinvestigate!
Tounderstandthingsintheworldaroundthem
Globalproblems:Theozonelayerintheatmosphere
Naturalprocesses:Whatisinaflowerthatmakesitspetalsa
particularcolor

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

Scientists Roles in
Environmental Problems
Biologists

Chemists

Environmental
Scientists
Engineers

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

 Whatdoesachemistdo?
Whataresomechemicalproducts?
Whatdoyouthinkaboutwhenyouhearthewordsgreen
chemistry?
Whatisenvironmentalscience?
Doyouthinkourworldhasenvironmentalproblems?Whatproblems?
Howdoyouthinkwewillgoaboutsolvingthoseproblems?

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

12PrinciplesofGreenChemistry
1.PollutionPrevention
2.AtomEconomy
3.LessHazardousChemicalSynthesis
4.DesigningSaferChemicals
5.SaferSolventsandAuxiliaries
6.DesignforEnergyEfficiency
7.UseofRenewableFeedstocks
8.ReduceDerivatives
9.Catalysis
10.DesignforDegradation
11.RealtimeanalysisforPollutionPrevention
12.InherentlySaferChemistryforAccidentPrevention

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

1.PollutionPrevention

Itisbettertopreventwastethantotreatorcleanup
wasteafteritisformed.

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

1.PollutionPrevention
Whatdowedotopreventpollution?
Drivesmaller,moreefficientcars
Takethecommutertrain
Ridingabike
Fixaleakyfaucet
Recyclepaperorcompostleaves

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Achemistinagreenchemistrylabisperformingpollutionpreventionona
molecularlevel!

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

2.AtomEconomy

Syntheticmethodsshouldbedesignedtomaximize
theincorporationofallmaterialsusedinthe
processintothefinalproduct

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

2.AtomEconomy
Wastenot,wantnot!
Achemicalreaction:
A+B Product+C+D
Cookinganalogy:
Ingredientsin productout(anybyproducts??)

Atom Economy = (FW of Product FW of Reactants) x 100%

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

Where do products come from?

Materials

Atoms

Molecules

Atom Economy Focuses on:

Atoms Molecules

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

Products

3.LessHazardousChemicalSynthesis

Wheneverpracticable,syntheticmethodologies
shouldbedesignedtouseandgeneratesubstances
thatpossesslittleornotoxicitytohumanhealth
andtheenvironment.

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

3.LessHazardousChemicalSynthesis

Functionisrelatedtohazard.
Wedoriskythingsallthetime

Whenchemistsdochemistry,theyhaveachoicein
howtheydoit.Choosingthesafermethodin
Chemistryislikeusingascrewdriverinsteadofaknife
totightenascrew.Theknifemightbeabletotighten
thescrew,butitsdangerous!

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

4.DesigningSaferChemicals

Chemicalproductsshouldbedesignedtopreserve
efficacyofthefunctionwhilereducingtoxicity.

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

4.DesigningSaferChemicals
Chemistsaremoleculardesigners;theydesignnewmoleculesandnewmaterials.
GreenChemistsmakesurethatthethingsthatwemakenotonlydowhattheyre
supposedtodo,buttheydoitsafely.Thismeansthatitsnotonlyimportanthow
chemistsmakesomething,itsalsoimportantthatwhat theymakeisntharmful.

InChemistry:FunctionisNOTrelatedtohazard.

Makingsafe,nontoxicproductsisthegoal!

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

5.SaferSolventsandAuxiliaries

Theuseofauxiliarysubstances(solvents,
separationagents,etc.)shouldbemade
unnecessarywheneverpossibleand,whenused,
innocuous.

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

5.SaferSolventsandAuxiliaries

We use solvents for all kinds of things:

Cooking
Nail polish (lots of fumes!)
Paints
Cleaning products
Decaffeinated coffee
Chemical reactions
Many solvents are hazardous and toxic. There are safer
alternatives!
What is a solvent?
A solvent is a substance (usually a liquid) that dissolves
something else.
A solute is the substance that is dissolved in the solvent.
Example: If you dissolve sugar in water which substance is the
(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved
solvent and which
is the solute?

