© 1999 Macmillan Magazines Ltd

Brendan Horton

The journal Chemical and Engineering Newsdownsized its list of top chemical companiesfrom 100 to 75 last spring: mergers andacquisitions had taken their toll of the annualrankings. Although the economic pressureson this mature industry seem clear, ‘green’chemistry approaches, which have previous-ly been spurned, are now spurring innova-tion and improving industrial competitive-ness. The applied nature of green chemistryhas resulted in a great deal of collaborationbetween government, industry and academ-ic institutions, as well as between chemists,engineers, biologists and business people.Such collaborations have resulted in the formation of green chemistry centres andinstitutes, and may bring new norms for howto do research and development.

Green chemistry (or ‘sustainable’ chem-istry, which is the preferred adjective inEurope) is showing that the ability to rethinktraditional chemistry processes and todesign closed-system manufacturing pro-cesses is not only beneficial to the environ-ment but also makes economic sense for theindustry. Green chemistry is creating toolsthat allow industry to move towards thegoals of ‘industrial ecology’. Paul Anastas,chief of the industrial chemistry branch atthe US Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), and known to some as the father ofthe term green chemistry, describes it as thedesign of chemical products and processesthat reduce or eliminate the use and genera-tion of hazardous substances.

According to Terry Collins, winner of thisyear’s academic prize in the US President’sGreen Chemistry Challenge, “chemistry isthe key science of sustainability”. Collins, aninorganic chemist at Carnegie Mellon Uni-versity in Pennsylvania, emphasizes threeareas where significant innovation is needed:solar-to-chemical energy conversion, tox-icity reduction, and biomass conversion as a source of long-term feedstocks for thechemical industry.

Industry has an important role in thismovement. Collins draws attention to thefact that there are four industrial awards inthe Green Chemistry Challenge and only one academic award at the annual GreenChemistry and Engineering conference,which was held last month in Washington,DC. “The EPA and the organizations behindthe awards are recognizing developmentswithin the chemical industry where peopleare making major improvements to existingproducts or producing something that

improves biomass transfer or reduces toxici-ty,” he says. But Collins is troubled that thereis relatively little work being done on solar-to-chemical energy transformation: “Weshould have an enormous amount of workgoing on in that area, and we don’t.”

In contrast to earlier environmentalmovements, in which protection was thoughtto be a cost burden to industry, many areas ofgreen chemistry are now being driven byindustry, says Anastas. As far as he is aware,this is the first time that, through basic science,it is being shown that environmental protec-tion can be profitable to industry.

When the EPA initiated its push intogreen chemistry in the early 1990s, itdesigned programmes to attract industrial-ists, acad-emics and environmentalists. Thiswas done by including as founding membersthe Chemical Manufacturers Association, chemical companies, the American Chemi-cal Society, the National Academy of Sci-ences, the Council for Chemical Researchand the Environmental Defense Fund.

The EPA is mainly a regulatory agency,but in the case of the green chemistry initia-tive it is acting more like a grants agency and a facilitator of technological development.Its programmes in green chemistry “do nothave a regulatory bone in their body,” saysAnastas. “Green chemistry approaches arebeing used to find ways of meeting economicand environmental goals without having to regulate.”

The academic community’s participa-tion is based on the fundamental scientificchallenges to be overcome in such areas as

solvents, benign processing, toxicity, cataly-sis, bio-based synthesis and processing, andsolar-to-chemical conversion. Through thisgreen movement, a new culture of collabora-tion seems to be developing to do researchand engineering, raise money, and maketechnology development more efficient.

Successful collaboration For Ken Seddon, a professor of chemistry atthe Queen’s University of Belfast in NorthernIreland, linking the fundamental chemistryto industry is very important: “We are verymuch concerned with having an applieddirection to our research.” His research area,ionic liquids, provides many opportunitiesfor doing fundamental work as well. “Every-thing that we’ve learned or guessed aboutchemistry is based on observations in a mol-ecular medium,” says Seddon. But this newclass of solvents offers very different kineticsand thermodynamics, as well as the potentialfor improved product yields and selectivity.

