Green chemistry was officially born in the late 90s, following growing concerns about pollution resulting from the large use of chemicals. Green chemistry can be described by 12 principles:
- 1)Prevent waste;
- 2) Maximize atom economy;
- 3) Design less hazardous chemical syntheses;
- 4) Design safer chemicals and products;
- 5) Use safer solvents and reaction conditions;
- 6) Increase energy efficiency;
- 7) Use renewable feedstocks;
- 8) Avoid chemical derivatives;
- 9) Use catalysts, not stoichiometric reagents;
- 10) Design chemicals and products to degrade after use;
- 11) Analyze in real time to prevent pollution;
- 12) Minimize the potential for accidents.
In recent years, the principles of Green Chemistry have been successfully applied in numerous chemical sectors, including the pharmaceutical sector. Significant efforts have been made in synthesis of products of pharmaceutical interest. Numerous synthetic schemes have been adapted and elaborated to be more eco-sustainable, for example, using biocatalysts, water as solvents, and reducing the number of steps for the synthesis of the final product. The application of Green Chemistry is also very important for quality control laboratories, whose main goal is to limit the use of toxic reagents and solvents.
The focus on reducing pollution, operational safety, using less toxic substances, and energy efficiency have made green chemistry very important for the future of the pharmaceutical industry. The applicability of Green Chemistry at the industrial level requires a significant change in the use of chemistry. Furthermore, economic, political, and research interventions are needed to achieve an eco-sustainable industrial reality. Many successes have been achieved in this regard, but there is still much work to be done.
References
- EPA, Basics of Green Chemistry
- Mohit Mishra, Mansi Sharma, Ragini Dubey, Pooja Kumari, Vikas Ranjan, Jaya Pandey. Green synthesis interventions of pharmaceutical industries for sustainable development, Current Research in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 2021.