Organic Green Chemistry
Summary
Organic green chemistry merges fundamental synthetic and analytical advances to develop chemical transformations that meet sustainability criteria. It emphasises minimising waste at source rather than downstream treatment, maximising atom economy, using benign feedstocks and solvents, adopting catalytic or energy-efficient processes and integrating renewable resources. Biomass-derived reagents and solvents such as γ-valerolactone, dipolar aprotic liquids from cellulose (Cyrene) and carbonates produced from CO₂ showcase the replacement of petrochemical inputs. Alternative activation modes—electrochemical, photoredox, microwave and ultrasound—avoid stoichiometric oxidants or harsh conditions. Computational and digital tools facilitate solvent selection, balancing performance and environmental metrics. Across pharmaceutical, agrochemical and material sectors, these strategies yield robust routes to bioactive compounds, bulk chemicals and advanced materials while reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, water use and toxic by-products.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Electrochemical halogen-atom transfer (e-XAT) has been established to generate alkyl radicals directly from unactivated alkyl iodides under mild, electricity-driven conditions. This protocol employs α-aminoalkyl radicals as mediators, obviates external chemical oxidants or sacrificial electrodes and affords broad functional-group tolerance in downstream bond-forming reactions. In another advance, microwave-assisted Pd/C catalysis conducted in the biomass-derived solvent γ-valerolactone has demonstrated high thermal stability under irradiation, preventing hot-spot formation and arcing seen with polar aprotic media. The renewable solvent can be recovered easily and is compatible with aliphatic and aromatic substrates in hydrogen-transfer processes, enhancing operational safety and environmental performance.
Research from all publishers
A stand-alone digital platform now compiles established solvent selection guides into interactive, colour-coded “flashcards.” Users can customise lists, compare solvents at a glance against greenness criteria—such as toxicity, biodegradability and renewable content—and prioritise formulations during reaction design. In the context of large-scale synthesis, the dipolar aprotic solvent Cyrene, derived from cellulose, has been shown to replace dimethylformamide in palladium-catalysed Sonogashira cross-coupling and Cacchi-type annulations with comparable yields and selectivity. Protocols have defined its operational limits and recovery procedures, underscoring its potential to displace petrochemical solvents. Propylene carbonate, synthesised under carbon-capture conditions, has been explored as a greener medium for Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling. It supports efficient biaryl formation across diverse substrates, exhibits low toxicity and biodegradability and can be produced sustainably, highlighting carbonate esters as viable alternatives in bond-forming catalysis.
Organic Green Chemistry publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in organic green chemistry across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Atom economy: The fraction of reactant atoms incorporated into the desired product versus total reactants, expressed as a percentage.
E-factor: The ratio of mass of waste generated to mass of product obtained in a chemical process, excluding desired product.
Biomass-derived solvent: An organic solvent produced from renewable plant feedstocks rather than fossil-based precursors.
Electrochemical halogen-atom transfer (e-XAT): A process in which radicals generated by anodic oxidation abstract halogen atoms from organic halides to form new radical species.
Solvent flashcards: A digital visual tool integrating data from multiple solvent selection guides to compare solvents by environmental and safety metrics.
Cyrene: A bio-derived dipolar aprotic solvent obtained from cellulose for use in catalytic cross-coupling and other transformations.
Propylene carbonate: A cyclic organic carbonate used as a green alternative solvent in cross-coupling reactions, synthesised using CO₂ feedstocks.
References
- Electrochemical halogen-atom transfer alkylation via α-aminoalkyl radical activation of alkyl iodides. Nature Communications (2023).
- Avoiding hot-spots in Microwave-assisted Pd/C catalysed reactions by using the biomass derived solvent γ-Valerolactone. Scientific Reports (2018).
- Solvent flashcards: a visualisation tool for sustainable chemistry. Journal of Cheminformatics (2024).
- Scope and limitations of a DMF bio-alternative within Sonogashira cross-coupling and Cacchi-type annulation. Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry (2016).
- Scope and limitation of propylene carbonate as a sustainable solvent in the Suzuki–Miyaura reaction. RSC Advances (2019).
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