Archive for the ‘Article collections’ Category

Featuring our paper: “The sustainability impact of Nobel Prize Chemistry: life cycle assessment of C–C cross-coupling reactions”

Published in Issue 25 and highlighted by Prof. Javier Pérez-Ramírez (Editorial Board Chair) and Dr. Michael Rowan (Executive Editor) for inclusion in our 25th Anniversary Collection, “The sustainability impact of Nobel Prize Chemistry: life cycle assessment of C–C cross-coupling reactionspaper is already receiving a great deal of attention in the community (DOI: 10.1039/D3GC01896B).

The paper presents a comprehensive study based on life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental profiles of carbon-carbon cross-coupling reaction (CCR) in terms of the materials involved and their energy consumption.

Cross-coupling reaction protocols are among the most important reactions for the synthesis of building blocks, and their great significance led to them being awarded the Nobel Prize in 2010. The objectives and value of this study were to evaluate the intrinsic potential of CCR protocols through LCA-based environmental assessment and to demonstrate that creation of large initial innovation likely multiplies to massive literature impact in the years after. The motivation behind this work was to help future innovations to be even more powerful with the authors hoping that this study will contribute to the improvement and optimization of future CCR research.

Read our interview with the corresponding authors below.

Could you briefly explain the focus of your article?

Life cycle assessment was conducted for the Nobel Prize of Chemistry 2010, inventing the C-C cross coupling, which was seminal for modern synthesis of innovative chemicals and pharmaceuticals. It was aimed to assess the original strategy only, and not how it was improved in the almost four decades after, separating idea and translation of idea.

How would you set this article in a wider context?

Sustainability is typically measured when innovations turn into applications, meaning one decade or more later. This also mean that the industrial translation of the innovation is assessed, rather than the innovation itself. We have developed an intrinsic sustainability assessment of the innovation itself, exemplified at the paramount Nobel Prize innovations.

Can you express your view on the importance of metrics and analysis (techno, economic, ecological, etc) to the chemistry community?

While metrical analysis can judge on the sustainability achievement of a chemical innovation after its demonstration, we see the true value in the assessment shaping a chemical idea during its nascence and guiding it in its early moments.

What aspects of this work are you most excited about at the moment and what do you find most challenging about it?

Knowing that Nobel Prize innovations have highest esteem and demand for ultimate seriousness in discussion, we are excited to arguably have made an informative and balanced assessment. Challenging was to separate intrinsic and extrinsic effects, seeing that we need to neglect the chemical yield for the first, while this is crucial value for any chemical synthesis and its metrics.

What is the next step? What work is planned?

We like to make a follow-up paper with more generalised methodology, meaning tailored metrics for intrinsic value of innovations; published in Green Chemistry journal. In addition we will aim to assess precise challenging real world molecules that have been prepared using this idea.

Why did you choose to publish in Green Chemistry?

It is a top-tier, highly respected journal in Chemistry, open for cross-discipline, blue sky research, and has transparent, professional journal management.

Meet the corresponding authors.  

Prof. Volker Hessel studied chemistry at Mainz University. In 1994, he went to the Institut für Mikrotechnik Mainz GmbH. In 2002, he was appointed as vice director of R&D at IMM and became director of R&D in 2007 and in 2005, he started working at the Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands. He has been working at the University of Adelaide, Australia, as deputy dean (research) at the ECMS faculty and professor in pharmaceutical engineering since 2018, and as a part-time professor University of Warwick/UK since 2019.

Volker received the AIChE Excellence in Process Development Research Award, IUPAC ThalesNano Prize in Flow Chemistry. He is program lead in the ARC Centre of Excellence Plants for Space (P4S), and is Research Director of the Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources. He received several EU’s research excellence grants (ERC Advanced/Proof of Concept/Synergy, FET OPEN). He was authority in a 35-teamed Parliament Enquete Commission “Future Chemical Industry”.

