What Do Patents Tell Us about the Implementation of Green and Sustainable Chemistry?
David J. C. Constable
Abstract
The pursuit of greener, more sustainable chemistry has increased over the past 20 years, and there are now multiple journals, books, conferences, and workshops produced every year. With all this activity, it is important to step back and assess the extent to which green and sustainable chemistry research is being translated to commercial applications. There have been several studies of the patent literature in the past that have addressed the question of if green chemistry is affecting government policy and which areas of innovation are being advanced from a green and sustainable chemistry perspective. None of these studies have addressed the details of the chemistry or the areas of societal concern that have prompted green and sustainable chemistry research in academia. This study has attempted to answer the question of if green and sustainable chemistry is being translated into patentable innovations, in which areas, and to what extent.