Green and sustainable chemistry in Latin America: Which type of research is going on? And for what?
Vânia Gomes Zuin, Aylon Matheus Stahl, Karine Zanotti, Mateus L. Segatto
Abstract
The number of publications on green and sustainable chemistry in Latin America has been increasing significantly over the last years, covering topics such as the direct application of one of the green chemistry principles in organic synthesis (replacement of toxic reagents, reduction of energy consumption), catalysis, use of biomass or renewable materials, and Brazil is responsible for more than 62% of this total. In this paper, the more recent literature (2018–2020) and new approaches such as those related to sample preparation and education for sustainable development have been discussed critically, highlighting the growing needs for approaches that can be considered pillars to implement the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals to construct an egalitarian society on this continent.