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Green Chemistry with Microwave Energy
Citation:
VARMA, R. S. Green Chemistry with Microwave Energy. Chapter ,NA, Robert A. Meyers (ed.), Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, ISBN 9780387894690. Springer Science + Business Media, New York, NY, , pp.4642-4673, (2012).
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public
Description:
Green chemistry utilizes a set of 12 principles that reduces or eliminates the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture, and applications of chemical products (1). This newer chemical approach protects the environment by inventing safer and eco-friendly chemical processes that prevent pollution ‘at source’ rather than cleaning up ‘end-of-the-pipe’ by-products and pollutants generated by traditional synthesis. The diverse nature of our chemical universe promotes a need for 2 various greener strategic pathways in our quest to attain sustainability. The synthetic chemical community has been under increased pressure to produce, in an environmentally benign fashion, the myriad of chemical entities required by society in relatively short spans of time. This is especially true for the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries. Among others, one of the best options is to accelerate these synthetic processes by using microwave (MW)-assisted chemistry techniques in conjunction with safer reaction media. The efficient use of the MW heating approach for the synthesis of a wide variety of organics and nanomaterials in aqueous and solvent-free media is discussed in this chapter, including the sustainable application of recyclable and reusable nano-catalysts.