Prof. Luigi Vaccaro is a Full Professor at the University of Perugia where he is leading the Green S.O.C. group, http://greensoc.chm.unipg.it. He is Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and he is currently appointed as Associate Editor of the RSC Advances and of Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry. His recognitions comprise the Europa Medal from the Society of Chemical Industry – London (2001), the ADP Award from Merck’s Chemistry Council for “Creative work in organic chemistry” (2006 and 2007), the G. Ciamician Medal of the Società Chimica Italiana (2007), the Lady Davis (2018) Visiting Professorship, the Pino Medal from the Organic and Industrial Divisions of the Italian Chemical Society. His research is aimed at developing different aspects of chemistry to define sustainable and optimized chemical processes. Luigi has published over 260 scientific contributions with an H-index of 58, and about 9000 citations.

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Call For Papers: Advances in Electrosynthesis for a Greener Chemical Industry

Green Chemistry is delighted to announce a call for papers for its latest themed collection on Advances in Electrosynthesis for a Greener Chemical Industry to be promoted in late 2023 and Guest Edited by Jean-Philippe Tessonnier (Iowa State University), Season Si Chen (Tsinghua University), Vassiliki-Alexandra (Vanda) Glezakou (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), Adam Holewinski (University of Colorado, Boulder) and Juan Lopez-Ruiz (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory).

About this Themed Collection

This themed collection aims to highlight the recent advances on the electrosynthesis of chemicals and fuels. Electrosynthesis is a fast-expanding field of research that is poised to play a critical role in the decarbonization of the chemical industry and the transition to green transformations for chemical production. We encourage contributions on recent green advances in electrochemical transformations, including hybrid processes that combine electrochemical with photo- or biocatalytic (microbial) transformations, catalyst development, electrolyzer cell designs, computational studies, and techno-economic analysis (with a focus on environmental concerns or life-cycle analysis).

Preferred topics include but are not limited to:

  • Electrosynthetic reactions with substantial waste reduction and/or safety benefits over conventional thermochemical transformations, such as hydrogenation, oxidation/epoxidation, amination, halogenation, and other coupling reactions
  • Conversion and utilisation of biogenic feedstocks such as lignocellulosic biomass and its components, fermentation broths, bio-crudes, and bio-oils
  • Conversion and utilisation of aqueous waste streams, including nitrate-rich agricultural runoff, biomass pyrolysis water, and food processing waste streams
  • Conversion of synthetic waste such as (micro)plastics
  • Generation of renewable ammonia, natural gas, hydrogen, syngas, and fuels from biogenic and synthetic feedstocks
  • Capture and conversion of CO2 into products and energy carriers
  • Novel processes for sustainable energy storage and release
  • Development of new electrolyzer designs and configurations such as paired electrolyzers for greener processes

This call for papers is open for the following article types:

  • Communications
  • Full papers
  • Reviews

Open for Submissions until 15th June 2023

First papers published!

Read some of the first articles published in this Themed Collection:

And have a look at this Open Access Perspective

Read the full themed collection here

There is still time, submit your work!

If you would like to contribute to this themed collection, you can submit your article directly through the journal’s online submission service at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/gc. Please answer the themed collection question in the submission form when uploading your files to say that this is a contribution to the themed collection and add a “Note to the Editor” that this is from the Open Call. The Editorial Office reserves the right to check suitability of submissions in relation to the scope of both the journal and the collection, and inclusion of accepted articles in the final themed collection is not guaranteed.

Submissions to the journal should present a significant advance in green chemistry. Please see the journal’s website for more information on the journal’s scope, standards, article types and author guidelines. To be published, work must present a significant advance in green chemistry, focusing on an advance in the sustainability of the conditions, the efficiency of the process or provide insight into an important green process. Papers must contain a comparison with existing methods and demonstrate advantages over those methods before publication can be considered.

If you have any questions about the journal or the collection, please contact the journal inbox.

Looking forward to your submissions!

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Green Chemistry Advisory Board member Sir Martyn Poliakoff wins 2019 RSC Longstaff Prize

 

Green Chemistry Advisory Board member Sir Martyn Poliakoff is a Longstaff Prize winner for his outstanding contributions to green chemistry and for participating centrally in the creation of the Periodic Table Videos.

Please join us in congratulating Sir Martyn Poliakoff on his achievements!

