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Green Chemistry

Base Metals Homogeneous Catalysis as a Greener Synthesis Tool

Metal catalysts play a fundamental role in the pursuit of sustainable practices. They can optimize efficiency and minimize waste in chemical reactions that produce sustainable products/processes, helping to reduce harmful substances to the environment and human health, combat climate change, and generate clean energy. The most widely used catalysts are noble metals (e.g., platinum, palladium, and iridium) due to their desirable catalytic properties, such as high stability and temperature tolerance. However, the use of noble metals is hindered by their high cost and limited availability.

Biocatalysis

Key points

  • Biocatalysis refers to the use of natural catalysts, such as protein enzymes, to conduct chemical reactions. 
  • These biocatalysts are particularly advantageous in chemical processes because they combine the selectivity of directing groups and the efficiency of catalysts into single reagents. 
  • Enzymes can also be combined with other enzymes in one-pot reactions, allowing for complex multi-step syntheses.

Green Chemistry Commitment Audit Report 2022 2023

Every year as part of the Green Chemistry Commitment Program, Beyond Benign ask our GCC Signers to complete an Audit Questionnaire survey to report on the status of their green chemistry journeys at their institutions. This helps Beyond Benign to assess patterns of where and how green chemistry is included in higher education institutions and allows us to better serve our Signers through the GCC Program.

ACS GCI Green & Sustainable Chemistry Summer School

ACS GCI Green & Sustainable Chemistry Summer School

The ACS Green and Sustainable Chemistry Summer School (GSCSS) is a highly selective week-long program for graduate students and postdoctoral chemists and engineers. Each year, approximately 60 exceptional students from North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean are selected from a large pool of applicants and gather for this fully funded once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The American Chemical Society pays for all eligible travel and program costs.

The Elsevier Foundation Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge

The Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge is one of the Elsevier Foundation’s flagship partnerships. Together with Elsevier’s Chemistry journals, the Elsevier Foundation provides funding of 25,000 euros for 2 winning projects per year, implementing green & sustainable chemistry solutions in the Global South – advancing both Climate Action (SDG 13) and Gender Equity (SDG 5). 

Identifying opportunities for green chemistry research to advance sustainable development

Green and sustainable chemistry aims to minimize the potential negative impact of chemicals and their production on human health, ecosystems, biodiversity, and the environment. Accelerating adoption of green and sustainable chemistry is critical to meeting United Nations sustainable development goals (UN SDGs) and addressing climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss in the coming decades.

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