Green Chemistry: A Framework for a Sustainable Future
Published Jun 15, 2021 · K. Ganesh, Deqing Zhang, Scott J. Miller
ACS Omega
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Abstract
F more than three decades, Green Chemistry has provided a framework for chemists and chemical engineers to do their part in contributing to the broad scope of global sustainability. American Chemical Society journals are a great venue for these scientists to share their latest results and provide a resource to the chemistry community and beyond for understanding current problems and envisioning solutions. We believe this is an opportune time to highlight some of the leading articles on the broad theme of Green Chemistry being published today through a Virtual Issue of selected works from nine ACS chemistry and engineering journals. The inception of this Virtual Issue is no coincidence. We have timed it to the 2021 Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference taking place virtually June 14−June 18. Now celebrating its 25th edition, we have seen progress toward more sustainable chemistries being showcased and celebrated at each GC&E conference. The theme of this year’s meeting, “Sustainable Production to Advance the Circular Economy”, is particularly bold. It highlights the recognition that contributions must take into account a systems approach to reducing environmental impact through intentional design of chemical products, not just considering how raw materials are sourced and in the manufacture and use of industrial and consumer goods but also how these materials and goods may be reused, recycled, or upcycled. The embrace of life-cycle thinking as a goal among the Green Chemistry community comes at the backdrop of the realization of limited resources and a climate crisis the likes of which most of us still fail to fully comprehend. We believe these selected articles are stepping stones on the pathway to advance closed-loop economies while still serving as models for innovation at a fundamental level within their respective chemistry subdisciplines. The drive for efficiency in organic synthesis merges the best of the idealisms of the Enlightenment and the Renaissance. Certainly, there is a premium on rationalism, with an aspiration of mechanistically sound reaction design and process development. But at the same time, the aesthetic appeal of the new ideas that culminate in the advances we now see routinely is unmistakable. There is no constraint on curiosity when we consider the boundary conditions of efficient, environmentally benign processes. On the contrary, these considerations spawn new concepts and approaches, ranging from postmodern expansions of photochemistry, reconsideration of seminal thinking about solvation, importation of physical and mechanical phenomena, to reaction developmentthe creativity born of efficiency considerations now drives major technology innovation in chemistry. The Journal of Organic Chemistry and Organic Letters are delighted to participate in this Virtual Issue with a selection of perspectives, research articles, and letters that highlight just some of the most impactful science in this arena, across a very wide swath of chemical space. Organometallics, a journal with a long-standing history of reporting fundamental advances in organometallic chemistry, catalysis, and materials, has selected contributions to this Virtual Issue that best highlight the diverse nature of this type of organometallic chemistry and that are likely to impact development of more sustainable chemical processes and the transition to a circular economy. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering is a world leader in publishing groundbreaking research that addresses the challenges of sustainability, advancing the principles of Green Chemistry and Green Engineering with global reach and impact. Key coverage includes catalysis with emerging feedstocks and synthetic methods for preparing materials and chemicals in a sustainable way to help bring critical innovations from a research setting to commercialization. The journal takes pride in its central role in promoting innovations that will enable the implementation of a circular economy. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research publishes many, many papers in the Green Chemistry and sustainability space as these are core considerations in applied chemistry and chemical engineering. The ten articles in this Virtual Issue are just the tip of the iceberg and represent the types of papers readers can find in I&EC Research. We would encourage those interested in the Virtual Issue to browse through other recent issues of the journal, where they will quickly find other articles aligned with the themes of the conference. Contributions from Environmental Science & Technology and Environmental Science & Technology Letters clearly illustrate the interdisciplinary systems approach that is required to address key environmental challenges that impede sustainability effortsfrom remediation of pollution to design of next-generation safer and functional chemicals. Several of the high-impact contributions selected have been the subject of media coverage. Contributions from ACS Omega, an interdisciplinary open-access journal, were selected to highlight the potential impact of open-source publications and their importance in connecting scientists across industry and academia. With a similar goal, Organic Process Research & Development has a tradition of bridging industrial and academic research. Its focus on process