For example, he says, the Friedel–Craftsreaction conventionally takes 8 hours at 80 °C and produces 80% yield with a mixtureof isomers. Using ionic liquids, the samereaction takes 30 seconds at 0 °C and has a98% yield of a single isomer. That is impres-sive in itself, but there is also a potential sig-nificant environmental benefit with ionicliquids. They should prove to be an effectivesubstitute for an environmentally trouble-some class of solvents common to many syn-thetic pathways, namely volatile organiccompounds or VOCs.

Ionic liquids remain in a liquid state

Green chemistry puts down rootsIndustry is discovering that ‘green’ approaches to chemical processes are not only beneficial to the environmentbut can boost profits too. It’s fertile ground for collaboration between academic and industrial scientists.

careers and recruitment

NATURE | VOL 400 | 19 AUGUST 1999 | www.nature.com 797

Fe

A TAML catalyst

O

OH

H

wood pulp delignification

halogenated aromatics and organics destruction

dye transfer inhibition and

stain bleaching

LAUNDRY

pulp delignification and

effluent decolorization

TEXTILESdye bleaching and

effluent decolorization

plus

PULP AND PAPER

WATER CLEANING

Science of sustainability: Collins and his team from Carnegie Mellon University won an award in theUS Green Chemistry Challenge for developing tetraamido-macrocyclic ligand (TAML) catalysts. Theycould have an impact in a range of industrial processes.

© 1999 Macmillan Magazines Ltd

through the temperature range 197 °C to200 °C, they have no effective vapour pres-sure, and they are relatively cheap and easy toprepare. Exploratory work in Seddon’s labo-ratory (in collaboration with BP Chemicalsand Unilever Port Sunlight Research Labora-tory) has demonstrated that a wide range ofcatalysed organic reactions occur in room-temperature ionic liquids, includingoligomerizations, polymerizations, alkyla-tions and acylations. These are serious can-didates for commercial processes.

According to Seddon, about half the workhe was doing with his industrial collabora-tors was confidential; the rest was genericresearch on ionic-liquid solvent systems. Ameeting between nine of his industrial col-laborators soon revealed that they would behappy to share the generic half of theirresearch on ionic liquids with each other.This resulted in the formation of the Queen’sUniversity ion liquids laboratory or QUILL,with member companies putting up £20,000(US$32,000) each year for membership.

Not all the work for QUILL goes on in theuniversity’s laboratories. “The companies’workers will work in our labs; our workerswill work in their labs. It’s a genuine collabo-

ration — a two-way street,” says Seddon. Notonly do these collaborations bring togetheracademics and industrialists, they also drawon a variety of scientific talent, includingchemical engineers, and physical, inorganic,organic, pharmaceutical, and computation-al chemists. The 17 companies involved reapbetter returns by sharing the generic infor-mation, as they can then focus more on theirspecialized interests.

Multidisciplinary approachesNot far removed from Seddon, in either hisgreen philosophy or his desire to bring indus-trialists and academics together, is ChrisAdams, an inorganic chemist with 24 years’industrial experience at Unilever. A couple ofyears ago, when Unilever sold its chemicalinterests, Adams decided to create a new kindof research organization, which became theInstitute of Applied Catalysis (IAC).

The institute spun out of the UK govern-ment’s Foresight programme, which,according to Adams, “was an attempt todevelop consensus and enthusiasm for whatscience and technology can do for quality oflife and wealth creation”. The programmepulled together several thousand senior

technical people from UK industries anduniversities and organized them into panelsby industry sector. At the time, says Adams,“we had a lot of good fundamental science in catalysis, but we didn’t have vehicles to do the first stages of engineering”. As a toppriority, the Foresight chemicals panel rec-ommended the formation of a nationalinstitute of applied catalysis to close this gap.