 

You can access papers by the 2019 RSC Prize and Awards Winners for free for a limited time. A full list of winners and more information about RSC Prizes and Awards can be found at: www.rsc.org/prizes-awards-2019.

*Access in free through a register RSC account – click here to register

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Green Solvents for Synthesis – Web collection

Green Chemistry cover image of a leafGreen Chemistry is pleased to announce the Green Solvents for Synthesis web collection is now online. This collection of articles is based on presentations at the Green Solvents for Synthesis meeting held in Dresden, Germany, October 2014. The Guest Editor is Professor Walter Leitner (RWTH Aachen, Germany), Chair of the Green Chemistry Editorial Board.

Below is a selection of some of the articles included in the themed collection and you access the full collection online.


Sponge-like ionic liquids: a new platform for green biocatalytic chemical processes

Pedro Lozano, Juana M. Bernal, Eduardo Garcia-Verdugo, Gregorio Sanchez-Gomez, Michel Vaultier, M. Isabel Burguete and Santiago V. Luis
Green Chem., 2015, 17, 3706-3717
DOI: 10.1039/C5GC00894H


Fluorous ethers
Angel S. W. Lo and István. T. Horváth
Green Chem., 2015, 17, 4701-4714
DOI: 10.1039/C5GC01345C


Polyol synthesis of nanoparticles: status and options regarding metals, oxides, chalcogenides, and non-metal elements
H. Dong, Y.-C. Chen and C. Feldmann
Green Chem., 2015, 17, 4107-4132
DOI: 10.1039/C5GC00943J


A virtual screening approach to identifying the greenest compound for a task: application to switchable-hydrophilicity solvents
J. R. Vanderveen, L. Patiny, C. B. Chalifoux, M. J. Jessop and P. G. Jessop
Green Chem., 2015,17, 5182-5188
DOI: 10.1039/C5GC01022E


A choline chloride/DMSO solvent for the direct synthesis of diformylfuran from carbohydrates in the presence of heteropolyacids

W. Ghezali, K. De Oliveira Vigier, R. Kessas and F. Jérôme
Green Chem., 2015,17, 4459-4464
DOI: 10.1039/C5GC01336D


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“Happy Silver Anniversary”: Green Chemistry at 25

2016 is the Silver Anniversary for the field of Green Chemistry being 25 years since the term “Green Chemistry” was coined and defined in 1991. To mark this occasion, the 2016 Issue 1 of Green Chemistry features an Editorial looking at the journey of the field to date and introducing an initiative designed to stimulate discussion on the vision for the field. You can read the Editorial by Paul Anastas, Buxing Han, Walter Leitner and Martyn Poliakoff here.

We have asked colleagues from the Editorial and Advisory Board of Green Chemistry to comment on individual Principles that relate to their specific area of expertise and to share their personal views with our community.

Every month of 2016, Green Chemistry will feature one such perspective Editorial (collated online: rsc.li/gc-25years) hopefully initiating a lively exchange of views and ideas here on the Green Chemistry blog. We encourage you to use the comments facility below to share your views on each principle.

The Editorials are not meant to provide answers, but to stimulate questions on how the Principles have influenced research agendas, how they connect to challenges and opportunities that may not have been visible twenty five years ago, why they are still valid or what needs to be adjusted, etc..

Most importantly, the aim is to not primarily to look back in praise of the undisputable achievements, but to provide a vision towards celebrating the Golden Anniversary of the field in 2041 and beyond.

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New articles added to 15 years of Green Chemistry web collection

To mark the occasion of Green Chemistry completing fifteen years of publication we invited contributions from authors who have had highly cited articles from each of the past 15 years. The result is a growing web collection covering topics of current importance in green chemistry from those who have contributed to developing the field. Details of the contributors, their highly cited article from the year they are representing, and their recent contribution are below.

Two recent additions to the collection are from Professor Chinzia Chiappe (University of Pisa), and Dr Peter Dunn (Pfizer).

