Systems Thinking: Adopting an Emergy Perspective as a Tool for Teaching Green Chemistry

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This study analyzes green chemistry research trends in chemistry education. This study used a quantitative bibliometric approach. The number of publications analyzed is 104 publication documents from 2019 – 2024. This research collects, processes, and filters information in Scopus journals and articles. Metadata results show that the distribution of publication frequency peaked in 2019, with 26 documents identified. The green chemistry research area is dominated by chemistry research (31.3%). The country with the most documents and the most productive in publishing green chemistry is the United States, with 30 papers identified. At the same time, Indonesia is ranked fifth as the most productive country in publishing green chemistry, with 10 documents identified. Canada ranked second with 17 papers, and Germany ranked third with 15 documents. The institutions that contributed the most came from Germany: the University of Bremen, with 11 papers 10.58%, and the University of Toronto with 8 documents (7.69%). The authors with the most citations are Chen Tse-Lun et al., with 245 citations. Meanwhile, when viewed from the number of documents published by the author, Eilks I. has 11 papers with a contribution of 4.91%. There are 5 clusters with the most popping keywords: green chemistry, human, and chemical reaction. Research and publications on this topic have been sparse in the past five years. Surveys and analyses of green chemistry literature are essential because tracking research trends in green chemistry in chemistry education is vital to directing the future.

What is the history and justification of the claim that chemistry is “the central science”? Are our students able to see and appreciate such centrality of the knowledge of chemistry in the curriculum as well as in its broader interconnections with other fields of study and with societal issues? In this editorial for the special issue Reimagining Chemistry Education: Systems Thinking, and Green and Sustainable Chemistry, we, as guest editors, highlight the case made in the collective contributions to the special issue that systems thinking, including green and sustainable chemistry, shows promise as an approach to help chemistry students zoom out from detailed and fragmented disciplinary content to obtain a more holistic view of chemistry and its integral connection to earth and societal systems. Indeed, we ask the following question: How can we as a community of chemists and chemistry educators live up to the claim of being practitioners of the central science if we do not equip our students to engage in systems thinking? We further invite the community to make use of and build upon the contributions in this special issue and participate in a paradigm change in chemistry education that will help prepare our students to be citizens and scientists who are better equipped to deal with the grand challenges in the world.

The current research on systems thinking criticizes the additive nature of green chemistry (GC) not being supportive of systems thinking to achieve holism in its practices. This paper argues that systems thinking should comprise of the social issues, and, therefore, it studies renowned papers by GC pioneers and reviews on the field regarding how they address the social dimension of sustainability. It points out how GC has ignored social sustainability in its discourses, practices, and evaluations, leading to a reductionist interpretation of sustainability. Then, this paper presents some challenges to be overcome in order to achieve balanced sustainability. A systemic chemical thinking is advocated, considering chemistry in culture and chemistry as culture, expanding the chemistry rationality from ontological and technological dimensions into the epistemological and ethical ones. It is then discussed how chemistry education can help to promote sustainability in a broad and systemic way.

We are grateful to Environmental Health Perspectives for implicitly embracing green chemistry as a field with profound connections to the environmental health sciences. We also commend the efforts of Wilson and Schwarzman (2009) to create greater transparency and accountability around chemicals of concern. We take issue, however, with their approach to key scientific concepts and terminology—specifically their effort to change the definition of “green chemistry.” Precision in terminology is paramount for science to function; all parties to a scientific discussion must share the same set of definitions for knowledge to advance effectively. In their review, Wilson and Schwarzman (2009) ignored the original and current definition of green chemistry, which for almost two decades has been recognized as a scientific discipline within the field of chemistry. Defined in the early 1990s by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2009) as “the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances,” green chemistry is now guided by a set of 12 principles (Anastas and Warner 1998) that are used in both research and teaching in chemis try laboratories around the world. Based on these principles, dozens of universities around the world teach green chemistry as a science. Seven graduate programs offer degrees in green chemistry. Two established peer-reviewed scientific journals focus specifically on research in green chemistry. The impact factor of the journal Green Chemistry (published by the Royal Society of Chemistry) has increased from 2.5 to almost 5 over the past 5 years. More than 1,500 articles on green chemistry have been published in the scientific literature over the past 15 years. Rather than embracing green chemistry’s widely used scientific definition, Wilson and Schwarzman (2009) instead conflate science and policy: The laws governing the chemical enterprise help define the incentives and disincentives that guide economic behavior in the market …. We use the term green chemistry in this context: as an analytical framework that encompasses both the science of safer chemistry and the laws and policies that will motivate its development and adoption by society. This conflation brings with it two risks. First, it undermines clarity in scientific communication, something that is especially important as the fields of environmental health and green chemistry attempt to establish cross-disciplinary collaboration. Such collaborations are likely to prove vital for both fields. Second, it saddles the intellectual and scientific enterprise of green chemistry with policy and, potentially, political baggage, as considerations of chemical policies unfold in the political arena. We are most certainly not arguing that the science of green chemistry should not inform chemical policies. Science and policy will be more effective, however, if political actors do not muddy accepted scientific terminology in service of a political/policy agenda, no matter how noble.