The original idea was to build newpremises. But the panel realized that thismight cost £20 million, says Adams, soinstead a virtual consortium was set up, withAdams as director. “I wouldn’t say it’s com-pletely run by myself from my lap-top com-puter, but it’s close to that.” There are 15member companies, ranging from suchheavy hitters as BP/Amoco, ICI and Shell,through Johnson Matthey, Air Products,British Nuclear Fuels, British Gas Technolo-gy and Astro Zeneca, right down to somequite small ones. The agreement, accordingto Adams, was to build a community of sci-entists and technologists from industry anduniversities with people trained in chem-istry, chemical engineering, materials, mod-elling and computing.

“We insisted that research projects bemultidisciplinary and there has been tremen-dous response to this,” says Adams. Well over£2 million has been put into the universities,and the academics have responded fa-vourably. “They get huge industrial input intothe projects, with lots of steering and manage-ment. We put in extra training for the students on things like intellectual property,project management and team working.”Adams feels that IAC is one of the few groupsthat are getting multidisciplinary approachesand teamwork to function effectively.

It is impossible to do industrial chem-istry without bringing together a variety ofdisciplines, says Adams. With that in mind,IAC has set up a formal education pro-gramme, the first leg of which is aimed atpostgraduates. The courses comprise indus-trial case studies, and are designed to behighly participatory. “We get 30 youngchemists and engineers together for a week,give them some real problems to work on,and get them working through the night inmultidisciplinary teams,” says Adams. Theywork over several different dimensions, hesays, from taking lab results and extrapolat-ing them to the engineering side, to factoringin economic and environmental effects.

Cleaner and cheaperWhen asked what employers look for whenhiring people to do green chemistry, JamesBashkin, associate editor of the newlylaunched Journal of Green Chemistry, says: “Iwould look for the best trained personin organic or inorganic chemistry withthe willingness to be non-traditional andthe ability to interact with people fromother disciplines.”

careers and recruitment

798 NATURE | VOL 400 | 19 AUGUST 1999 | www.nature.com

Center for Green Manufacturinghhttttpp::////bbaammaa..uuaa..eedduu//~~ccggmm//Ken Seddonhhttttpp::////wwwwww..cchh..qquubb..aacc..uukk//ssttaaffff//ppeerrssoonnaall//kkrrss//kkrrss..hhttmmllQUILL hhttttpp::////qquuiillll..qquubb..aacc..uukk//Ionic Liquids Reviewhhttttpp::////wwwwww..cchh..qquubb..aacc..uukk//rreessoouurrcceess//iioonniicc//rreevviieeww//rreevviieeww..hhttmmllRobin D. Rogershhttttpp::////bbaammaa..uuaa..eedduu//~~rrddrrooggeerrss//Terry Collinshhttttpp::////wwwwww..cchheemm..ccmmuu..eedduu::8800//CCoolllliinnss..hhttmmllChris Adams hhttttpp::////wwwwww..iiaacc..oorrgg..uukk//James Bashkinhhttttpp::////wwuunnmmrr..wwuussttll..eedduu//FFaaccuullttyy//BBaasshhkkiinn//iinnddeexx..hhttmmllEPA Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge hhttttpp::////wwwwww..eeppaa..ggoovv//ggrreeeenncchheemmiissttrryy//PPrreessiiddeennttiiaall GGrreeeennEPA green chemistry pagehhttttpp::////wwwwww..eeppaa..ggoovv//ggrreeeenncchheemmiissttrryy//iinnddeexx..hhttmm

Journals and reportsThe Journal of Green Chemistryhhttttpp::////wwwwww..rrsscc..oorrgg//iiss//jjoouurrnnaallss//ccuurrrreenntt//ggrreeeenn//ggrreeeennppuubb..hhttmmClean Products and Processes hhttttpp::////lliinnkk..sspprriinnggeerr..ddee//lliinnkk//sseerrvviiccee//jjoouurrnnaallss//1100009988//iinnddeexx..hhttmmRAND report on environmental technologyhhttttpp::////wwwwww..rraanndd..oorrgg//ppuubblliiccaattiioonnss//MMRR//MMRR11006688//International Congress of Chemistry andEnvironmenthhttttpp::////wwwwww..cchheemmeennvviirroonn..ccoomm//iiccccee11..hhttmmll

