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Award Winners by Technology
Winners by Year | Winners by Technology | Winners by Industry Sector
Index of Challenge Winners by Technology
DISCLAIMER: The short descriptions provided in this section were derived by EPA from the winning entries received for the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards and other public information. They are not officially endorsed by EPA, nor does EPA endorse any of the products mentioned in them. Claims made in these descriptions have not been verified by EPA. Each description represents only one aspect of the information in an entry and, as such, is intended merely to point users of this Web site to a summary of the winning entry.
| Year | Winner | Description of the Winning Technology in Relation to the Topic Area |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Dow AgroSciences LLC | Spinetoram, a new spinosyn insecticide that is more effective than a related pesticide, spinosad, which was a 1999 Challenge Award winner, but maintains spinosad’s low toxicity to mammals and other non-target species (summary) |
| 2006 | Codexis, Inc. | Directed evolution of biocatalysts to produce the key chiral intermediate for Lipitor® (summary) |
| 2005 | Archer Daniels Midland Company; Novozymes | Enzymes used to produce low trans fats and oils for foods (summary) |
| 2005 | Metabolix, Inc. | Bioplastics (polyhydroxyalkanoates) made by genetically engineered organisms (summary) |
| 2004 | Bristol-Myers Squibb Company | Plant cell fermentation used to make paclitaxel, the active ingredient in the drug Taxol® (summary) |
| 2004 | Buckman Laboratories International, Inc. | Enzyme used to control sticky contaminants during paper recycling (summary) |
| 2004 | Jeneil Biosurfactant Company | Rhamnolipid biosurfactants made by soil bacteria (summary) |
| 2003 | AgraQuest, Inc. | Serenade®, a biofungicide, made by a naturally occurring bacterium (summary) |
| 2003 | DuPont | Genetically engineered microorganism used to make 1,3-propanediol, a feedstock for Sorona®, a new fabric (summary) |
| 2003 | Professor Richard A. Gross, Polytechnic University | Yeast enzymes used to polymerize chemically and thermally sensitive molecules (summary) |
| 2002 | Cargill Dow LLC (now NatureWorks LLC) | Fermentation, the first step in the manufacturing process for NatureWorks™ polylactic acid (PLA) (summary) |
| 2001 | EDEN Bioscience Corporation | Fermentation produces Messenger® (nontoxic, naturally occurring harpin proteins), which stimulates plant defenses against disease and pests (summary) |
| 2001 | Novozymes North America, Inc. | Enzymatic BioPreparation™ of cotton textiles to remove natural waxes and oils prior to dyeing and finishing (summary) |
| 2000 | Professor Chi-Huey Wong, The Scripps Research Institute | Enzymes used for large-scale organic syntheses that were impossible or impractical by nonenzymatic methods (summary) |
| 1999 | Dow AgroSciences LLC | Spinosad, a natural product for control of chewing insects that has a favorable environmental profile; contained in Tracer Naturalyte™, SpinTor™, Success™, Precise™, and Conserve™ (summary) |
| 1999 | Lilly Research Laboratories | A yeast performs a stereospecific reduction to make a pharmaceutical active ingredient (summary) |
| 1998 | Dr. Karen M. Draths and Professor John W. Frost, Michigan State University | Genetically manipulated microbes used to convert glucose to chemicals of major industrial importance: adipic acid and catechol (summary) |
| 1996 | Professor Mark Holtzapple, Texas A&M University | Rumen microorganisms used to convert waste biomass to animal feed, chemicals, and fuels (summary) |
| Year | Winner | Description of the Winning Technology in Relation to the Topic Area |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Codexis, Inc. | Recombination-based directed evolution of three enzymes used to produce the key chiral intermediate for Lipitor® (summary) |
| 2005 | Metabolix, Inc. | Bioplastics (polyhydroxyalkanoates) made by genetically engineered organisms (summary) |
| 2003 | DuPont | Sorona®, a new fabric, uses a feedstock (1,3-propanediol) produced by fermentation with a genetically engineered microorganism (summary) |
| 2001 | Novozymes North America, Inc. | BioPreparation™ of cotton textiles uses a cloned bacterial pectate lyase to remove natural waxes and oils prior to dyeing and finishing (summary) |
| 1998 | Dr. Karen M. Draths and Professor John W. Frost, Michigan State University | Genetically manipulated microbes ferment renewable feedstocks to synthesize chemicals of major industrial importance: adipic acid and catechol (summary) |
