Abstract
Oxidation is an important component in over 30 % of chemical processes. However, oxidation typically creates environmentally damaging waste products. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a good candidate for environmentally benign oxidation because the only by-product is water. By integrating key technologies for halogen-free, organic solvent-free processes, and designing suitable metal catalysts, we succeeded in the development of H2O2 oxidation. This achievement is the first concrete example of Green Sustainable Chemistry (GSC). Based on this new technology, we further attempted to establish H2O2 oxidation as a practical method for the formation of fine chemicals of high performance. Novel catalysts optimized for practical usage were developed by resolving key issues such as cost reduction and scalability through joint research between AIST and various chemical companies.
