GREEN CHEMISTRY

PREVENTING POLLUTION
SUSTAINING THE EARTH

GREEN CHEMISTRY
DEFINITION
Green Chemistry is the utilisation of a set of principles that reduces or eliminates the use or
generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture and application of
chemical products .

GREEN CHEMISTRY IS ABOUT

Waste Minimisation at Source

Use of Catalysts in place of Reagents
Using Non-Toxic Reagents
Use of Renewable Resources
Improved Atom Efficiency
Use of Solvent Free or Recyclable Environmentally Benign
Solvent systems

What is the atom economy for making hydrogen by reacting coal with
steam ? The other product is carbon dioxide.
Write the balanced equation:
C(s) + 2H2O(g) CO2(g) + 2H2(g)
C(s) + 2H2O(g) CO2(g) + 2H2(g)
12
2 18 44
22
total mass of products = 44 + 4 = 48g
(note that this is the same as the reactants: 12 + 36 = 48g)
mass of desired product (H2) = 4g
% atom economy = 4 48 100 = 8.3%
This process has a low atom economy and is therefore an inefficient
way to make hydrogen.
It also uses a non-renewable resource: coal.

PRINCIPLES OF GREEN
CHEMISTRY

The environment and human health.

A stable economy that uses energy
and resources efficiently.
Social and political systems
that lead to a just society.

IN A SUSTAINABLE
CIVILIZATION

Technologies used for

production of needed
goods are not harmful to
the environment or to
human health.
Renewable resources
(such as plant-based
substances or solar
energy) are used rather
than those, like
fossil fuels, that will
eventually run out.

IN A SUSTAINABLE
CIVILIZATION

Manufacturing processes are

either designed so as not to
produce waste products,
OR
Waste products are recycled or
biodegradable.

GREEN CHEMISTRY
WORKS TOWARD
SUSTAINABILITY BY:

Making chemical products that do not

harm either our health or the
environment,
Using industrial processes that reduce
or eliminate
chemicals,
Designing
morehazardous
efficient processes
that and
minimize the production of waste
materials.

Examples of Green
Chemistry
New syntheses of Ibuprofen and Zoloft.
Integrated circuit production.
Removing Arsenic and Chromate from pressure
treated wood.
Many new pesticides.
New oxidants for bleaching paper and disinfecting
water.
Getting the lead out of automobile paints.
Recyclable carpeting.
Biodegradable polymers from renewable resources.

SYNTHESIS OF IBUPROFEN
Ibuprofen is a popular over-the-counter drug that has pain
relief and anti-inflammatory properties. It was originally
developed in the 1960s by the Boots Company of England.
The Boots synthesis of Ibuprofen involved a six-step process
that generated millions of pounds of unwanted waste This
became known as the Brown process due to reactants of the
process not being incorporated into the product because of
The solution
to this problem was developed by the
poor
atom utilization.
BHC Company in 1991. They implemented the
green synthesis of Ibuprofen, which only required
three steps. This process also incorporated most of
the reactants into the final product, reducing or
eliminating most of the waste by-products. The
switch from the Boots process to the BHC process
has resulted in a more efficient creation of
Ibuprofen.

Classic Route to Ibuprofen

HCl, AcOH, Al Waste

Ac2O

AcOH

HCl

H2O / H+

ClCH2CO2Et

AlCl3

NaOEt
COCH3

EtO 2C

OHC

NH2OH

H2O / H+

HO2C

NH3

OHN

Hoechst Route To Ibuprofen

AcOH

HF

H2 / Ni

CO, Pd

Ac2O

HO

HO2C

IN SUMMARY,
GREEN CHEMISTRY IS

Scientifically sound,
Cost effective, and
Leads toward a sustainable
civilization.