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CHEM41530

Academic Year 2025/2026

Green & Sus Chem - Taught MSc (CHEM41530)

Subject:
Chemistry
College:
Science
School:
Chemistry
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
7.5
Module Coordinator:
Professor James Sullivan
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module is for students on taught MSc programmes.
It covers advanced topics related to green and sustainable chemistry. In particular, this module goes into more in-depth aspects of the 12 principles of green chemistry, which are the core concepts for green transformation of chemistry, The course begins with an introduction to the history and development of industrial chemistry, leading to the current status and production of crucial fundamental chemicals. The sustainable section of the module includes the development of the application of alternative and renewable energy sources, including the creation of fuels (methanol and hydrogen) and platform chemicals from biomass and artificial photosynthesis. Importantly, a detailed discussion of the current technology which is used to convert and store solar energy along with energy derived from nuclear reactions. An essential aspect of sustainable are the challenges, issues and solutions related to element sustainability. The environmental section discusses advanced aspects of air pollution and current methods in pollution remediation. The green chemistry section is divided into two major topics, including the application of catalysis enabling them to function under mild conditions and in non-toxic, alternative media (in comparison to traditional organic-based solvents). Specific examples of the green transformation of fundamental industry reactions in synthetic chemistry, including oxidation and reduction, carbon-carbon bond formation, and carbon-hydrogen bond activation are outlined. Importantly, tools to understand the greenness of a reaction are introduced termed green metrics. Finally the course introduces the concept of process intensification and includes a discussion on reactor design, such as the use of flow- and membrane-based reactors. Additionally, cutting-edge synthesis techniques (process intensification) such as micro-reactors, mono-lithic supported catalysis and reactive distillation demonstrate how traditional large scale polluting chemical factories are replaced by small foot-print and environmental compatible modulator reactors.

A significant portion of the module will involve the preparation and delivery of a report on some aspect of Green and Sustainable chemistry touched on in the lectures. This will involve data collection and analysis from the Green Chemistry Literature

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Students will be aware of industrial chemistry including history, post-war development, the modern era of materials, drugs and food.
They wil have nowledge of the petroleum industry, the synthesis and application of many platform chemicals as well as the environmental impacts of different chemical industries.
The will understand sustainable generation of platform chemicals, agricultural-based production, bio-derivatisation and biological and artificial methods of defunctionalising molecules from biomass, including lactic acid and glycerol.
They will have knowledge of catalysis and green chemistry metrics including E-factors, space-time yields and TON/TOF, process intensification definitions and classifications.

They will be aware of solar light harvesting and conditioning to genreate electricty and chemicals and the principles behind the energy derived from nuclear power, fossil fuel combustion and their effects on climate/radiation budgets.

finally, they will be in a position to understand biorefining photocatalysts and hydrogen production, element sustainability and looping including current strategies on carbon capture from power plants and the atmosphere.

They will also develop an in depth relationship with a self-defined aspect of either green or sustainable chemistry .

Indicative Module Content:

The chemistry behind energy generation and storage and the chemistry behind air pollution remediation (lean burn).
The chemistry understanding needed for biorefining for fuels and chemicals. The chemistry behind Nuclear power, element sustainability and Carbon Capture and Storage.
The use of green chemistry metrics and homogeneous catalysts and reactor engineering and the application of green chemistry metrics to redox and C-C bond forming reactions.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Small Group

12
Project Supervision

3
Autonomous Student Learning

125
Total

164

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The bulk of the eteaching will be delivered in standard lecture format, but in paralell with this there will be be different approaches including enquiry & problem-based assignments and group/individual presentations on topics in green and sustainable chemistry.
Additionally, some continuous assessment involves research and writing on topics related to industrial chemistry and process intensification. Problem-solving topics include green chemical reactions and metrics.
A variety of topics related to group presentation work includes new methods in process intensification and alternative reaction media. Individual assignment and presentation are based on the annual American presentational green challenge.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
CHEM40960 - Green and Sustainable Chem


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Participation in Learning Activities: 5 pres / assignments

industrial production process (wk2),
green metrics (wk5),
PI method (wk6)
solar fuels / biorefining (wk10)
US EPA Green Chemistry Award (2 x the other activities (wk12),		 Week 2, Week 5, Week 6, Week 10, Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
26.67
 No
Exam (In-person): A 2 h exam during the exam period at the end of the module. End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
40
 No
Individual Project: An individual project (50 h of student effort) researching a specific aspect of Green or Sustainable chemistry.
Assigned in week 3, progress meetings week 7 and delivery week 14.		 Week 14 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
33.33
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Students receive individual indicators on their performance in the problem sets and group/individual presentations. Solution documents to problem sets are made available online through Brightspace. Students receive feedback and additional practice through the in-class work sessions held during the trimester.

Green Chemistry: An Introductory Text, Lancaster Mike, Royal Chemistry Society, 2016
Handbook of Green Chemistry, Tools for Green Chemistry, Beach, Kundu, Anastas, Wiley, 2017
Green Catalysis: Homogeneous Catalysis, Crabtree, Wiley, 2014
Green Chemistry Metrics: A Guide to Determining and Evaluating Process Greenness, Dicks and Hent, Springer, 2014
Green Extraction of Natural Products: Theory and Practice, Chematm Strube, Wiley 2015
The Fundamentals of Process Intensification, Stankiewicz, Van Gerven, Wiley, 2017
Process Synthesis and Process Intensification: Methodological Approaches, Guang Rong, Aguilera, De Gruyter, 2017

Name Role
Dr Andrew Phillips Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
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