From basic research to real-world impact
Inspired by Gordon Moore’s training in chemistry, the Moore Foundation has launched a new Green Chemistry initiative. This seven-year, $93.4 million investment aims to transform the trajectory of basic research in green chemistry and is the first chemistry-focused initiative in the foundation's 25-year history.
Green chemistry is fundamentally defined as the discovery and design of higher-performing chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or production of hazardous substances that harm humans or the environment. While green chemistry is an established area of study, the foundation's exploration of the subject revealed important opportunities where breakthrough innovations can dramatically increase performance and functionality of our materials while ensuring their safety and sustainability.
“Green chemistry is always striving to redefine performance of our chemicals and materials such that you get superior functionality while minimizing negative consequences,” said Paul Anastas, the new program director for the Green Chemistry Initiative. “This requires both new basic scientific breakthroughs and the ability to implement the breakthroughs for the benefit of people and the planet.”
The Green Chemistry Initiative will fill a unique niche by supporting fundamental science that can lead to the innovations of tomorrow. Instead of focusing on scaling existing technologies, the initiative will focus on advancing basic research in four core scientific areas identified as critical for breakthroughs:
- Understanding and designing molecular dynamics. Being able to make our molecules and materials responsive, dynamic, adaptable and obedient.
- Control and design of intermolecular interactions. Using weak forces between molecules, similar to nature, to design things with superior performance with less energy.
- Monitoring and controlling interactions and reactions in complex mixtures. Finding ways to control chemical interactions and reactions in complex mixtures like wastewater and formulations.
- Designing and developing new approaches to toxicological assessment and design for reduced hazard. Creating faster ways to measure how and why chemicals and materials are toxic can inform and empower the design of less hazardous substances.
Progress in these core areas will enable new scientific methods and knowledge, supporting discoveries that contribute to avoiding or significantly reducing toxins and waste damage.
A core aim of the initiative is to enable scientists to work together globally to make chemistry greener. The initiative will help build effective bridges and networks between different scientific fields, such as chemistry, materials science, engineering, toxicology, and biology. The collaborative approach also includes bringing together theoretical and experimental scientists to speed up the process of taking an idea or prediction into the real world to see if it works.
Overall, we plan to create a new standard for how chemistry research is done, helping to overcome traditional cultural, institutional, and educational barriers and support general community building among researchers.
“This initiative provides a pathway to enable discoveries to not merely reduce harm and waste but also fosters enhancements to the discovery and invention of higher-performing materials and chemicals through the use of novel scientific methods, tools, and conceptual frameworks,” added Anastas. “By openly sharing data and results, and fostering collaborations that transcend traditional boundaries, the foundation aims to play a leading role in green chemistry basic research, inspire further advancements in this critical field, and empower the implementation of these advances for the benefit of society.”
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