Past and Present Research Systems of Green Chemistry

Biography

Biography: Veera Gnaneswar Gude

Abstract

Petroleum-based fuels are currently serving the modern world and it has been the case over the past century. However, once considered as inexhaustible, these petroleum sources are diminishing at much faster rate than the natural processes can replenish them due to rapid population growth and industrialization. This combined with several interrelated impending global crises, namely, climate change, chemicals, energy, and environmental pollution, raises the need for alternative energy supplies such as biofuels from renewable resources. Renewable fuel research and process development requires interdisciplinary approaches involving chemists and physicists from both scientific and engineering backgrounds. Efficient synthesis of renewable fuels remains a challenging and important field of research. Embracing the principles of green chemistry might result in a sustainable route for their production. Green chemistry provides unique opportunities for innovation via product substitution, new feedstock generation, catalysis in aqueous media, utilization of microwaves or ultrasound, waste minimization and scope for alternative or natural solvents. The potential of utilizing waste as a new resource and the development of integrated processes producing multiple high value bio-products from biomass is highly desirable to improve the economics of the renewable fuels. This presentation focuses on chemistry related to renewable fuels research. Renewable fuels can be broadly categorized as any fuels that are of biomass origin such as bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas, bio-oils and syngas. Understanding the fundamental chemistry of the renewable fuels and developing appropriate technologies for implementation will provide sustainable solutions for the future. This talk covers the recent advances in the green synthesis of the renewable fuel production.