Organic Synthesis using Clay Catalysts

One of the major current challenges before chemists is to develop synthetic methods that are less polluting, i.e., to design clean or ‘green’ chemical transformations. The chemical manufacturing processes should be such that they do not cause permanent damage to the environment or disturb the ecological balance. Ways to minimize the consumption of energy and raw materials used in synthesis must be devised so that optimal value of resources could be realized. Thereby environmentally benign products are obtained at affordable costs. Such a concept, though not new, has received enormous attention in recent times. The desire to make chemical manufacturing environmental friendly is not a new one. Such awareness was there even among the nineteenth century chemists, industrialists and lawmakers. The problem has become more acute in recent times and has received wider attention because of our better understanding of the causes of environmental degradation. Industries and scientific organizations have put clean technology as an important R & D concern. The area of chemistry, which is particularly directed to achieve such goals, is termed as ‘green chemistry’ and is defined, according to an US award programme, to be one that ‘encompasses all aspects and types of chemical processes – including synthesis, catalysis, analysis, monitoring, separations and reaction conditions – that reduce impacts on human health and the environment relative to the current state of the art’.