Green Chemistry: Sustainability as a Green Chemistry: Sustainability as a Tool for Economic DevelopmentTool for Economic Development

Kenneth M. DoxseeDepartment of Chemistry

University of OregonEugene, OR 97403

doxsee@oregon.uoregon.edu

AEED Sustainability SubcommitteeJune 17, 2004

What is Green Chemistry?

Green chemistry is the design and use of methods that eliminate health and environmental hazards in the manufacture and use of chemicals.

• Clean technology – prevent formation of waste

• Environmentally-benign chemistry

• Rational, deliberate design at the molecular level

• Consideration of health and environmental effects of both the process and the product

Why is Green Chemistry Important?Global change - global warming and ozone depletion

Accumulation of toxins in the environment and humans

Resource depletion - a serious problem given population growth and industrial development

year

Resource use

Developed countriesDeveloping

countries

What Can We Do?

Risk is a function of hazard and exposure

Risk = f [hazard, exposure]

By reducing intrinsic hazard, risk can beminimized even in the event of accidentalexposure.

Why Should We Care?

Why Should We Care?

• A growing (inter)national reputation for research and education in sustainability is attracting students to UO

• This emphasis exploits the great depth of the UO and the region in sustainability research and education:

public policy, law, business (UO)engineering (OSU, PSU)environmental science (PNNL)

• The current Oregon business community is supportive and in need:trained, stable workforcetechnical expertise and consultation (e.g., CAMCOR)

• Sustainability represents a critical mechanism for attraction to and growth of the Oregon business community

Sustainability = Economic Advantage

By representing the best possible science, green chemistry is not just a way to remain in legal compliance, but a way to obtain a competitive edge.

vs

Green Chemical Research at the University of Oregon

• Materials synthesisAlternative solventsReduced energy processesNext-generation materials

• Degradable polymers• Alternative energy sources

ThermoelectricsWater splitting

• Catalysis• Remediation • Educational materials development

Green Chemical Education at the University of Oregon

• Green Research

• Organic Chemistry Laboratory

• Green Chemistry in Education Workshop

• General Chemistry Laboratory

• Introduction• Identification of Chemical

Hazards• Chemical Exposure and

Environmental Contamination• Evaluation of Chemical

Hazards• Introduction to Green

Chemistry• Alternative Solvents• Alternative Reagents• Reaction Design and

Efficiency• Alternative Feedstocks and

Products• The Big Picture: Green

Chemistry Metrics• Experiments (19 at present)

Brooks/Cole (2003)

Green Organic Chemistry Laboratory Manual

The Green Chemistry Lab

Annual Green Chemistry in Education Workshop

Albion CollegeAntioch CollegeBriar Cliff CollegeColgate UniversityDavidson CollegeDrury UniversityFort Hays State UniversityHendrix CollegeJohn Carroll UniversityKutztown University of PennsylvaniaLane Community CollegeLe Moyne CollegeMarygrove CollegeMiddlebury CollegeMiles CollegeMillikin UniversityMinnesota State University at MankatoNational Taiwan UniversityNew College of FloridaNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern UniversityOregon Institute of Technology

Pepperdine UniversitySan Diego State UniversitySoutheast Missouri State UniversitySpelman CollegeSt. Joseph's CollegeSt. Olaf CollegeTennessee Technological UniversityTexas A & M University-KingsvilleTexas Tech UniversityTribhuvan University, NepalUniversidad Iberoamericana, MexicoUniversidade do Porto, PortugalUniversity of California, RiversideUniversity of MiamiUniversity of Nebraska at KearneyUniversity of North Carolina at WilmingtonUniversity of Nottingham, EnglandUniversity of PortlandUniversity of Southern IndianaUniversity of the PacificUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireUniversity of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Green Chemistry in Education Workshop

General Chemistry Laboratory

Dr. Deborah Exton

“Down-the-Drain” Lab Experiments

Pearson Custom PublishingBoston, MAISBN 0-536-70567-4

Sponsors

Alice C. Tyler Perpetual Trust

Take-Away Points

• UO is a world leader in green chemical research and education

• Sustainability is a central UO research focus

• Research includes vital collaborations throughout the State and region

UO – Law, Business, Public PolicyOSU – EngineeringPSU – EngineeringPNNL – Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory

Take-Away Points

• UO sustainability efforts can play a key role in Statewide competitiveness and economic development

Meeting needs of current regional industries&Facilitating location of new industries

Attracting students to State universitiesProviding trained, stable workforceServing as “high tech extension service”

(consulting, CAMCOR, etc.)Fostering collaborative, mutually beneficial

research(ONAMI “megamixer,” Kinetics, Inc.)

Oregon Center for Sustainable Research and Education