학술논문

Green and sustainable chemistry – The case for a systems-based, interdisciplinary approach
Document Type
article
Source
iScience, Vol 24, Iss 12, Pp 103489- (2021)
Subject
chemistry
organic chemistry
green chemistry
green engineering
Science
Language
English
ISSN
2589-0042
Abstract
Summary: Although the concepts underpinning green chemistry have evolved over the past 30 years, the practice of green chemistry must move beyond the environmental and human health-related roots of green chemistry towards a more systems-based, life cycle-informed, and interdisciplinary practice of chemistry. To make a transition from green to sustainable chemistry, one must learn to think at a systems level; otherwise green chemistry-inspired solutions are unlikely to be sustainable. This perspective provides a brief description of why the current situation needs to change and is followed by how life cycle thinking helps chemists avoid significant systems-level impacts. The transition from batch to continuous flow processing and novel approaches to isolation and purification provide a case for interdisciplinary collaboration. Finally, an example of end-of-useful-life considerations makes the case that systems and life cycle thinking from an interdisciplinary perspective needs to inform the design of new chemical entities and their associated processes.