The Green chromatographer, part I - 12 principles of green chemistry

The greening of chemistry has now reached of the Chromatography. Methods, equipments and supplies are now focusing on the many aspects of environment conservation. More than just follow the current fashion, analysts can improve their work with aspects such carbon credits or the four R's of recycling (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover).

To start let's take a look on EPA's 12 rules about green chemistry. After that,  the discussion about all technologies that may help you to put your chromatogram greener such as mobile phase recycling, high temperature elution, narrow bore columns, New packings and miniaturization will become much clear.

The 12 principles of green chemistry from EPA and some possible ways for incorporation on analytical laboratory:

1.Prevention

It is better to prevent waste than to treat or clean up waste after it has been created.

Simple, instead to create waste, modify your methods.

2.Atom Economy

Synthetic methods should be designed to maximize the incorporation of all materials used in the process into the final product.

Don't prepare more mobile phase than what is really necessary, if you can not store it, you are just creating more waste.

3.Less Hazardous Chemical Syntheses

Wherever practicable, synthetic methods should be designed to use and generate substances that possess little or no toxicity to human health and the environment.

If conditions are apropriate, prefer less hazardous solvents like Ethanol instead of Acetonitrile.

4.Designing Safer Chemicals

Chemical products should be designed to effect their desired function while minimizing their toxicity.

Same idea as above.

5.Safer Solvents and Auxiliaries

The use of auxiliary substances (e.g., solvents, separation agents, etc.) should be made unnecessary wherever possible and innocuous when used.

What about exchange sample prepation that requires liquid-liquid extraction for a solid-phase extraction?

6.Design for Energy Efficiency

Energy requirements of chemical processes should be recognized for their environmental and economic impacts and should be minimized. If possible, synthetic methods should be conducted at ambient temperature and pressure.

If run times are reduced (for instance, using a narrow bore column), more samples can be analysed in same amount of time and spending same energy and equipment.

7.Use of Renewable Feedstocks

A raw material or feedstock should be renewable rather than depleting whenever technically and economically practicable.

Why not use pure water or ion exchange elutions instead of Reversed/Normal phase LC? for instance, if you have to analyse sugars you can exchange your old Amino-propyl column with (75% acetonitrile) for a ligand exchange that use only water as mobile phase, check alternatives here.

8.Reduce Derivatives

Unnecessary derivatization (use of blocking groups, protection/ deprotection, temporary modification of physical/chemical processes) should be minimized or avoided if possible, because such steps require additional reagents and can generate waste.

Huh, reduce preparation steps...I think we can translate this to simplify sample preparation steps!

Why instead of doing multiple dilutions, weight less in more precise balances and inject a smaller volume in micro-injectors such as the Valco ones.

9.Catalysis

Catalytic reagents (as selective as possible) are superior to stoichiometric reagents.

Not exactly catalytic but separations can be simplified with the creation of more selectives derivatives of high yield!

10.Design for Degradation

Chemical products should be designed so that at the end of their function they break down into innocuous degradation products and do not persist in the environment.

Although not "designed for degradation", organic solvents can be detoxified using many techniques. Acetonitrile can be hydrolyzed using NaOH to Amonia and acetic acid. This is much more like, assisted degradation.

11.Real-time analysis for Pollution Prevention

Analytical methodologies need to be further developed to allow for real-time, in-process monitoring and control prior to the formation of hazardous substances.

This is a hard one.

12.Inherently Safer Chemistry for Accident Prevention

Substances and the form of a substance used in a chemical process should be chosen to minimize the potential for chemical accidents, including releases, explosions, and fires.

Stop using Diazomethane!! Please!