An introduction to the ideas and principles of Green Chemistry, and can be customized to a particular industry. An example of a recent series given for a pharmaceutical company is provided below.
Module 1
Introduction to Green Chemistry: Historical Perspective
Green Chemistry seeks to reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous materials at the design stage of a materials process. It has been demonstrated that materials and products CAN be designed with negligible impact on human health and the environment while still being economically competitive and successful in the marketplace. This presentation will describe the history and background of Green Chemistry and discuss the opportunities for the next generation of chemical and materials designers to create a safer future. The content covered during this seminar is accessible to a broad audience.
Module 2
Introduction to Green Chemistry: The Twelve Principles
To create a base of understanding for the succeeding units, this seminar will discuss each of the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry . This presentation will concentrate specifically on the methods and applications of the Principles that are of particular relevance to the Pharmaceutical Industry.
Module 3
Green Chemistry in the Pharmaceutical Industry: Case Studies
On average in the American pharmaceutical industry, the ratio of kg byproduct:kg product produced is 200:1 for APIs with MW<1000, and 5000:1 for APIs with MW> 1000 kg. By designing a synthesis guided by green chemistry principles thereby improving atom economy, large resource savings and thus cost savings can be obtained in the manufacturing process. As a result, many advances in green chemistry have come from the pharmaceutical industry. Since its founding, the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge award has been given to several major pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and Merck. This seminar will focus on specific examples of green chemistry that have been implemented in the pharmaceutical industry. Key cost and resource savings metrics will be discussed.
Module 4
Green Chemistry: Practical Application in the Laboratory
Building on the three previous seminars, the series will culminate with an hour focused specifically on the practical application of Green Chemistry in the laboratory. The practice of Green Chemistry within the framework of discovery science and research, as well as manufacturing, can quickly create both resource and cost savings. For example, alternative pathways to many synthetic transformations have been identified that minimize the use of protecting groups and covalent derivatization. Solvent use and toxicity can be reduced not only in the discovery phase, but also in the use of analytical verification techniques, e.g. , HPLC, again providing cost savings. Finally, the growing focus on APIs in the environment highlights the need for design for degradation. This is highly cost effective when compared to regulatory fines or the cost of clean-up efforts after the pollution has occurred. These examples provide a tip of the iceberg view of the ways that the practical application of green chemistry principles can drive cost savings.