GREEN CHEMISTRY

Green chemistry - or environmentally benign or sustainable chemistry - refers to the design, synthesis, processing and use of chemicals aimed at the reduction/elimination of hazardous substances that pose risks to humans and to the environment.
Green chemistry focusses both on the development of fundamental science as well as on its industrial implementation towards greener products and processes and on its effects on the environment and on the population. Green chemistry therefore moves away from the traditional pollution treatment or abatement methods, and instead addresses the issue "at the source" by considering alternative sustainable routes that avoid the production of waste: it is better to prevent damage rather than to cure adverse effects.
Green chemistry embodies the concept of “benign by design” and involves tailoring or modifying chemical processes to minimize or eliminate hazardous waste. Green chemistry need not be more difficult or costly than existing technologies and can even be significantly cheaper when waste disposal and remediation are factored into a product’s cost analysis. Green chemistry encompasses all chemical related disciplines and provides a method to evaluate and examine all existing processes and products currently being used or created. This green chemistry course aims at introducing the fundamental knowledge for the design and implementation of greener chemical technologies.

This course will teach
1. Knowledge and understanding.
a. The main concepts of the discipline, its historical development, its growth and expansion from its birth in the early 90s to today.
b. To understand the scientific, economic and social reasons for the development of green chemistry, the main health and environmental problems associated with some chemical products and processes.
c. The 12 principles and the main scientific, technological and methodologies of green chemistry - including the use of alternative solvents, catalysis, new raw materials, new reagents, new methodologies, the development of new products and processes and new alternative technologies - with examples.

2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
a. Ability to evaluate whether a chemical product or process is or is not eco-sustainable and whether it poses risks to health or to the environment. Ability to recognize the critical issues and potential sources of pollution, waste, toxicity and danger associated with chemical transformations.
b. Knowing how to find, consult and understand the main bibliographic sources to support the concepts of green chemistry.
c. Understanding and applying the interdisciplinarity of the methods of green chemistry throughout the chemical sciences and the related disciplines.
d. Knowing how to identify benefits, disadvantages and which aspects can be improved of a chemical product or process from the point of view of efficiency, safety, environment, health and costs. The homeworks - an integral part of the assessment as described in the learning assessment methods - contribute to establishing and developing this knowledge.
e. Ability to identify the main elements that can be improved in terms of eco-sustainability and safety in dealing with any chemical operation or process (synthesis, analysis, purification, separation, etc.).

3. Critical ability.
a. Being able to evaluate chemical processes comparatively, in terms of environmental sustainability, health and safety.
b. Develop critical capacity and independent judgment of the impact on human health and the environment of a chemical product or process.

4. Communication skills.
a. Ability to explain and argue with rigor, clarity and conciseness the concepts and principles of green chemistry through examples and case studies.
b. Ability to graphically represent the main products, solvents, methodologies and processes of green chemistry in writing.
c. Knowing how to critically discuss different products or processes in terms of eco-compatibility, safety and health.
d. Knowing how to interact in the classroom with the teacher and with the classmates, formulating and answering questions and discussing the problems posed by the teacher.

5. Learning skills.
a. Knowing how to identify independently the principal concepts expressed in class.
b. Knowing how to connect and integrate topics from different fields (for example: organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, general chemistry, physical chemistry, biology, biochemistry, industrial chemistry, toxicology, safety, etc.) from the point of view of green chemistry.
c. To learn how to implement one's own training through bibliographic research.
d. Solving the homeworks

This course requires knowledge from Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry II, however its interdisciplinary nature also involves General, Physical, Inorganic and Industrial Chemistry, as well as biochemistry, sustainability and safety.

Description of the program, methods of examination and bibliography
Definitions and historical development of green chemistry
Examples of chemical processes and some problems and accidents
Development of legislation
Waste and by-products of a chemical process or transformation
Pollution, polluting compounds, sources of risk and exposure.
Atom economy and E-factor: parameters to evaluate greenness of a reaction or process
Efficiency of a chemical process, examples of green processes
The 12 Principles of green chemistry
Use of less toxic reagents, with examples
Catalysis as a tool for green chemistry: homogeneous, heterogeneous, phase transfer, biocatalysis, with examples
Green solvents: water, supercritical solvents, ionic liquids, renewable, with examples
Raw materials of renewable origin for the chemical industry of the future, with examples
Alternative methods of synthesis with reduced environmental impact, with examples

Green Chemistry: An Introductory Text by Mike Lancaster, 3rd Edition 2016, Royal Society of Chemistry. ISBN 978-1-78262-294-9
Green Organic Chemistry in Lecture and Laboratory, A. P. Dicks Ed., 2012, CRC Press, Boca Raton. ISBN 978-1-4398-4076-4

The course includes homeworks - exercises to be done at home - which must be done by hand, individually or in pairs, and delivered to the teacher by the end of the semester. They contribute 50% of the final grade.
The rest of the grade is assigned with an oral exam based on a 10-minute Powerpoint presentation of an article from the scientific literature identified by the student and which deals with topics of the course. We do not recommend using "review" articles.
The following are evaluated:
1) the ability to identify and choose a literature article relevant to the course;
2) the ability to read, understand and present the content of the article in a clear, exhaustive and succinct manner, using Powerpoint slides;
3) the ability to identify the main scientific points, characterizing green chemistry, and to extrapolate the most important conclusions of the article and of the experimental data contained therein;
4) the ability to understand and research the contents of the article, even those not explicitly described and mentioned, and to read the contents critically;
5) the ability to present a detailed discussion, using correct scientific terminology and language to describe the results and conclusions of the research described in the article;
6) the ability to answer the teacher's questions which, starting from the content of the article, will be aimed at examining the more general context of green chemistry and ascertaining the knowledge acquired by the student on the course program and homeworks.

The student is expected to be able to respond by organizing an articulated and complete speech, arguing in depth on the topic of the question with scientific language properties. The oral exam lasts from 20 to 30 minutes depending on the clarity and coherence of the answers to the questions.

The course consists of lectures on the topics indicated in the contents section, accompanied by case studies, examples, excersises and discussion in the classroom.
The teachin material is available and can be downloaded on the "Moodle" platform of the University.

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The student at the end of the course will be able to evaluate from a sustainability standpoint:
- The impact of organic syntheses on the environment and on the human health
- The impact of industrial processes on the environment and on the human health
- Natural resources as feedstooks for organic transformations
- Alternative methods in organic synthesis
- The most important methods in green organic metrics

Accommodation and support services for students with disabilities and students with specific learning impairments: Ca’ Foscari abides by Italian Law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding support services and accommodation available to students with disabilities. This includes students with mobility, visual, hearing and other disabilities (Law 17/1999), and specific learning impairments (Law 170/2010). In the case of disability or impairment that requires accommodations (i.e., alternate testing, readers, note takers or interpreters) please contact the Disability and Accessibility Offices in Student Services: disabilita@unive.it.

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This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Natural capital and environmental quality" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development