Professor Chiappe’s 2006  article Acute toxicity of ionic liquids to the zebrafish (Danio rerio)is amongst the highest that year. She has continued on this ionic liquids theme by contributing to the 15 years of Green Chemsitry collection a Critical Review asking  Are ionic liquids a proper solution to current environmental challenges?

In 2007, Dr Dunn was the lead author on a Perspective article produced from the ACS GCI Pharmaceutical Roundable entitled Key green chemistry research areas—a perspective from pharmaceutical manufacturers. His contribution to the 15 years of Green Chemistry collection is another Perspective with an Industrial themePharmaceutical Green Chemistry process changes – how long does it take to obtain regulatory approval?’.

All of these articles are free to access until the end of July 2014. The 15 Years of Green Chemistry collection will be added to throughout 2014 and you can access the articles by clicking on the titles below, or look at the full collection of recent articles online here.

Year 15 Years of Green Chemistry Contribution Original Highly Cited Article
1999 Journey on greener pathways: from the use of alternate energy inputs and benign reaction media to sustainable applications of nano-catalysts in synthesis and environmental remediation
Rajender S. Varma, 2014, Perspective
Solvent-free organic syntheses. using supported reagents and microwave irradiation, Rajender S. Varma, 1999, Paper
2000 Food waste biomass: a resource for high-value chemicals
Lucie A. Pfaltzgraff, Mario De bruyn, Emma C. Cooper, Vitaly Budarin and James H. Clark, 2013, Perspective
Preparation of a novel silica-supported palladium catalyst and its use in the Heck reaction
James H. Clark, Duncan J. Macquarrie and Egid B. Mubofu, 2000, Paper
2001 Mixing ionic liquids – “simple mixtures” or “double salts”?
Gregory Chatel, Jorge F. B. Pereira, Varun Debbeti, Hui Wang and Robin D. Rogers, 2014, Critical Review
Characterization and comparison of hydrophilic and hydrophobic room temperature ionic liquids incorporating the imidazolium cation, Jonathan G. Huddleston, Ann E. Visser, W. Matthew Reichert, Heather D. Willauer, Grant A. Broker and Robin D. Rogers, 2001, paper
2005 Green and sustainable manufacture of chemicals from biomass: state of the art
Roger A. Sheldon, 2014, Critical Review
Green solvents for sustainable organic synthesis: state of the art
Roger A. Sheldon, 2005, Critical Review
2006 Are ionic liquids a proper solution to current environmental challenges?
Giorgio Cevasco and Cinzia Chiappe, 2014, Critical Review
Acute toxicity of ionic liquids to the zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Carlo Pretti, Cinzia Chiappe, Daniela Pieraccini, Michela Gregori, Francesca Abramo, Gianfranca Monni and Luigi Intorre, 2006, Communication
2007 Pharmaceutical Green Chemistry process changes – how long does it take to obtain regulatory approval?
Peter J. Dunn, 2013, Perspective
Key green chemistry research areas—a perspective from pharmaceutical manufacturers
David J. C. Constable, Peter J. Dunn, John D. Hayler, Guy R. Humphrey, Johnnie L. Leazer, Jr., Russell J. Linderman, Kurt Lorenz, Julie Manley, Bruce A. Pearlman, Andrew Wells, Aleksey Zaks and Tony Y. Zhang, 2007, Perspective
2008 Towards resource efficient chemistry: Tandem reactions with renewables
Arno Behr, Andreas Johannes Vorholt, Thomas Seidensticker and Karoline Anna Ostrowski, 2013, Critical Review
Improved utilisation of renewable resources: New important derivatives of glycerol
Arno Behr, Jens Eilting, Ken Irawadi, Julia Leschinski and Falk Lindner, 2008, Critical Review
2009 Conversion of glucose and cellulose into value-added products in water and ionic liquids
Jinliang Song, Honglei Fan, Jun Ma and Buxing, 2013, Tutorial Review
Efficient conversion of glucose into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural catalyzed by a common Lewis acid SnCl4 in an ionic liquid
Suqin Hu, Zhaofu Zhang, Jinliang Song, Yinxi Zhou and Buxing Han, 2009, Communication
2011 Conversion of biomass platform molecules into fuel additives and liquid hydrocarbon fuels
Maria J. Climent, Avelino Corma and Sara Iborra, 2014, Critical Review
Converting carbohydrates to bulk chemicals and fine chemicals over heterogeneous catalysts
Maria J. Climent, Avelino Corma and Sara Iborra, 2011, Critical Review
2012 Continuous process technology: a tool for sustainable production
Charlotte Wiles and Paul Watts, 2014, Tutorial Review
Continuous flow reactors: a perspective
Charlotte Wiles and Paul Watts, 2012, Tutorial Review
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Green Chemistry issue 2 is now available online