| Year | Winner | Description of the Winning Technology in Relation to the Topic Area |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Codexis, Inc. | Three enzymes evolved by recombination-based directed evolution used to produce the key chiral intermediate for Lipitor® (summary) |
| 2005 | Archer Daniels Midland Company; Novoyzmes | Lipozyme®, an immobilized enzyme, interesterifies triglycerides to produce low trans fats and oils for foods (summary) |
| 2004 | Buckman Laboratories International, Inc. | Optimize®, an esterase, hydrolyzes polyvinyl acetate and other major sticky contaminants of recycled paper to improve recycling (summary) |
| 2003 | Professor Richard A. Gross, Polytechnic University | Lipases from yeast polymerize chemically and thermally sensitive molecules (summary) |
| 2001 | Novozymes North America, Inc. | Bacterial pectate lyase removes natural waxes and oils from cotton textiles prior to dyeing and finishing: BioPreparation™ of cotton (summary) |
| 2000 | Professor Chi-Huey Wong, The Scripps Research Institute | Enzymes used for large-scale organic syntheses that were impossible or impractical by nonenzymatic methods (summary) |
Polymers: 19 technologies (2 subcategories)
| Year | Winner | Description of the Winning Technology in Relation to the Topic Area |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Cargill, Incorporated | Polyurethane foams can now be made with biobased BiOH™ polyols instead of petroleum-based polyols (summary) |
| 2006 | S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. | Greenlist™ Process guided the replacement of polyvinylidene chloride with polyethylene in Saran Wrap® (summary) |
| 2005 | BASF Corporation | Primer for automotive refinishing; applied as a urethane acrylate oligomer that crosslinks by UV light into the cured film (summary) |
| 2003 | Shaw Industries, Inc. | Polyolefin thermoplastic carpet tile backing combines with nylon 6 fibers to produce a carpet tile, EcoWorx™, that is readily recyclable following separation of the backing and fibers (summary) |
| 2002 | Professor Eric J. Beckman, University of Pittsburgh | Polydimethyl siloxane polymers, poly(ether carbonates), and acetate-functional polyethers as non-fluorous materials to increase the solubility of compounds of interest in supercritical CO2 (summary) |
| 2000 | Bayer Corporation; Bayer AG | Two-component waterborne polyurethane coatings greatly reducing VOC solvents (summary) |
| 1999 | Nalco Company | High-molecular-weight, water-soluble polymers in ammonium sulfate solution to replace water-in-oil polymer emulsions in water treatment applications (summary) |
| 1998 | PYROCOOL Technologies, Inc. | Highly biodegradable, polymeric nonionic surfactants, anionic surfactants, and amphoteric surfactants as active ingredients in PYROCOOL Fire Extinguishing Foam (summary) |
| 1997 | Professor Joseph M. DeSimone, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and North Carolina State University (NCSU) | Polymeric surfactants originally developed to allow heterogeneous polymerizations in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) greatly increase the solubility of many other substances in scCO2 (summary) |
| 1996 | The Dow Chemical Company | Carbon dioxide replaces chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as the blowing agent to make polystyrene foam (summary) |
| Year | Winner | Description of the Winning Technology in Relation to the Topic Area |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Battelle | Biobased polyesters, polyamides, and polyurethanes resins made from soy oil and protein along with corn carbohydrate are components of toner for photocopying and printing (summary) |
| 2007 | Cargill, Incorporated | BiOH™ biobased polyols replace petroleum-based polyols to make polyurethane foams (summary) |
| 2007 | Professor Kaichang Li, Oregon State University; Columbia Forest Products; and Hercules Incorporated | Adhesive derived from soy flour to replace urea-formaldehyde resin for plywood and other wood composites (summary) |
| 2005 | Metabolix, Inc. | Bioplastics (polyhydroxyalkanoates) made by genetically engineered organisms (summary) |
| 2005 | Professor Robin D. Rogers, The University of Alabama | Cellulose from virtually any source can be dissolved and processed in ionic liquids to create advanced, cellulose-based materials (summary) |
| 2003 | DuPont | Sorona®, a polymer of terephthalate and 1,3-propanediol, is a new fabric type; 1,3-propanediol is produced by a genetically engineered organism, starting from cornstarch (summary) |
| 2003 | Professor Richard A. Gross, Polytechnic University | Polyesters made from chemically and thermally sensitive molecules by yeast lipases (summary) |