3 - State-of-the-art of computational green chemistry in leading universities in Russia

Green chemistry, also known as sustainable or environmentally benign chemistry, has emerged as a critical paradigm shift in the field of chemistry, with the primary objective of designing and implementing chemical processes and products that minimize environmental impacts. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the key principles, developments, and impacts of green chemistry. Review begins by discussing the fundamental principles of green chemistry, including the 12 principles established by Anastas and Warner, which serve as a foundational framework for sustainable chemical design. These principles emphasize the importance of waste prevention, the use of renewable feedstocks, and the reduction of toxicity in chemical processes. Subsequently, the review explores the significant developments and innovations in green chemistry, such as the design of more sustainable solvents, catalytic processes, and the application of nanotechnology. Green chemistry has not only led to the development of environmentally friendly alternatives but has also reduced the environmental footprint of established chemical processes. The environmental and societal impacts of green chemistry are discussed, highlighting how the adoption of sustainable practices has led to reduced energy consumption, decreased waste generation, and the mitigation of harmful emissions. The review also emphasizes the role of green chemistry in addressing global challenges, such as climate change and resource depletion. The review concludes by underscoring the importance of continued research and education in green chemistry to further promote its widespread adoption. It highlights the potential for green chemistry to contribute significantly to a sustainable and environmentally conscious future, where chemistry plays a pivotal role in addressing the complex challenges of our time.

In 2015 the United Nations declared a framework comprising 17 aspirational goals known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which was meant to be adopted by governments, industries, and other stakeholders worldwide to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people live with peace and prosperity by 2030. It can make the environment sustainable, in other words. Chemistry can play an essential role in helping society achieve the SDGs and Green Chemistry (GC) specifically may be a key player in this regard. GC complements other streams of chemistry, including environmental chemistry. Environmental Chemistry is the ‘chemistry of the environment’ that explains nature and the impact of man on nature. At the same time, GC is ‘chemistry for the environment’ i.e., more environmentally friendly chemistry. GC may be defined as “invention, design and application of chemical products and processes to reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances”. New chemical research, green and sustainable chemistry education, green and sustainable chemical manufacturing practices, and a sense of social responsibility are critical for all chemists worldwide as we work together to protect our planet Earth. SDGs including Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Industries, Innovation and Infrastructure, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action is directly related to chemistry at large and GC in precise. Therefore, if we rightly practice GC, it serves the purpose of environmental sustainability and will be useful in achieving the SDGs, which will ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity in the long run. Green Chemistry Education is quite important in this regard, which needs to be practiced more and more.

Is there a role for green and sustainable chemistry in chemical disarmament and nonproliferation?

The expanding progression of industrial development has been a pioneer for world economic growth. Green chemistry has been defined as ‘the employment of techniques and methodologies that reduce or eliminate the use or production of feedstocks, products, by-products, solvents, and reagents that are harmful to human health or the environment’. The quality-by-design approach is well-known in the pharmaceutical industry, and it has a great influence on analytical methods and procedures. In the green method of chemistry, the core consideration is directed towards the design of a material or the chemical procedure; four of twelve principles are associated with design, e.g. designing fewer hazardous chemical syntheses, designing harmless chemicals and products, designing for energy effectiveness, and designing for degradation. One of the most active fields of research and development in green chemistry is the establishment of analytical methodologies, leading to the beginning of so-called green analytical chemistry. The influences of green chemistry on pharmaceutical analysis, the environment, the population, the analyst, and companies are discussed in this review, and they are multidimensional. Every selection and analytical attitude affects both the end-product and everything that surrounds it.

