One of the fundamental principles of green chemistry is to design chemical products that minimize adverse consequences to human health and the environment. While chemists have been designing molecules for 200 years to have a limitless range of commercial applications, little or no attention has been given to developing commercial chemicals while avoiding hazards and toxicity. This book is the first to provide chemists with useful, practical guidance on how to minimize or avoid a wide range of hazards. Building on the insights gained from the pharmaceutical industry over the past 25 years on how to create desirable biological effects, the authors demonstrate how to avoid undesirable biological effects by design.

Processes that meet the objectives of green chemistry and chemical engineering minimize waste and energy use, and eliminate toxic by-products. Given the ubiquitous nature of products from chemical processes in our lives, green chemistry and chemical engineering are vital components of any sustainable future. Gathering together ten peer-reviewed articles from the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, Innovations in Green Chemistry and Green Engineering provides a comprehensive introduction to the state-of-the-art in this key area of sustainability research. Worldwide experts present the latest developments on topics ranging from organic batteries and green catalytic transformations to green nanoscience and nanotoxicology. An essential, one-stop reference for professionals in research and industry, this book also fills the need for an authoritative course text in environmental and green chemistry and chemical engineering at the upper-division undergraduate and graduate levels.