| 2002 | Cargill Dow LLC (now NatureWorks LLC) | NatureWorks™ polylactic acid (PLA), manufactured from cornstarch in three steps (summary) |
| 1999 | Biofine, Inc. (now BioMetrics, Inc.) | Low-cost waste biomass (cellulose) undergoes dilute acid hydrolysis to levulinic acid, a platform chemical used to make biodegradable polymers and many other important derivatives (summary) |
| 1996 | Donlar Corporation (now NanoChem Solutions, Inc.) | Thermal polyaspartate polymers made by homopolymerization of aspartic acid (summary) |
| Year | Winner | Description of the Winning Technology in Relation to the Topic Area |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Battelle | Soy oil and protein as well as corn carbohydrate are used to make polyesters, polyamides, and polyurethanes for toner used in photocopying and printing (summary) |
| 2008 | Dow AgroSciences LLC | Spinosyns J and L, naturally occurring fermentation products, are the starting materials for a green chemical synthesis of spinetoram, a new insecticide (summary) |
| 2007 | Cargill, Incorporated | BiOH™ polyols made from epoxidized vegetable oils replace petroleum-based polyols in polyurethane foams (summary) |
| 2007 | Professor Kaichang Li, Oregon State University; Columbia Forest Products; and Hercules Incorporated | Soy-based adhesive replaces urea-formaldehyde resin for plywood and other wood composites (summary) |
| 2006 | Professor Galen Suppes, University of Missouri-Columbia | Glycerin, a waste coproduct of biodiesel production, is converted to propylene glycol or hydroxyacetone (summary) |
| 2006 | Arkon Consultants; NuPro Technologies, Inc. | Biobased solvents and solvent recovery system for flexographic printing (summary) |
| 2005 | Archer Daniels Midland Company; Novozymes | Propylene glycol monoesters of sunflower oil fatty acids (Archer RC™) act as a reactive coalescent to replace VOCs in latex paints (summary) |
| 2005 | Metabolix, Inc. | Sugar and vegetable oils used by genetically engineered organisms to produce bioplastics (polyhydroxyalkanoates) (summary) |
| 2005 | Professor Robin D. Rogers, The University of Alabama | Cellulose from virtually any source can be dissolved and processed in ionic liquids to create advanced, cellulose-based materials (summary) |
| 2004 | Bristol-Myers Squibb Company | Fermentation using plant cells produces paclitaxel, the active ingredient in the drug Taxol®, replaces bark, twigs, and leaves of slow-growing yew trees as the source (summary) |
| 2003 | DuPont | Derives glucose from cornstarch, then converts glucose to 1,3-propanediol by fermentation with a genetically engineered microorganism; uses the 1,3-propanediol to make Sorona®, a new fabric (summary) |
| 2002 | Cargill Dow LLC (now NatureWorks LLC) | Starting from cornstarch, manufactures NatureWorks™ polylactic acid (PLA) in three steps (summary) |
| 1999 | Biofine, Inc. (now BioMetrics, Inc.) | Low-cost waste biomass (cellulose) undergoes dilute acid hydrolysis to levulinic acid, a platform chemical used to make many important derivatives (summary) |
| 1998 | Argonne National Laboratory | Low-cost carbohydrates ferment to produce lactic acid and ethanol, the feedstocks for ethyl lactate ester, a solvent (summary) |
| 1998 | Dr. Karen M. Draths and Professor John W. Frost, Michigan State University | Renewable feedstocks such as starch, hemicellulose, and cellulose produce glucose, the feedstock used by genetically manipulated microbes to make chemicals of major industrial importance: adipic acid and catechol (summary) |
| 1996 | Donlar Corporation (now NanoChem Solutions, Inc.) | Aspartic acid, an amino acid, is the feedstock for biodegradable thermal polyaspartic acid, to replace polyacrylic acid (summary) |
| 1996 | Professor Mark Holtzapple, Texas A&M University | Waste biomass converted by rumen microorganisms into animal feed, chemicals, and fuels (summary) |
| Year | Winner | Description of the Winning Technology in Relation to the Topic Area |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Dow AgroSciences LLC | Spinetoram, a new environmentally favorable insecticide, replaces organophosphate insecticides for use on many crops including pome fruit, stone fruit, and tree nuts (summary) |
| 2008 | SiGNa Chemistry, Inc. | Alkali metals encapsulated in porous metal oxides retain their high reactivity, but are not dangerous to store or handle (summary) |
| 2007 | Professor Kaichang Li, Oregon State University; Columbia Forest Products; and Hercules Incorporated | Soy-based adhesive replaces urea-formaldehyde resin for plywood and other wood composites (summary) |
