GREEN CHEMISTRY

INTRODUCTION
One of the most widely accepted definition
of green chemistry is the one given by the
man who coined the term itself, Paul T.
Anastas, in the year 1991.
O Anastas along with John C. Warner defined
Green Chemistry as follows:
"Green Chemistry is
the design of chemical
products and
processes that reduce or
eliminate the use and/or
O Paul Anastas is known as the 'Father of Green
Chemistry' for his groundbreaking work on the
design and manufacture of non-hazardous and
environmentally benign chemicals.

O 'Green Chemistry' now is a globally accepted

term to describe the movement towards more
environmentally acceptable chemical processes
and products.
O Green Chemistry is all about
REDUCTIONS. These reductions lead
to what is known as "Triple Bottom Line
Benefits", a combination of
Environmental, Economic and Social
improvements. This encourages
businesses of all kinds to go the green
way [4].
GREEN CHEMISTRY IS ABOUT..
Waste

Materials

Hazard

Risk
Environmental
Energy
Impact
COST
“It is better to prevent waste
than to treat or clean
up waste after it is formed”

Chemical
Process
O Costs saved by
-reduction of expensive-to-dispose
waste, and energy use,
-making processes more efficient
reducing material consumption.

O Reduction in hazardous
incidents and
handling of dangerous substances
= add-on social health benefit
 PRINCIPLES OF GREEN
CHEMISTRY
Paul Anastas and James Warner together
chalked down twelve principles of Green
Chemistry to aid in assessing how green a
chemical process or a product is [1].

1. Prevention
It is better to prevent waste than to treat or
clean up waste after it has been created.
2. Atom Economy
Synthetic methods should be designed to maximize the
incorporation of all materials used in the process into the
final product.

3. Less Hazardous Chemical Synthesis

Wherever practicable, synthetic methods should be
designed to use and generate substances that
possess little or no toxicity to human health and
the environment.

4. Designing Safer Chemicals

Chemical products should be designed to effect their
desired function while minimizing their toxicity.
 5. Safer Solvents and Auxiliaries
The use of auxiliary substances (e.g.,
solvents, separation agents, etc.) should be
made unnecessary wherever possible and
innocuous when used.

6. Design for Energy Efficiency

Energy requirements of chemical processes
should be recognized for their environmental and
economic impacts and should be minimized. If
possible, synthetic methods should be conducted
at ambient temperature and pressure.
7. Use of Renewable Feedstocks
A raw material or feedstock should be
renewable rather than depleting whenever
technically and economically practicable.

8. Reduce Derivatives
Unnecessary derivatization (use of blocking
groups, protection/ deprotection, temporary
modification of physical/chemical processes)
should be minimized or avoided if possible,
because such steps require additional reagents
and can generate waste.
9. Catalysis
Catalytic reagents (as selective as possible)
are superior to stoichiometric reagents.

10. Design for Degradation

Chemical products should be designed so
that at the end of their function they break
down into innocuous degradation products
and do not persist in the environment.
11. Real-time analysis for Pollution
Prevention
Analytical methodologies need to be
further developed to allow for real-time,
in-process monitoring and control prior to
the formation of hazardous substances.

12. Inherently Safer

Chemistry for
Accident Prevention
Substances and the form of a substance
used in a chemical process should be
chosen to minimize the potential for
chemical accidents, including releases,
explosions, and fire.
THE DRIVERS OF GREEN CHEMISTRY
Economic benefit

Lower Lower
capital investment operating costs

Societal pressure Government legislation

Improved Less
public image hazardous materials

Safer
Green chemistry High fines for waste
and smaller plants

Producer
Pollution control
responsibility
 TOWARDS THE GOAL OF GREEN
CHEMISTRY

There is a certain group of technologies or pool of technologies

most widely used or studied in achieving the goal towards
Green Chemistry. The major ones are summarized in the figure
 THE BIG PICTURE
Practical approaches Operational tools
Green
Catalysis
chemistry

Strategic goal Green Waste

engineering management
Sustainable
development
Industrial Process
ecology intensification

Renewable
energy Monitoring tools

Life-cycle
assessment

E-factor,
atom economy
APPLICATION OF GREEN CHEMISTRY

The application
of Green
Chemistry at
every stage in
the lifecycle of a
product is of a
particularly high
importance.

Going green at
each step in
lifecycle
 THE MAJOR USES OF GREEN
CHEMISTRY

O Energy

O Global Change

O Resource Depletion

O Food Supply
O Energy: Green chemistry is essential in developing
alternatives of energy generation as well as continue
the path towards energy efficiency.

O Global Change: The concerns for climate

change, global distillation, etc. can be
addressed through the development and
implementation of green chemistry
technologies.
O Resource Depletion: Renewable
resources can be made increasingly viable
technologically and economically through
green chemistry.

O Food Supply: Green chemistry can

address many food supply issues by
developing target specific pesticides,
fertilizers with maximum effectiveness, etc.
 CONCLUSIONS

Green chemistry has come a long way since its birth

in 1991, growing from a small grassroots idea into a
new approach to scientifically-based environmental
protection.
All over the world, governments and industries are
working with „green‟ chemists to transform the
economy into a sustainable enterprise.
Who knows? Green chemistry may
be the next social movement that
will set aside all the world’s
differences and allow for the
creation of an environmentally
commendable civilization.