The sustainable development of chemical industries is an important and challenging issue in the 21st century. The Department has a programme in Green Chemical Process to develop environmentally benign processes for the production of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and polymers and to increase the sustainability. This programme deals with both "upstream" design and "downstream" treatment and involves chemical syntheses, chemical engineering, biomolecular engineering, and cross-disciplinary interactions. Research activities in this programme focus on the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances, the development of processes that degrade hazardous substances, and the development of alternative green energy.

Research activities in Environmentally Benign Processing & Sustainability include

• Benign syntheses routes: enzymatic catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, homogeneous catalysis, alternative solvents

• Green energy sources: hydrogen technology, fuel cell, biodiesel, and energy saving technology

• Use of renewable feedstocks for the synthesis of chemicals and polymers

• Benign processes design: waste minimization and inherently safer processes

• Bioremediation and biological treatment of waste and hazardous chemicals

Click on this link to learn about this research area.