Deck 25: Green Chemistry

Question 1

Which of the following statements describes the idea of prevention principle the best?

A) Deal with the waste as soon as possible.
B) Better to avoid the production of any waste than deal with it at any point.
C) Convert the waste into a raw material.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

You have a reaction that yields 65% of the product and has a 70% atom economy. What can you suggest?

A) Nothing to suggest: good yield and atom economy.
B) Focus on finding a process that could increase the yield.
C) Try to find a new reaction that would have higher yield and at least the same (if not better) atom economy.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The third principle of green chemistry focuses on hazardous chemicals. This means that:

A) We should design less hazardous products
B) We should avoid hazardous chemicals in any part of the process and in final products.
C) We should use less hazardous feedstock.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of the product that should be replaced with a safer one?

A) Hydrofluorocarbons
B) Chlorofluorocarbons
C) DDT

Question 5

What are ionic liquids?

A) Molten ionic compounds such as NaCl
B) Solutions containing high concentration of ions.
C) Ionic compounds that are liquid at ambient conditions due to very low lattice energies.

Question 6

If you want to design a more energy efficient process, which factor(s) would you pay special attention to?
(i) reaction temperature
(ii) reaction pressure
(iii) reactant flow

A) (i) and (ii)
B) (i) only
C) (i) and (iii)

Question 7

Many products in use today are based on organic polymers (such as PVC, for example) that require oil for raw materials. Why would you consider changing organic plastic products and what might be alternatives?

A) Organic plastic products do not have good physical properties; possible alternative are P-N polymers.
B) Oil is a non-renewable source and plastic is not easily degradable. Some plastic materials could be replaced with silicone polymers because they are not hazardous.
C) We should use oil for energy. Possible replacement are B-N polymers because B-N bond is isoelectronic with C-C bond and many organic compounds already have well-established B-N analogues.

Question 8

Based on green chemistry principles, what are some of the major issues with use of organic solvents in industry?
(i) They are generally flammable and thus present a hazard.
(ii) They are generally extracted from oil, a non-renewable source.
(iii) They are not easy to distill and hence reuse.

A) (i) and (ii)
B) (i) and (iii)
C) (ii) and (iii)

Question 9

Besides being of pure scientific interest, what is important about photochemical reactions from the point of view of green chemistry?

A) Photochemical reactions use renewable energy for the reaction.
B) Photochemical reactions do not require a catalyst.
C) Generally, photochemical reactions have a better yield.

Question 10

Is there a difference between "a risk" and "a hazard"?

A) There is no difference, the two words are synonyms.
B) Yes: something is "hazardous" if it has a potential to harm, "a risk" is a likelihood of a hazard doing harm.
C) Yes: something is "risky" if it has a potential to harm, "a hazard" is a likelihood of harm happening.