Issue 2 of Green Chemistry is a themed issue on the conversion of biomass with heterogeneous catalysts, Guest Edited by Professors Paul Dauenhauer and George Huber. It’s available to read online now.

GC issue 2 coverThe front cover this month (pictured left) features a review by Jesse Hensley and co-workers from Golden, Colorado. In their article they focus on recent model compound studies of catalysts for hydrodeoxygenation of biomass pyrolysis products, with an emphasis on mechanisms, reaction networks, and structure–function relationships.

Read the full article:
Recent advances in heterogeneous catalysts for bio-oil upgrading via “ex situ catalytic fast pyrolysis”: catalyst development through the study of model compounds
Daniel A. Ruddy, Joshua A. Schaidle, Jack R. Ferrell III, Jun Wang, Luc Moens and Jesse E. Hensley  
Green Chem., 2014, 16, 454-490, DOI: 10.1039/C3GC41354C


GC issue 2 inside coverThe inside front cover this month (pictured right) features work by Andreas Heyden and co-workers from Columbia, South Carolina. In their work they report a theoretical study of the effects of various solvents on the mechanism of the hydrodeoxygenation of propanoic acid over Pd(111).

Read the full article:
Solvent effects on the hydrodeoxygenation of propanoic acid over Pd(111) model surfaces
Sina Behtash, Jianmin Lu, Muhammad Faheem and Andreas Heyden  
Green Chem., 2014, 16, 605-616, DOI: 10.1039/C3GC41368C

Both of these articles are free to access for 6 weeks!

Keep up-to-date with the latest content in Green Chemistry by registering for our free table of contents alerts.

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Web Collection marking 15 years of publication of Green Chemistry

To mark the occasion of Green Chemistry completing fifteen years of publication we invited contributions from authors who have had highly cited articles from each of the past 15 years. The result is a growing web collection covering topics of current importance in green chemistry from those who have contributed to developing the field. Details of the contributors, their highly cited article from the year they are representing, and their recent contribution are below. 

Accompanying this collection and further celebrating ‘15 years of Green Chemistry’ is an Editorial containing contributions from all of Green Chemistry’s Chairs of the Editorial board and Scientific Editors giving their views on the area of green chemistry and the changes they have seen since the Journal was launched in 1999… read the Editorial here.

The 15 Years of Green Chemistry collection will be added to throughout 2014 and you can access the articles by clicking on the titles below, or look at the full collection of recent articles online here

