Abstract
The introduction of the Green Chemistry Principles in the late 1990s formed the basis for a transition to a greener environment. These
Principles have become an integral part in the work on designing chemical processes, especially
for large-scale manufacture. The ultimate target is the achievement of a sustainable
production method allowing hundreds of tons of valuable materials to be prepared.
For this purpose, a holistic view must be applied to the elements constituting a fully-fledged
process encompassing layout of the synthetic route, defining starting materials and
their origin, output of product and quality features, quantity of effluent streams
and waste, recovery and recycling of chemicals involved, and energy consumption. These
parameters form a complex matrix where the individual components are in a complicated
relationship with each other. This short review addresses these issues and the benefits
of life-cycle assessment and metrics commonly used to measure the performance of chemical
manufacturing – all from a pharmaceutical industry perspective as experienced by the
author.
1 Introduction: Facing Severe Challenges
2 The Historical Context: Addressing an Image Problem
3 Prospects, Drivers and Roadmap for the Green Future
4 Living by the Principles: Industrial Perspectives
5 Taking the Green Route – Catalysis Leading the Way: Case Stories
6 State of the Art: How Green Are We?
7 Sending Signals, Creating Impressions: Focus on Communication
8 Conclusions
Key words
green chemistry - sustainability - pharmaceutical manufacturing - catalysis - process
design - E factor - PMI
