Danish Professor Says 'Modern Chemistry is Rubbish,' Calls for Change

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The future of chemistry in a nutshell: A triple focus of efficiency, safety and circularity is needed to steer chemistry toward sustainability. Credit: HIMS.

Key points: 

  • Two researchers are calling for changes to modern chemistry to ensure sustainability.
  • The Danish scientists believe chemistry needs to develop a combined focus on efficiency, safety and circularity.
  • The key to this, they say, is lifecycle thinking.

 In a new comment published in Nature Reviews Chemistry, two Danish scientists argue that modern day chemists need to broaden their horizons and consider the effects of chemistry “beyond the reaction vessel and the fume hood.”

According to Chris Slootweg, associate professor at the University of Amsterdam, and Ph.D. student Hannah Flerlage, “modern chemistry is quite literally rubbish, as it facilitates the path of matter from extraction to pollution.”

The researchers say that in order to combat ever-worsening environmental crises, and to achieve real sustainability, chemistry needs to develop a combined focus on efficiency, safety, and circularity. They point out the responsibility to develop safe chemistry and chemicals that use the world’s resources most effectively and improve sustainability.

The duo even goes so far as to consider it unethical to develop chemistry that will lead to chemical pollution. They call for an end to poorly designed compounds, in particular “forever chemicals,” including per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances and brominated flame retardants.

In the commentary, the researchers say chemists should start looking beyond “cool molecules” and “awesome chemistry.” As an example, they refer to perfluorocubane, a molecule that was designated “Molecule of the Year” in 2022.  Its synthesis might be a stellar achievement, and there will probably be potential future applications. But its structure—containing multiple carbon-fluorine bonds—suggests that perfluorocubane will persist in the environment and bioaccumulate.

Lastly, Slootweg and Flerlage stress that chemistry should not only focus on using renewable resources and reducing production waste, but it must also consider the lifecycle environmental footprints and overall environmental implications of novel chemicals. As an example, they point to drop-in bio-based polymers such as bioPE, which is made from bioethanol. These polymers reduce the use of fossil resources, but don’t improve recyclability or biodegradability—and thus continue to contribute to plastic pollution.

The team says chemistry will only have a real and positive impact on sustainability when it fully embraces circular design, lifecycle thinking, human and environmental toxicology, and environmental and social impact assessment.

 

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