The Department of Science and Technology (DST), under the auspices of Science and Engineering Research Council, has announced a new programme in the area of Green Chemistry. The DST is to support Industry - academia / national laboratories collaborative projects and open-ended R&D projects from academic institutions and national laboratories. The bulk pharmaceutical industry can attempt to develop new eco-friendly process technologies through the programme.

According to sources, DST has identified certain problem areas, which need to be given urgent attention. The proposals for industry-academia/national laboratories collaborative projects would be given priority, it is learnt.

The areas suggested by DST are: Improvements in processes based on sulphonation/alkali fusion where alternate processes are not attractive through recovery of acid and alkali via membrane separation, Development of new Friedel-Crafts reaction and development of old Friedel-Crafts reaction in benign media, Bromination using benign brominating agent and near complete utilisation of bromine, Use of heteropolyacid for industrially important processes in place of polluting processes, Nitration of pyridine and pyridine derivatives to realise the desired isomer in high yield as, for example, using N2O5 in place of conventional methodology, Recovery of environmentally undesirable solvents from dilute solutions (<3%) such as DMSO, DMF, DMAc by membrane process, Resolution of racemates with the valorisation of unwanted isomers, Catalytic liquid phase oxidation/electrochemical processes for oxidation reactions and Greening of chromium industries from ore to final utilisation of metal.

They have indicated that the above areas are only illustrative in nature and wanted scientists to submit proposals in other areas of Green Chemistry/Technology.

The DST is yet to allocate any specific funds for the programme. However, there would be no dearth of funds and the projects would be selected solely on their merit, sources said.
The project format of "Drugs and Pharmaceuticals programme" of DST with appropriate modifications is to be used for submitting proposals under this category.

According to experts, most of the conventional bulk drug manufacturing processes brings in huge amount of waste. The attempt of the government would be to see the development of new process technologies that can reduce this waste. It is known that 100 kg of waste is generated during the manufacture of one kg penicillin in the conventional way. Similarly, in the manufacture of modified cephlosporins, the amount of waste is exactly the double of the final product. While the waste generation in bulk drug manufacturing sector is very high, the utilization of waste (recovery of waste) is dismal.

The Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) are all known to have initiated research programmes related to Green Chemistry. The central help would now trigger more such programmes, it is felt.

In case of industry- academia initiative, there has to be a definite financial contribution from the industry side, sources said. The DST is also intending to add human resource development programmes under this project.