Green chemistry Awards

Amination of aromatic nitro compounds is a very important process in both industry and laboratory. A simple synthesis of 4-aminodiphenyl amine (4-ADPA) has been achieved by utilizing a nucleophilic aromatic substitution. 4-ADPA is a key intermediate in the rubber chemical family of antioxidants. By means of a nucleophibc attack of the anilide anion on a nitrobenzene, a o-complex is formed first, which is then converted into 4-nitrosodiphenylamine and 4-nitrodiphenylamine by intra- and intermolecular oxidation. Catalytic hydrogenation finally affords 4-ADPA. Azobenzene, which is formed as a by-product, can be hydrogenated to aniline and thus recycled into the process. Switching this new atom-economy route allows for a dramatic reduction of chemical waste (Scheme 9.9).73 The United States Environmental Protection Agency gave the Green Chemistry Award for this process in 1998.74... 

SC Johnson Son wins Presidential Green Chemistry Award for the Greenlist... 

IDS is structurally similar to EDDS, but is a simpler structure with just an amine bridge between the two aspartic acid components. It is also achiral, but still readily biodegradable owing the structural similarity to L-aspartic acid [30]. Although IDS easier to synthesize than EDDS, the loss of one amine group makes it a weaker chelant, particularly for transition metal ions. IDS was recognized by the US EPA with the Presidential Green Chemistry Award in 2001. 

Zhou, B.(Sept. 2007) (Headwaters Technology), presentation for US EPA Presidential Green Chemistry Award. 

One potential very large scale application of LA is its transformation, via ring closure and hydrogenation, into 2-methyltetrahydrofuran [197], a possible motor fuel additive. One of the companies involved, Biofine Inc. (now BioMetics) has received the 1999 Presidential Green Chemistry Award for its work on LA. 

These enzymes can be used to make polyesters, polyacrylates, polysaccharides, polyphenols, and other polymers. An example of such an application was acknowledged with the 2003 Academic Green Chemistry Award to Richard A. Gross for a broad range of lipase-catalyzed polyester syntheses (see Ritter, 2003). The reaction shown in Figure 12.9 occurs under mild conditions and high selectivity using the immobilized lipase B, harvested from the bacterium Candida antarctica. 

In 1997, the developers of the Boots-Hoechst-Celanese process were awarded the Presidential Green Chemistry Award, sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

In 2007, the Direct Synthesis HP by Selective Nanocatalyst Technology received the coveted Presidential Green Chemistry Award. 

Many examples of green chemistry awards can be found at http //www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/pubs/ pgcc/pastitml. 

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