green chemistry at the undergraduate level green chemistry in minnesota: opportunities and...
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Green Chemistry At the Undergraduate Level
Green Chemistry in Minnesota: Opportunities and Challenges for Leadership
Wednesday May 28, 2008Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota
Bob HansonSt. Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN
Good reasons to teach about green chemistry
• Green chemistry is all about purposeful design.
• Green chemistry demands accountability.
• Green chemistry resonates with student creativity and interest in caring for the environment and for the future.
Purposeful Design
• Green chemistry requires a consideration of intent.
– Which of the products is the desired product? – Is there a better way accomplish the same
result?• Involving fewer hazards• Involving less waste
Accountability
• Green chemistry requires consideration of all of the inputs and outputs.
Atom Economy = 40%
before… …after
Accountability
• Green chemistry requires consideration of all of the inputs and outputs.
Experimental Atom Economy = 26%
before… …after
Creativity
• Green chemistry considerations suggest valuable alternatives.
Process MassEfficiency = 10%
Process MassEfficiency = 1%
What we’ve learned
• Green chemistry can be integrated into existing courses and given any amount of emphasis desired.
• Green chemistry can be introduced at the introductory college level as part of a standard general chemistry course.
• Discussions of green chemistry relate to lab safety and waste management.
What we’ve learned
• Awareness grows with exposure.
• Students start asking important questions.
• Faculty start asking important questions.