Sustainable Science: Green Chemistry in your Classroom

WMRC

Green Chemistry: Green Chemistry: Preventing Pollution Sustaining the Earth

No human activity is completely risk-free  Use common sense,  Use chemical sense, and  Follow the rules of lab safety.

Risk = f(hazard,exposure) Do we consider our level of exposure and the hazard itself? Does the dose makes the poison?

Safety first… and last Use nontoxic/nonhazardous starting materials Use common sense

Principles of Green Chemistry Waste Prevention Atom Economy Safer Solvents Energy Efficiency Renewable Feedstocks Design for Degradation

Wastes? Why make them? Design experiments toDesign experiments to reduce or eliminate waste. reduce or eliminate waste. Incorporate materials used in aIncorporate materials used in a process into the final product. process into the final product.

Law of Conservation of Matter Matter cannot be created or destroyed. A candle burns and appears to be destroyed, but..turns into less observable gas (a byproduct).

Atom economy in the real world: Ibuprofen

Ibuprofin synthesis Prior to 1990s each step produced waste and had 40% atom economy Now atom economy is around 77% (ideal is 100%) with much less waste.

Talking Trash – What Color is your Waste? Green! Do you know where your product is?Do you know where your product is? Bioremediation (microbial-based cleaning system)Bioremediation (microbial-based cleaning system)

Strategies for reducing waste Reduce Reuse Recycle Rebuy Rethink

Use safer solvents for chemical processes Return safe substances to the environmentReturn safe substances to the environment Design for biodegradabilityDesign for biodegradability Eliminate the use of toxic solvents to dissolve reacting materialsEliminate the use of toxic solvents to dissolve reacting materials

Clock Reaction Sudden, sharp change whenSudden, sharp change when reaction is complete. reaction is complete. “Greener” way to demonstrate“Greener” way to demonstrate reaction rate. reaction rate.

Soaps, Crystals, and Dirt Using safer solventsUsing safer solvents Investigating solubility &Investigating solubility & surfactants surfactants

Using Renewable Resources A sticky solution: Making glue from milk!

Use Less Energy Use lower amounts of energy for chemical processesUse lower amounts of energy for chemical processes Use catalysts (like enzymes) or microwave to speed up reactionsUse catalysts (like enzymes) or microwave to speed up reactions

Green Chemistry means... Preventing pollution before it happens rather than cleaning up the mess later.

Green Chemistry Curriculum supplemental course materials,supplemental course materials, activities and informationactivities and information references and resource materialsreferences and resource materials

Green Chemistry lessons at Green Your Lesson Plan Select “Green Chemistry” under Chemistry category Filter for classroom lessons

Carol Knepp Waste Management & Research Center