Year 15 Years of Green Chemistry Contribution Original Highly Cited Article
1999 Journey on greener pathways: from the use of alternate energy inputs and benign reaction media to sustainable applications of nano-catalysts in synthesis and environmental remediation
Rajender S. Varma, 2014, Perspective
Solvent-free organic syntheses. using supported reagents and microwave irradiation, Rajender S. Varma, 1999, Paper
2000 Food waste biomass: a resource for high-value chemicals
Lucie A. Pfaltzgraff, Mario De bruyn, Emma C. Cooper, Vitaly Budarin and  James H. Clark, 2013, Perspective
Preparation of a novel silica-supported palladium catalyst and its use in the Heck reaction
James H. Clark, Duncan J. Macquarrie and Egid B. Mubofu, 2000, Paper
2001 Mixing ionic liquids – “simple mixtures” or “double salts”?
Gregory Chatel, Jorge F. B. Pereira, Varun Debbeti, Hui Wang and Robin D. Rogers, 2014, Critical Review
Characterization and comparison of hydrophilic and hydrophobic room temperature ionic liquids incorporating the imidazolium cation, Jonathan G. Huddleston, Ann E. Visser, W. Matthew Reichert, Heather D. Willauer, Grant A. Broker and Robin D. Rogers, 2001, paper
2005 Green and sustainable manufacture of chemicals from biomass: state of the art
Roger A. Sheldon, 2014, Critical Review
Green solvents for sustainable organic synthesis: state of the art
Roger A. Sheldon, 2005, Critical Review
2006 Are ionic liquids a proper solution to current environmental challenges?
Giorgio Cevasco and Cinzia Chiappe, 2014, Critical Review
Acute toxicity of ionic liquids to the zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Carlo Pretti, Cinzia Chiappe, Daniela Pieraccini, Michela Gregori, Francesca Abramo, Gianfranca Monni and Luigi Intorre, 2006, Communication
2007 Pharmaceutical Green Chemistry process changes – how long does it take to obtain regulatory approval?
Peter J. Dunn, 2013, Perspective
Key green chemistry research areas—a perspective from pharmaceutical manufacturers
David J. C. Constable, Peter J. Dunn, John D. Hayler, Guy R. Humphrey, Johnnie L. Leazer, Jr., Russell J. Linderman, Kurt Lorenz, Julie Manley, Bruce A. Pearlman, Andrew Wells, Aleksey Zaks and Tony Y. Zhang, 2007, Perspective
2008 Towards resource efficient chemistry: Tandem reactions with renewables
Arno Behr, Andreas Johannes Vorholt, Thomas Seidensticker and Karoline Anna Ostrowski, 2013, Critical Review
Improved utilisation of renewable resources: New important derivatives of glycerol
Arno Behr, Jens Eilting, Ken Irawadi, Julia Leschinski and Falk Lindner, 2008, Critical Review
2009 Conversion of glucose and cellulose into value-added products in water and ionic liquids
Jinliang Song, Honglei Fan, Jun Ma and Buxing, 2013, Tutorial Review
Efficient conversion of glucose into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural catalyzed by a common Lewis acid SnCl4 in an ionic liquid
Suqin Hu, Zhaofu Zhang, Jinliang Song, Yinxi Zhou and Buxing Han, 2009, Communication
2011 Conversion of biomass platform molecules into fuel additives and liquid hydrocarbon fuels
Maria J. Climent, Avelino Corma and Sara Iborra, 2014, Critical Review
Converting carbohydrates to bulk chemicals and fine chemicals over heterogeneous catalysts
Maria J. Climent, Avelino Corma and Sara Iborra, 2011, Critical Review
2012 Continuous process technology: a tool for sustainable production
Charlotte Wiles and Paul Watts, 2014, Tutorial Review
Continuous flow reactors: a perspective
Charlotte Wiles and Paul Watts, 2012, Tutorial Review
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Green Solvents – Mission Completed or Mission Impossible?

The search for alternatives to volatile organic solvents is one of the continuing major themes in Green Chemistry. “Solvents” are explicitly mentioned in principle 5 of the 12 Green Chemistry Principles, but their use impacts of course also directly on issues such as waste prevention, energy efficiency, and safety. The search for alternative materials and concepts to facilitate solution phase processes towards the goals of sustainability forms a natural link between Green Chemistry and Engineering. Since the year 2000, the biennial conference “Green Solvents” brings together researchers from academia and industry, as well as students, to discuss the progress in science and application in this area. As in previous years, the presenters at the 2012 edition of the conference have been invited to contribute a review or original research paper to the journal and you will find the resulting articles bundled in this issue.

The organization of six editions of this meeting together with Peter Wasserscheid and Ken Seddon has been scientifically most rewarding and personally a real pleasure. The concept to organize the program without parallel sessions, arranging it according to the scientific and technical challenges rather than the materials or methods has led to most fruitful interactions and stimulating discussions. One of the most striking developments reflected across the board is that the advanced fluids such as ionic liquids, supercritical fluids, water, or liquid polymers are often not adequately described as “solvents” when used for molecular transformations or separation techniques. They act as additives, stabilizers, matrices, switchable components, catalysts, etc. Unlike with traditional solvents, only very small amounts of the fluids are often required, for example to combine reactivity and separation in catalyst immobilization. Smart systems change their properties upon external stimuli or directly interact with reactive components to steer a reaction. Reaction engineering concepts for flow chemistry open new approaches with these materials and vice versa. So, are we at the stage “Mission Completed”?

