Greener Reactions Seminar: Practical Approaches for Safer, More Sustainable Synthesis

Pharmaceutical manufacturers face increasing pressure to improve process efficiency, reduce waste, minimise environmental impact and support sustainability goals. Green chemistry provides a practical framework for addressing these challenges while maintaining product quality and process performance.

By applying green chemistry principles, manufacturers can explore opportunities to reduce waste, minimise hazardous materials, improve resource efficiency, and lower energy consumption throughout the lifecycle of a process.

As part of the Greener Solutions programme, IMCD Pharmaceuticals supports customers in exploring more sustainable approaches to chemical synthesis through our Greener Reactions Seminar.

More than a decade ago, Andy Brunning published a list of 44 endangered elements that were considered at serious risk of supply shortages within the following 100 years, driven in part by increasing pharmaceutical and industrial demand. Among these are precious metals such as Pt, Pd, Ru, and Rh, which play important roles in pharmaceutical synthesis and catalysis. They are key components of widely used catalytic systems, including Wilkinson’s and Grubbs’ catalysts, as well as palladium catalysts for cross-coupling reactions and hydrogenations. Platinum is also extensively used in selective hydrogenation and dehydrogenation processes.

In our Greener Reactions Seminar, we explore more sustainable alternatives to these precious-metal-based transformations, including metal- and non-metal-based catalysts, like organocatalysed derivatives from renewable natural sources for asymmetric synthesis. We also examine a range of greener solvent and reagent combinations for important transformations, including amidation, reductions, cross-coupling reactions, and fluorination.

Grubbs catalysts contain the precious metal ruthenium, which is expensive and associated with high CO₂ emissions during its production.

Alternative reaction methods: Explore greener approaches that may reduce reliance on hazardous reagents, solvents, or catalysts while maintaining reaction performance.

Energy efficiency: Identify opportunities to reduce energy demand through alternative reaction pathways and processing conditions.

Circular economy: Investigate reagents, catalysts, and solvents with improved recovery, recycling, or reuse potential to support resource efficiency and reduce waste.

Cost considerations: Assess where greener approaches may also contribute to process and operational efficiencies.

Interested in evaluating greener approaches within your synthesis route? Our technical expert can discuss reaction challenges, sustainability objectives, and opportunities to improve process efficiency through alternative reagents, catalysts, and reaction methods.

Book your free, one-to-one Greener Reactions Seminar today.