Green Chemistry Flashcards
Water Prevention
Prioritise the prevention of waste rather than cleaning up and treating waste after it has been created
Atom Economy
Reduce waste at the molecular level by maximising the number of atoms from all reagents that are incorporated into the final product
Less Hazardous Chemical Synthesis
Design chemical reactions and synthetic routes to be as safe as possible, consider the hazards of all substances handled during the reaction including waste
Safer Solvents and Auxiliaries
Choose the safest solvent available for any given step, minimise the total amount of solvents and auxiliaries used as these make up a large percentage of the total waste created
Design for Energy Efficiency
Choose the least energy-intensive chemical route, avoid heating and cooling as well as pressurised and vacuum conditions
Use of Renewable Feedstocks
Use chemicals which are made from renewable sources, rather than other, equivalent chemicals originating from petrochemical sources
Reduce Derivatives
Minimise the use of temporary derivatives such as protecting groups, avoid derivatives to reduce reaction steps, resources required and waste created
Designing Safer Chemicals
Minimise toxicity directly by molecular design, predict and evaluate aspects such as physical properties, toxicity and environmental fate throughout design process
Catalysis
Use catalytic instead of stoichiometric reagents in reactions, choose catalysts to help increase selectivity, minimise waste and reduce reaction times and energy demands
Design for Degradation
Design chemicals that degrade and can be discarded easily, ensure that both chemicals and their degradation products are not toxic, bioaccumulative or environmentally persistent
Real-Time Pollution Prevention
Monitor chemical reactions in real-time as they occur to prevent the formation and release of any potentially hazardous and polluting substances
