Abstract
The ACS Green Chemistry Institute Pharmaceutical Roundtable was formed in 2005 to encourage the incorporation of green chemistry techniques into the synthetic pathways of pharmaceuticals. Through this initiative, synthetic pathways of several pharmaceuticals have been altered to adapt more environmentally friendly procedures. The amount of electricity required to complete chemical reactions have become an environmental concern due to depleting fossil fuels. A technique was recently developed in which satellite dishes were repurposed as solar reflectors capable of providing a heat source through solar irradiation. The ability to use the solar reflector as the sole heat source for synthetic reactions has been analyzed for the commercially important pharmaceutical, ibuprofen. Ibuprofen synthesis also incorporates chemicals that are not particularly friendly to the environment. The exchange of these chemicals with more environmentally friendly substitutes has been analyzed. The goal of this study is to incorporate a solar energy heat source to develop an alternative energy, more environmentally friendly pathway to ibuprofen.
Highlights
Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is commonly used worldwide for pain relief and fever/ inflammation reduction [1]
A solar reflector was designed through the repurposing of satellite dishes into a reflective parabolic mirror to serve as the sole heat source for synthetic chemical
We have developed a method of synthesizing this compound with the use of fossil fuel derived electricity
Summary
Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is commonly used worldwide for pain relief and fever/ inflammation reduction [1]. It was discovered in the 1960s by Andrew Dunlop, who initially tested the drug on cures for hangovers. The synthetic procedure to synthesize ibuprofen was patented by the Boots Pure Drug Company in the 1960s (Fig. 1). Their synthetic process involved several complicated steps that generated a considerable amount of chemical waste [3]. Since the Boots method of synthesizing ibuprofen generated an enormous amount of waste when performed on the industry scale, alternative synthetic routes the drug have became of public interest
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