6.DesignforEnergyEfficiency

Energyrequirementsshouldberecognizedfor
theirenvironmentalandeconomicimpacts
andshouldbeminimized.Syntheticmethods
shouldbeconductedatambienttemperature
andpressure.

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

6.DesignforEnergyEfficiency
Weuselotsofenergy:
Drivingourcars
Heatingandcoolingourhouses
Cookingfood
Dryingourhair
Chemistsalsouselotsofenergy:
Heating
Drying
Cooling
Energyisnotonlyexpensive mostofthetimethe
powerplantthatcreatestheenergycontributesto
pollution.

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

7.UseofRenewableFeedstocks

Arawmaterialorfeedstockshouldberenewable
ratherthandepletingwhenevertechnicallyand
economicallypractical.

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

7.UseofRenewableFeedstocks
Whyaregaspricessohigh?
Onereasonisthatoilisnotarenewableresource.
9095%oftheproductsweuse(plasticbottles,
pharmaceuticals,paint,nonstickcoatings,fabrics,etc.)
comefromoil?
Whatwillhappenwhenwerunoutofoilandpetroleum?

Greenchemistslookforalternativesourcesfor
makingmaterials.Renewablefeedstocks(corn,
potatoes,biomass)canbeusedtomakemany
products:fuels(ethanolandbiodiesel),plasticsand
more.

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

8.ReduceDerivatives

Unnecessaryderivatization(blockinggroup,
protection/deprotection,temporary
modificationofphysical/chemicalprocesses)
shouldbeavoidedwheneverpossible.

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

8.ReduceDerivatives

Natural systems Low energy, self-assembly

Chemistry Traditionally high energy, high toxicity
Covalent versus non-covalent bonds

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

9.Catalysis

Catalyticreagents(asselectiveaspossible)are
superiortostoichiometricreagents.

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

9.Catalysis

Inchemistryandbiology,catalysis isthe
acceleration(increaseinrate)ofa
chemicalreactionbymeansofa
substance,calledacatalyst,whichisitself
notconsumedbytheoverallreaction.

Reduces energy
Increases efficiency
Reduces by-product formation

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

10.DesignforDegradation

Chemicalproductsshouldbedesignedsothatat
theendoftheirfunctiontheydonotpersistinthe
environmentandinsteadbreakdowninto
innocuousdegradationproducts.

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

10.DesignforDegradation
Recyclingisonewayofreducingwastebut,
canwerecycleeverything?
Whathappenswhenwethrowthingsaway?

Designfordegradationmeansthatwhengreen
chemistsdesignanewchemical(i.e.,a
pharmaceuticaldrugormedicine)ormaterial(i.e.,a
newplastic) theydesignitsothatitbreaksdownat
theendofitsusefullifetime.
(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

11.RealtimeanalysisforPollutionPrevention

Analyticalmethodologiesneedtobefurther
developedtoallowforrealtimeinprocess
monitoringandcontrolpriortotheformationof
hazardoussubstances.

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

11.RealtimeanalysisforPollutionPrevention

Realtimeanalysisforachemististhe
processofcheckingtheprogressof
chemicalreactionsasithappens.

Knowingwhenyourproductis
donecansavealotofwaste,
timeandenergy!

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

12.InherentlySaferChemistryforAccidentPrevention

Substanceandtheformofasubstanceusedina
chemicalprocessshouldbechosensoastominimize
thepotentialforchemicalaccidents,including
releases,explosions,andfires.

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved

12.InherentlySaferChemistryforAccidentPrevention
TragedyinBhopal,India 1984
Inarguablytheworstindustrialaccidentinhistory,40tonsofmethyl
isocyanate(MIC)wereaccidentallyreleasedwhenaholdingtank
overheatedataUnionCarbidepesticideplant,locatedintheheartofthe
cityofBhopal.15,000peoplediedandhundredsofthousandsmorewere
injured.

Chemists try to avoid things that explode, light on fire,

are air-sensitive, etc.
In the real world when these things happen, lives are lost.

(c)BeyondBenign,allrightsreserved