Actually – I don’t really think so: striving for sustainability is an iterative process and if we are doing well, we can always do better! Immobilizing a catalyst today, we are already satisfied if it retains largely its activity and selectivity from solution; very often, we find that the supporting matrix interacts with the catalyst leading to a reduced performance. There is no reason why the interaction should not lead to an activation or increase in selectivity! In fact, there are a – still slowly – increasing number of observations that support this idea. Is it possible to switch not only between solubility properties, but also between reactivities? How can heat exchange be controlled in reactive systems without using solvents? Can we use fluids that stabilize nanoparticles for the control of their reactivity just as we use ligands to control single site catalysts? If we find such seemingly elegant solutions, will they really improve the sustainability of industrial process chains upon implementation? We are far from giving satisfactory answers to these and many more very fundamental questions!

Solution phase synthesis is dominating the fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals industry, and resource and energy efficient production is increasingly making a difference in the business models of these sectors. Material synthesis and processing is also highly depending on the liquid phase. Utilization of biomass requires solution phase processes even in the very early stages of the supply chain, in large scale bio-refineries just as well as for decentralized operations. Chemical transformations lie also at the intersection of the energetic and chemical supply chain. In all these crucial areas of application, novel concepts and materials for solution phase processes can make a difference!

Therefore, I am already today looking forward to the next edition of the “Green Solvents” conference: it will be held in Dresden, Germany, from October 19–22 2014 (for details, see: http://www.dechema.de/gsfs2014). If you enjoy reading the articles in this issue, if you share the enthusiasm for the exciting scientific challenges in this area, or if you see potential connections to your own research, you don’t want to miss this event!

Professor Walter Leitner – Chair of the Green Chemistry Editorial Board

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Top 10 cited review articles in 2012

A green chemistry coverAs the year draws to a close, here is a list of the top 10 cited review articles in Green Chemistry in 2012 – all free to access until the end of January 2013!

Technology development for the production of biobased products from biorefinery carbohydrates—the US Department of Energy’s “Top 10” revisited, Joseph J. Bozell and Gene R. Petersen, Green Chem., 2010, 12, 539-554

 Converting carbohydrates to bulk chemicals and fine chemicals over heterogeneous catalysts, Maria J. Climent, Avelino Corma and Sara Iborra, Green Chem., 2011, 13, 520-540

Catalytic conversion of biomass to biofuels, David Martin Alonso, Jesse Q. Bond and James A. Dumesic, Green Chem., 2010, 12, 1493-1513

Green chemistry by nano-catalysis, Vivek Polshettiwar and Rajender S. Varma, Green Chem., 2010, 12, 743-754

Synthesis of cyclic carbonates from epoxides and CO2, Michael North, Riccardo Pasquale and Carl Young, Green Chem., 2010, 12, 1514-1539

Searching for green solvents, Philip G. Jessop, Green Chem., 2011, 13, 1391-1398

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) as a building block platform: Biological properties, synthesis and synthetic applications, Andreia A. Rosatella, Svilen P. Simeonov, Raquel F. M. Frade and Carlos A. M. Afonso, Green Chem., 2011, 13, 754-793

Vegetable oil-based polymeric materials: synthesis, properties, and applications, Ying Xia and Richard C. Larock, Green Chem., 2010, 12, 1893-1909

Glycerol as a sustainable solvent for green chemistry, Yanlong Gu and François Jérôme, Green Chem., 2010, 12, 1127-1138

Enzyme-mediated oxidations for the chemist, Frank Hollmann, Isabel W. C. E. Arends, Katja Buehler, Anett Schallmey and Bruno Bühler, Green Chem., 2011, 13, 226-265

Stay up-to-date with the latest news and content in Green Chemistry by registering for our free table of contents alerts.

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