Blending sustainability and additional green chemistry into Chemistry in Context

Green Chemistry Overview (PDF)

Author Contact: michael.cann@scranton.edu

Summary

Global sustainability is not just a challenge; rather it is the challenge of our century. Thus it is essential that we blend Green Chemistry and the broader issues of sustainability into the mainstream of the textbooks that we use in the classroom. The following indicates how this was done for Chemistry in Context, 7th Edition, 2012 (A project of the American Chemical Society).

Chemistry in Context (CiC), 7th Edition, 2012, is a textbook for non-science majors. The first edition (1994) of CiC broke new ground by teaching chemistry in the context of major social, political, economic and ethical issues, on a “need to know” basis. The 3rd edition (2000) saw the infusion of modest amounts of green chemistry. The 7th edition (2012) blends not only green chemistry, but in addition, the broader issues of sustainability, as major themes throughout the text, starting with the first chapter Chemistry for a Sustainable Future. This endeavor is in harmony with the ACS mission statement “to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people.”

The link to the Green Chemistry Overview (PDF) provides a detailed description of how green chemistry was infused throughout each chapter.

Summary prepared March 2012 by Professor Michael C. Cann, University of Scranton.

Category Descriptors

Chemistry Concepts

• Aqueous Solution Chemistry
• Equilibrium
• Hydrogen Bonding
• Kinetics
• Lewis Acids/Bases
• Noncovalent Interactions
• Oxidation/Reduction Chemistry
• Photochemistry
• Stoichiometry
• Thermodynamics

Green Chemistry Principles

• Avoid Chemical Derivatives
• Design for Degradation
• Design Less Hazardous Chemical Syntheses
• Design Safer Chemicals and Products
• Increase Energy Efficiency
• Maximize Atom Economy
• Minimize the Potential for Accidents
• Prevent Waste
• Use Catalysts
• Use Renewable Feedstocks
• Use Safer Solvents/Reaction Conditions

Chemistry Subdiscipline

• Interdisciplinary/Multidisciplinary

Target Audience

• Colleges/Universities
• Secondary Schools

Source

• Books