Networks, centres and institutesGreen Chemistry Networkhhttttpp::////wwwwww..cchheemmssoocc..oorrgg//ggccnn//iinnddeexx..hhttmmGreen Chemistry Institutehhttttpp::////wwwwww..llaannll..ggoovv//ggrreeeenncchheemmiissttrryy//Italian Group of Catalysishhttttpp::////wwwwww..ffccii..uunniibboo..iitt//ggiicc//Netherlands Institute of Catalysis Researchhhttttpp::////wwwwww..nnll--kknnoowwhhooww..oorrgg//oorrggaanniissaattiioonnss//NNIIOOKK..hhttmmllDechemahhttttpp::////wwwwww..ddeecchheemmaa..ddee//eenngglliisscchh//ffuuee//nniiccee//ppaaggeess//ff__iinnddeexx..hhttmmCatalyse et chimie des matèriaux divisèshhttttpp::////wwwwww..aaggrroo..uuccll..aacc..bbee//ccaattaa//nniiccee..hhttmmllFifth Framework programme: energy,environment and sustainable developmenthhttttpp::////wwwwww..ccoorrddiiss..lluu//eeeessdd//hhoommee..hhttmmll

Chemistry societiesRoyal Society of Chemistryhhttttpp::////wwwwww..rrsscc..oorrgg//American Chemical Societyhhttttpp::////wwwwww..aaccss..oorrgg//ACS careers serviceshhttttpp::////wwwwww..aaccss..oorrgg//ccaarreeeerrss//wweellccoommee..hhttmmChemical Manufacturers Association:1999Responsible Care Conferences, ChemRAWNhhttttpp::////iiuuppaacc..cchheemmssoocc..oorrgg//ssyymmppoossiiaa//ccoonnffeerreenncceess//cchheemmrraawwnn//cchheemmrraawwnnIIXX..hhttmmll##22Gordon Research Conferencehhttttpp::////wwwwww..ggrrcc..uurrii..eedduu//pprrooUURRLLggrraammss//11999999//ggrreeeenn..hhttmmChemistry conferenceshhttttpp::////wwwwww..rrsscc..oorrgg//llaapp//ccoonnffss//ccoonnffsshhoommee..hhttmm

Further information on the web

© 1999 Macmillan Magazines Ltd

Before joining the faculty at WashingtonUniversity, Saint Louis, Bashkin developed areaction for Monsanto’s rubber chemicalsdivision that eliminated a step in a complexprocess. This process produces 200 milliontonnes a year of an antioxidant rubber addi-tive, which keeps rubber from ageing.

According to Bashkin, the use of this reac-tion has changed the global economy in thebusiness. “Not only did we eliminate a pollu-tion problem, but we made the manufacturemore economical.” For this work, Bashkinand his colleagues from Flexysis (a joint ven-ture of Monsanto and Akzo Nobel) receivedone of last year’s presidential Green Chem-istry Challenge awards.

Traditionally, academic chemistry tendsto be an isolating experience, says Bashkin.“You have to do your own work and you’redependent on yourself and your adviser. It’snot necessarily good for one’s career to beinvolved in collaborations early on.” But inindustry, he says, nothing is accomplishedwithout collaboration.

As a PhD student, you need to make surethat there is a definable body of work that isyour own, which tends to work against collab-oration. It is hard for untenured faculty mem-bers to collaborate, says Bashkin, owing to theinsistence that you develop your own profes-sional identity. “I don’t think that’s necessarilygood for science,” he says. “In the modernworld, we can accomplish a lot more if weallow ourselves to be influenced by others.”

The Center for Green Manufacturing at

the University of Alabama has won fundingfrom the US Department of Energy’s Officeof Industry. It was formed to build industryleadership in the use of alternative reactionand separation media in Alabama. Accord-ing to Robin Rogers, a professor of chemistryand director of the centre, workshops willintroduce plant managers to new technolo-gies, such as room-temperature ionic liquidsas new media for carrying out reactions.

The future is greenRogers believes that, unless greener tech-nologies can be developed for chemicalmanufacturers and pharmaceutical compa-nies, there is no long-term future for thoseindustries in the United States. Companieswill simply move their plants to countrieswith fewer regulations and lower costs forwaste disposal.

