Catalysis as a foundational pillar of green chemistry

Abstract

Catalysis is one of the fundamental pillars of green chemistry, the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. The design and application of new catalysts and catalytic systems are simultaneously achieving the dual goals of environmental protection and economic benefit. Green chemistry, the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances, is an overarching approach that is applicable to all aspects of chemistry. From feedstocks to solvents, to synthesis and processing, green chemistry actively seeks ways to produce materials in a way that is more benign to human health and the environment. The current emphasis on green chemistry reflects a shift away from the historic “command-and-control” approach to environmental problems that mandated waste treatment and control and clean up through regulation, and toward preventing pollution at its source. Rather than accepting waste generation and disposal as unavoidable, green chemistry seeks new technologies that are cleaner and economically competitive. Utilizing green chemistry for pollution prevention demonstrates the power and beauty of chemistry: through careful design, society can enjoy the products on which we depend while benefiting the environment. The economic benefits of green chemistry are central drivers in its advancement. Industry is adopting green chemistry methodologies because they improve the corporate bottom line. A wide array of operating costs are decreased through the use of green chemistry. When less waste is generated, environmental compliance costs go down. Treatment and disposal become unnecessary when waste is eliminated. Decreased solvent usage and fewer processing steps lessen the material and energy costs of manufacturing and increase material efficiency. The environmental, human health, and the economic advantages realized through green chemistry are serving as a strong incentive to industry to adopt greener technologies. Developing green chemistry methodologies is a challenge that may be viewed through the framework of the “Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry” [1]. These principles identify catalysis as one of the most important tools for implementing green chemistry. Catalysis offers numerous green chemistry benefits including lower energy requirements, catalytic versus stoichiometric amounts of materials, increased selectivity, and decreased use of processing and separation agents, and allows for the use of less toxic materials. Heterogeneous catalysis, in particular, addresses the goals of green chemistry by providing the ease of separation of product and catalyst, thereby eliminating the need for separation through distillation or extraction. In addition, environmentally benign catalysts such as clays and zeolites, may replace more hazardous catalysts currently in use. This paper highlights a variety of ways in which catalysis may be used as a pollution prevention tool in green chemistry reactions. The benefits to human health, environment, and the economic goals realized through the use of catalysis in manufacturing and processing are illustrated by focusing on the catalyst design and catalyst applications.