| 2007 | NovaSterilis Inc. | Carbon dioxide and peroxyacetic acid replace ethylene oxide and gamma radiation used for sterilization of delicate biological materials (summary) |
| 2006 | Arkon Consultants; NuPro Technologies, Inc. | Safer solvents and solvent recovery system for flexographic printing (summary) |
| 2006 | S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. | Greenlist™ process used to redesign several consumer products including Saran Wrap®, Windex®, and Glade® (summary) |
| 2005 | Archer Daniels Midland Company; Novozymes | Archer RC™, a nonvolatile, reactive coalescent (propylene glycol monoesters of sunflower oil fatty acids) to replace VOCs in latex paint (summary) |
| 2005 | Engelhard Corporation (now BASF Corporation) | Rightfit™ azo pigments contain calcium, strontium, or barium, have low potential toxicity, low migration rates, and are made in aqueous medium; traditional pigments contain heavy metals (lead, chromium (IV), and cadmium) and use polychlorinated intermediates and organic solvents (summary) |
| 2004 | Jeneil Biosurfactant Company | Biodegradable, low toxicity rhamnolipid biosurfactants (glycolipid) substitute for synthetic or petroleum-derived surfactants (summary) |
| 2003 | AgraQuest, Inc. | Serenade® biofungicide, the first nontoxic, broad-spectrum microbial fungicide compatible with both organic and conventional farming (summary) |
| 2003 | Shaw Industries, Inc. | EcoWorx™ polyolefin thermoplastic carpet tile backing uses low toxicity feedstocks, contains no PVC or plasticizers, does not emit dioxin or hydrochloric acid products when burned (summary) |
| 2002 | Chemical Specialties, Inc. (now Viance) | ACQ Preserve®, an alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) wood preservative, replaces chromated copper arsenate (CCA) wood preservative (summary) |
| 2002 | Professor Eric J. Beckman, University of Pittsburgh | Poly(ether-carbonates) and other non-fluorous, biodegradable, highly CO2-soluble materials broaden the applicability of CO2 as a solvent; CO2 poses fewer hazards than do conventional organic solvents (summary) |
| 2001 | Bayer Corporation; Bayer AG (technology acquired by LANXESS) | Sodium iminodisuccinate, a readily biodegradable chelating agent that is toxicologically and ecotoxicologically benign (summary) |
| 2001 | PPG Industries | Yttrium as a substitute for lead in cationic electrodeposition coatings (summary) |
| 2000 | Dow AgroSciences LLC | Sentricon™ termite colony elimination system, a reduced-risk pesticide; significantly less hazardous than barrier methods of termite control (summary) |
| 1999 | Dow AgroSciences LLC | Spinosad, a natural product for control of chewing insects; a reduced-risk pesticide contained in Tracer Naturalyte™, SpinTor™, Success™, Precise™, and Conserve™ that replaces such pesticides as abamectin, cypermethrin, fipronil, and imidacloprid (summary) |
| 1998 | PYROCOOL Technologies, Inc. | PYROCOOL fire extinguishing foam, a formulation of highly biodegradable surfactants: less toxic than current alternatives, inherently safer to use, providing far less potential for environmental damage (summary) |
| 1998 | Rohm and Haas Company | Diacylhydrazides, a new class of insecticides that disrupts molting in target insects, contained in CONFIRM™, MACH 2™, and INTREPID™; reduced risk pesticides (summary) |
| 1997 | Albright & Wilson Americas (now Rhodia) | Tetrakishydroxymethyl phosphonium sulfate (THPS) biocides, a new class of environmentally benign antimicrobial pesticides, replaces chlorinated isothiazolones and other more toxic biocides (summary) |
| 1996 | Rohm and Haas Company | Sea-Nine™, an environmentally safe marine antifoulant, used on ship hulls to prevent the unwanted growth of plants and animals; replaces tributyltin oxide, which bioaccumulates and is toxic to shellfish (summary) |
Solvents: 21 technologies (4 subcategories)
| Year | Winner | Description of the Winning Technology in Relation to the Topic Area |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | NovaSterilis Inc. | Supercritical carbon dioxide and a peroxide used for sterilization of delicate biological materials (summary) |
| 2004 | Professors Charles A. Eckert and Charles L. Liotta, Georgia Institute of Technology | Tunable solvents, particularly supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2), nearcritical water, and CO2-expanded liquids, couple reactions and separations, replacing organic solvents and minimizing waste (summary) |
| 2002 | Professor Eric J. Beckman, University of Pittsburgh | Supercritical CO2 becomes a better solvent for compounds of interest when used with polydimethyl siloxane polymers, poly(ether carbonates), and acetate-functional polyethers, which are non-fluorous materials (summary) |
