14 Green Chemistry

14.1 Introduction
14.2 Principles of Green Chemistry for Promoting
Sustainable Development
14.3 Application of Green Chemistry in Practices
14.4 Feasibility of Green Chemistry for Daily Life
Applications of Chemistry
14.1 Introduction
A sustainable society is one in which no toxic materials are released
to the environment; and in which our present needs are met with
renewable resources without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.
Yield is not enough, because it
- ignores auxiliaries (reagents, catalysts and solvents etc.).
- ignores work-up and purification.
- ignores energy used, hazards involved, and any toxic chemicals
used or produced.

As an example, a typical school textbook procedure for an

oxidation reaction to produce an alcohol gives a yield of 55 %, and
the weight of product is 15 g. This reaction has actually involved
900 g of inputs and produced over 800 g of waste.
 Some of the goals embodied in the principles of green chemistry.

• Green chemistry is the design of chemical processes and products

that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous
substances.
• It is also the discovery and application of new chemistry /
technology leading to prevention / reduction of environmental,
health and safety impacts at source.
14.2 Principles of Green Chemistry for
Promoting Sustainable Development
• Prevention of waste.

• As little waste product as possible by:

- atom economy
- reduce derivatives

7. Design for energy efficiency.

9. Catalysis.
• The raw materials for chemical processes should be renewable
feedstocks rather than depleting, wherever technically and
economically practicable.
• Auxiliary substances, such as solvents and separating agents etc,
should be made unnecessary wherever possible and innocuous when
used.
• Substances and the form of a substance used in a chemical process
should be chosen to minimise the potential for chemical accidents;
including releases, explosions and fires, i.e. inherently safer
chemistry for accident prevention.
• The chemical products should be designed so that at the end of their
function they breakdown into innocuocus degradation products
and do not persist in the environment, e.g. biodegradable polymers.
• In addition to above, analytical methodologies need to be further
developed, to allow for real-time, in process monitoring and control
prior to the formation of hazardous substances. (Real – time
analysis for pollution prevention.)
14.3 Application of Green Chemistry in
Practices
Supercritical Carbon Dioxide as Solvents in Decaffeination
Like liquids, supercritical fluids can behave as solvents, dissolving a
wide range of substances.

A simple pressure – temperature diagram for a one component

system like CO2.
Caffeine occurs naturally in tea, coffee, cocoa and chocolate products.
It is also added to soft drinks and a variety of both prescription and
over the counter drugs.
• In the past, caffeine was removed from coffee using solvents such
as dichloromethane (CH2Cl2). At high concentrations, CH2Cl2 can
cause health problems.

• Supercritical CO2 is environmentally benign.

• Supercritical CO2 is also inexpensive. The CO2 is recycled after

the extraction process.

• Green coffee beans are soaked with pure water. The coffee beans
expand; their pores get opened and the coffee molecules inside
become mobile.

• Supercritical CO2 acts like a powerful non polar solvent that

extracts all the movable caffeine molecules out of a bean like a
magnet.
Schematic diagram of CO2 decaffeination method for coffee. This is
a continuous process in which the CO2 is recycled continuously.
The benefits of this method include:

• extracts caffeine effectively. It is a direct contact method but does

not use toxic chemicals.

• does not chemically affect proteins or carbohydrates of the coffee

beans, and hence their flavour and smell.

• the by-products (caffeine and CO2) are natural.

Use of H2O2 in presence of Manganese Based Catalyst as
Bleaching Agent

• Chlorine gas was widely used as a bleach in paper and pulp

industry.

• Unreacted chlorine in the effluent can react with naturally

occurring compounds in water and turn them into toxics.

• Such as polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins and furans.

• Eventually they are found in food products like dairy products,

pork, beef and fish.
Trends in uses of bleaching agents in pulp industry in Western Europe
between 1990 and 2002.
Together ClO2 (elemental chlorine – free) and H2O2 are replacing Cl2
in this use, as both comply with environmental legislations.
• Hydrogen peroxide is a cheap, relative safe and environmentally
friendly oxidising agent that is converted to water in the course of
the reaction.

• Manganese based co-ordination complexes are often added

catalysts to assist the heterolytic cleavage of the – O – O – bond.

• Another catalyst system utilises the TAML iron(III) activators

which promotes the conversion of hydrogen peroxide into hydroxyl
radicals. They break down lignin in a shorter time and at a lower
temperature.
14.4 Feasibility of Green Chemistry for Daily
Life Applications of Chemistry.
A no. of difficulties involves:

chemical (what technologies are available?), economic (who pays,

who benefits?), social (who are affected?) and political (who’s
responsible?)

Other difficulties:

An environmentally mobile, persistent pollulant can move from one

compartment of our Earth’s ecosphere to another compartment,
causing unforseen interactions and perturbations that could be
catastrophic, such as the ozone hole.
However, pollution control and green chemistry have become growth
industries and the jobs and income generated by these industries must
be fitted into the overall economic equation when considering the
costs and benefits of adopting less polluting habits or processes.

Some successful examples of green chemistry in practices.

• Possible contribution of Green chemistry can contribute to
achieving sustainability in the 21st century in three key areas.

• Renewable energy technologies.

(a) (b)

Arrays of solar cells supply electric power to (a) space shuttle and
(b) pleasure boat. 
• The second area lies in

• Reduce our dependence on the dwindling fossilised carbon.

• The third area goes back to the replacement of existing polluting

technologies by benign alternatives,
• To achieve such sustainable chemistry

• The principles of green chemistry must become an integral part of

chemical education and practice.

• We have to comprehensively incorporate environmental

considerations into the reactions and technologies.

• We must not distort scientific data in order to protect our profits.

• Government, universities and industry must learn to value and

support these research programs of reasonable promise, in stead of
just chasing after short term goals of immediate profit.