Chemistry
Principles of Green Solvents for Sustainable Synthesis
Quick fact
Traditional solvents make up 80–90% of the mass in a typical pharmaceutical batch and account for more than half of the energy used in chemical manufacturing, yet they rarely end up in the final product.
Why this is interesting
Every time you take a pill, the active ingredient was likely made in a solvent—and the solvent, not the drug, might have created the most pollution. So why are chemists now rethinking the very liquid that makes reactions happen?