“When I was in graduate school in theorganic chemistry lab, I was graded on howmuch product I had. That’s how I was trainedto think: maximize your yield.” But, saysRogers, there are other aspects that must betaken into consideration now and be taughtto students. “We can see that the future lies inteam approaches to problem solving and inthinking about processes from a differentperspective.” He asks: “How many people inscience do you know who work with businesspeople when they develop the idea that theywant to pursue?” To address this, Rogers hasbrought together colleagues from the schoolof business, the college of engineering, and

several of the sciences to expose students tothe complete cycle of process development.

According to Rogers, there are manyinstitutional and cultural barriers to over-come, and students must understand thatthere are other factors besides chemistry thatgo into solving a problem, whether in eco-nomics or engineering. “But how can mystudents learn the true engineering needs bybeing taught by just me?” Rogers believesthat, if students are involved in projects thatexpose them to these other perspectives andrequirements, they will be better preparedfor the real world than chemists who are notexposed to them until they reach industry.Brendan Horton is a freelance journalist.e-mail: brenhorton@aol.com

careers and recruitment

NATURE | VOL 400 | 19 AUGUST 1999 | www.nature.com 799

Team player: Rogers at the site of new researchfacilities for the Center for Green Manufacturing.

Potter Wickware

In the data-driven world of drug discovery,chemists should be comfortable not onlywith new perspectives on their data but alsowith new ways of relating to their fellow sci-entists. So says Steve Kaldor, director ofresearch at Eli Lilly, a large pharmaceuticalcompany which relies increasingly on combinatorial chemistry for its efforts atdrug discovery. “Because many biologicaltargets have relatively poor validation statesas true drug candidates, it’s important to beable to sift through assay data from manysimultaneous projects,” he says.

And, because chemists are increasinglylikely to be members of multidisciplinaryteams, perhaps as leader in one project and ina supporting role in another, teamwork skillsare also more important than ever. “Chem-istry used to be much more linear, both as itwas taught in school and practised in indus-try, but this is rapidly changing. The lonewolf is a rarity now as a successful model for adrug-discovery chemist,” says Kaldor.

Research strategies are also evolvingrapidly. Dave Hangauer, of the Department

of Medicinal Chem-istry at the Universityof Buffalo, New Yorkstate, designs and testsprotein kinase inhi-bitors using small-molecule libraries pro-duced both by solutionand solid support syn-thesis. He explainsthat, because the num-ber of possible com-pounds in molecularspace is far too large to

screen, workable combinatorial librariesdepend on astute initial hypotheses to steerthe output towards a manageable subset.

“Structure-based design of combinatori-al libraries is a nice example of hypothesis-driven science combined with data-drivenscience,” he says. For example, when a libraryof ligands modelled to contain tight bindersis assayed experimentally in a high-through-put screen, the molecular modellingassumptions can be quickly tested andhypotheses suggested. “The underlying sci-ence of predicting the free energy of binding

in biological buffers is poorly developed, butcombinatorial methods allow experimentsto be pointed in promising new directions.”

The new techniques also highlight fruit-ful areas of investigation at the interface ofareas that may have been viewed previouslyas distantly related, such as organic chem-istry and genomics. Carolyn Bertozzi, a biological chemist at the University of Cali-fornia, Berkeley, uses combinatorial libraryscreening to explore enzymes involved incarbohydrate biosynthesis. She says: “Indrug discovery, small-molecule modulatorsand genomic data are intertwined, so anychemist who desires a career in research atthe chemistry/biology interface would bene-fit from training in genomic analysis.”

Because many drug targets are enzymesfrom superfamilies, it is a major challenge todevelop small-molecule inhibitors that areselective for one individual within a largerelated group of targets. “If sequencehomologies could be correlated with potentand specific inhibitor structures, usefulinformation could be obtained to guide drugdiscovery and elucidate biological pathways.”

The library and high-throughput

Data explosion fuels search for drugs

Kaldor: ‘develop data-crunching skills’.