Green chemistry which is the latest and one of the most researched topics now days has been in demand since 1990’s. Majority of research in green chemistry aims to reduce the energy consumption required for the production of desired product whether it may be any drug, dyes and other chemical compounds. It aims to reduce or even eliminates the production of any harmful bi-products and maximizing the desired product without compromising with the environment. The three key developments in green chemistry include use of super critical carbon di oxide as green solvent, aqueous hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizing agent and use of hydrogen in asymmetric synthesis. It also focuses on replacing traditional methods of heating with that of modern methods of heating like microwave radiations so that carbon footprint should be reduces as low as possible. This review emphasize on principle, methodology and recent applications of green chemistry. © 2011 IGJPS. All rights reserved.

This paper discusses 286 proposals and reports of Green Chemistry (GC) teaching experiences, in papers of the Journal of Chemical Education (JCEd) until 2019. The analysis was based on previous categories: source-problem, paper focus, subjects/area of knowledge, target groups, GC contents, type of approach and purpose(s) of the proposal. A list of possible characteristics of each category served as an example to compare with the information resulting from the analyses, and thus improve the discussions. In 127 papers, GC and its teaching were associated, albeit generally, with the theme of sustainability/sustainable development, which points to its potential to face environment-related aspects of chemistry in teaching. A systemic vision in the interconnection between GC and sustainability/sustainable development appeared more explicitly in 39 papers up to 2019. So far, the analysis highlights a certain reproduction of traditional chemistry teaching, and little evidence of the particularities of GC teaching. Despite the intention of inserting GC into chemistry teaching, proposals for its incorporation are often made superficially, more as an addendum or an extra quality than a specific goal. More methodological detail of the experiments carried out is needed to help in the dissemination of GC in the training curriculum of chemists. The discussions and reports on teaching approaches based on Systems Thinking showed the opening of a promising new methodological challenge within this theoretical paradigm.

A 3-year IUPAC project Systems Thinking in Chemistry for Sustainability: Toward 2030 and Beyond (STCS 2030+, IUPAC Project #2020-014-3-050) [1] launched in late 2020 is breaking important new ground in addressing chemistry’s orientations, roles, and responsibilities in the 21 st Century and helping to map out implications for chemistry education, research, and practice. In taking on this ambitious task, STCS 2030+ draws on expertise available within IUPAC’s own structures, as a project co-sponsored by three IUPAC standing committees: the Committee on Chemistry Education (CCE), the Committee on Chemistry and Industry (COCI) and the Interdivisional Committee on Green Chemistry for Sustainable Development (ICGCSD). The project is also working with other organizations, such as the International Organization for Chemical Sciences in Development (IOCD), which is a co-supporter, and involves collaborators with individuals from organizations that include the Stockholm Resilience Centre [2], the American Chemical Society (ACS) Green Chemistry Institute [3], the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development (IYBSSD 2022-23) [4], and chemistry educators and chemical industry from around the world.

Continuing advances in computational chemistry has permitted quantum mechanical calculation to assist in research in green chemistry and to contribute to the greening of chemical practice. Presented here are recent examples illustrating the contribution of computational quantum chemistry to green chemistry, including the possibility of using computation as a green alternative to experiments, but also illustrating contributions to greener catalysis and the search for greener solvents. Examples of applications of computation to ambitious projects for green synthetic chemistry using carbon dioxide are also presented.

The widespread environmental distribution of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) is well-recognized, and the number of recent studies reflects the continuing interest and high level of research activity on the presence of PPCPs in the environment and food. In order to quantify their low environmental levels, sensitive and selective analytical methodologies are required. Recently, significant effort has gone into determining their concentrations in environmental matrices, with special attention to environment-friendly practices and the development of so-called Green Analytical Chemistry (GAC) methods. GAC is one of the most active areas of research and development in Green Chemistry and represents a real challenge for environmental analytical chemists. Its objective is the introduction of new techniques and methodologies able to minimize the environmental and occupational hazards involved in all stages of chemical analysis, allowing faster and more energy-efficient methods without compromising performance criteria. To accomplish the goal of GAC, the QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) method was introduced. As a result of the inherent advantages of the QuEChERS having “Green Chemistry” characteristics, the method has expanded rapidly to include the extraction of different groups of contaminants from various matrices and emerged as a green alternative to traditional sample preparation steps. This chapter deals with the application of the QuEChERS approach as a “green” sample preparation technique for determining PPCPs residues in environmental and food matrices and highlights major trends in its development. A brief explanation of the analytical technique used is provided together with a discussion of the experimental features of the studies reviewed.