Green chemistry in China

Abstract

The principles of green chemistry provide a framework for rational design of environmentally friendly chemicals and chemical processes having reduced intrinsic hazard. In China, the academic community has made advances in key areas, developing new catalysts, solvents, polymers, plastics additives, and biomass transformations that add to the “toolbox” of alternative, more benign, and transformative technologies. Educational and outreach activities have also flourished in recent years. This perspective highlights examples of green chemistry breakthroughs in China, focusing on literature reports from 2008 to 2010. While we cannot hope to be comprehensive, we aim to provide examples that demonstrate the scope of the current research field.