Nobel goes to green chemists 1

Via WC, check it out: The guys who just won the Nobel Prize for chemistry are green chemists:

The trio won the award for their development of the metathesis method in organic synthesis -- a way to rearrange groups of atoms within molecules that the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences likened to a dance in which couples change partners.

The process is used daily in the chemical, biotechnology and food industries to make stronger plastics, better drugs and improved food preservatives.

"This represents a great step forward for 'green chemistry,' reducing potentially hazardous waste through smarter production. Metathesis is an example of how important basic science has been applied for the benefit of man, society and the environment," the committee said.

Cool.

But how sad and sweet is this?

"It took 30 years of laboratory work to show that what I found was interesting. Today I live alone and my first thoughts go to my wife who passed away barely a year ago," [Chauvin] said.

David Roberts is staff writer for Grist. You can follow his Twitter feed at twitter.com/drgrist.

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  1. kaganove Posted 1:49 pm
    06 Oct 2005

    Nobel goes to green chemistsSchrock, Grubbs and Chauvin do great work, you'll have to take my word on that.  However, I think it's a bit of a stretch to call what they do "green chemistry".  By that criteria, everything chemists do is "green chemistry" if it improves efficiency, which is pretty much what everybody tries to do.  A more rigorous definition of "green chemistry" would focus on improving sustainability, or using renewable, non-petrochemical sources to make plastics and other products of everyday living.  A better example of "green chemistry" is the work of Professor Richard Gross of Polytechnic University (see http://chem.poly.edu/gross/prof_gross.cfm for examples).  Perhaps he'll get a Nobel one day as well.

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