| 2002 | SC Fluids, Inc. | Supercritical CO2 removes photoresist from semiconductor wafers, replacing hazardous solvents and corrosive chemicals (summary) |
| 1997 | Professor Joseph M. DeSimone, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and North Carolina State University (NCSU) | Supercritical CO2 becomes a better solvent for many other substances when used with polymeric surfactants (summary) |
| 1996 | The Dow Chemical Company | Carbon dioxide replaces chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as the blowing agent to make polystyrene foam (summary) |
| Year | Winner | Description of the Winning Technology in Relation to the Topic Area |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Professors Robert E. Maleczka, Jr. and Milton R. Smith, III, Michigan State University | Solvent is often not needed for catalytic carbon–hydrogen bond activation/borylation reactions that create boronic ester precursors to many complex molecules (summary) |
| 2007 | Headwaters Technology Innovation | Solvent-free process to make hydrogen peroxide directly from hydrogen and oxygen using a novel palladium-platinum catalyst (summary) |
| 2002 | Cargill Dow LLC (now NatureWorks LLC) | Solventless lactide synthesis by continuous distillation, polymerization of polylactic acid (PLA) in the molten state, and recycling of PLA (summary) |
| 2000 | RevTech, Inc. | No or little solvent or other VOCs in the Envirogluv™ direct silk screening of inks onto glass, then curing the ink with UV light (summary) |
| 1997 | Imation (technology acquired by Eastman Kodak Company) | DryView™ photothermographic technology completely eliminates wet chemistry (developer, fixer, and water) required to develop silver halide photographic film (summary) |
| Year | Winner | Description of the Winning Technology in Relation to the Topic Area |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Codexis, Inc. | Evolved enzymes used to produce to produce key chiral intermediate for Lipitor® via fermentation (summary) |
| 2004 | Engelhard Corporation (now BASF Corporation) | Rightfit™ organic pigments manufactured in water, eliminating large volumes of organic solvent required to manufacture traditional pigments (summary) |
| 2004 | Professors Charles A. Eckert and Charles L. Liotta, Georgia Institute of Technology | Tunable solvents, including nearcritical water, couple reactions and separations, replacing organic solvents and minimizing waste (summary) |
| 2001 | Professor Chao-Jun Li, Tulane University | Water and air replace organic solvents and inert gas in reactions using transition metals as catalysts (summary) |
| 2000 | Bayer Corporation; Bayer AG | Two-component waterborne polyurethane coatings replace most or all of the VOCs and HAPs (hazardous air pollutants) used in conventional solvent borne polyurethanes (summary) |
| 1999 | Nalco Company | Aqueous ammonium sulfate solution replaces oil and surfactants in manufacture of water-based liquid dispersion polymers (summary) |
| 1999 | Professor Terry Collins, Carnegie Mellon University | TAML™ (tetraamido-macrocyclic ligand) activators work with hydrogen peroxide in water, especially in wood-pulp delignification and laundry applications (summary) |
| 1997 | Legacy Systems, Inc. | Coldstrip™, an organic removal and wet cleaning technology for the semiconductor, flat panel display, and micromachining industries, uses only water and oxygen as raw materials (summary) |
| Year | Winner | Description of the Winning Technology in Relation to the Topic Area |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Arkon Consultants; NuPro Technologies, Inc. | Safer solvents and solvent recovery system for flexographic printing (summary) |
| 2005 | Professor Robin D. Rogers, The University of Alabama | Ionic liquids replace carbon disulfide to dissolve cellulose and create advanced, cellulose-based materials (summary) |
| 1998 | Argonne National Laboratory | Ethyl lactate, made via fermentation and a membrane process, replaces traditional organic solvents in many applications (summary) |
| Year | Winner | Description of the Winning Technology in Relation to the Topic Area |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Dow AgroSciences LLC | A low-impact, catalytic synthesis for spinetoram biopesticides starts with spinosyns J and L (summary) |
| 2008 | Professors Robert E. Maleczka, Jr. and Milton R. Smith, III, Michigan State University | Catalytic carbon–hydrogen bond activation/borylation reactions that create boronic esters that are precursors to many complex molecules (summary) |
| 2007 | Headwaters Technology Innovation | Hydrogen peroxide synthesized directly from hydrogen and oxygen using a novel palladium-platinum catalyst (summary) |
| 2007 | Professor Michael J. Krische, University of Texas at Austin | Carbon-carbon bond formation reactions in tandem with catalytic hydrogenation synthesize complex molecules, including chiral substances (summary) |
| 2006 | Merck & Co., Inc. | Asymmetric catalysis of unprotected enamines produces β-amino acids (summary) |
| 2006 | Codexis, Inc. | Three evolved enzymes produce the key chiral intermediate for Lipitor® (summary) |
| 2006 | Professor Galen Suppes, University of Missouri-Columbia | Copper chromite catalyst system efficiently converts glycerin to propylene glycol or hydroxyacetone (summary) |
| 2005 | Merck & Co., Inc. | A convergent synthesis of aprepitant, the active ingredient in Emend®, with half the synthetic steps, almost double the yield, and a reduction of nearly 80% in both raw materials and waste (summary) |
| 2004 | Bristol-Myers Squibb Company | Synthesis of paclitaxel, the active ingredient in Taxol®, via plant cell fermentation replacing a semisynthetic synthesis that required twigs and leaves of yew trees (summary) |
| 2004 | Professors Charles A. Eckert and Charles L. Liotta, Georgia Institute of Technology | Use of tunable solvents, particularly supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2), nearcritical water, and CO2-expanded liquids, to couple reactions and separations, replacing organic solvents and minimizing waste(summary) |
| 2003 | Süd-Chemie Inc. | Synthesis of solid oxide catalysts with virtually no wastewater discharge, no nitrate discharge, and little or no NOx emissions (summary) |
| 2002 | Pfizer, Inc. | Redesigned synthesis of sertraline, the active ingredient in Zoloft®, with only one synthetic step, a single benign solvent, an improved catalyst, selective crystallization, and double the previous yield (summary) |
| 2000 | Roche Colorado Corporation | Guanine TriEster Process for synthesis of ganciclovir, the active ingredient in Cytovene®, with one-third the synthetic steps, one half the reagents and intermediates (eliminating many hazardous ones), double the process throughput, increased yield (summary) |
| 1999 | Lilly Research Laboratories | Synthesis of LY3000164, a drug candidate for the treatment of epilepsy, using a yeast-mediated asymmetric reaction, eliminating nonrecycled metal, and significantly reducing solvent use (summary) |
| 1998 | Argonne National Laboratory | Pervaporation membranes and catalysts used to drive the esterification of organic acids to completion, resulting in an efficient, selective synthesis for lactate esters that also eliminates large volumes of salt waste (summary) |
| 1998 | Dr. Karen M. Draths and Professor John W. Frost, Michigan State University | Synthesis of major industrial chemicals, adipic acid and catechol, using genetically manipulated microbes as synthetic catalysts (summary) |
| 1998 | Flexsys America L.P. | Nucleophilic aromatic substitution for hydrogen (NASH) reactions eliminate chlorine from the synthesis of a commodity chemical, 4-aminodiphenylamine, reducing organic waste by 74%, inorganic waste by over 99%, and wastewater by over 97% (summary) |
| 1998 | Professor Barry M. Trost, Stanford University | Concept of atom economy, maximizing incorporation of feedstocks and minimizing waste (summary) |
| 1997 | BHC Company (now BASF Corporation) | Redesigned synthesis of ibuprofen with half the synthetic steps, approximately 80% atom utilization, and almost no waste (summary) |
| 1996 | Monsanto Company | Redesigned synthesis of disodium iminodiacetate, the key intermediate in Round-up™, using a catalytic dehydrogenation route with fewer process steps, increased yield, no formaldehyde or hydrogen cyanide, and essentially no waste (summary) |
| Year | Winner | Description of the Winning Technology in Relation to the Topic Area |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Dow AgroSciences LLC | An environmentally friendly, catalytic synthesis for spinetoram insecticide starts with spinosyns J and L (summary) |
| 2008 | Professors Robert E. Maleczka, Jr. and Milton R. Smith, III, Michigan State University | Iridium catalysts used in a halogen-free synthesis of boronic esters, intermediates for many important, complex molecules (summary) |
| 2007 | Headwaters Technology Innovation | A palladium-platinum catalyst allows formation of hydrogen peroxide directly from hydrogen and oxygen (summary) |
| 2007 | Professor Michael J. Krische, University of Texas at Austin | Metal complexes in the presence of hydrogen catalyze carbon-carbon bond formation to synthesize complex molecules, including chiral substances (summary) |
| 2006 | Merck & Co., Inc. | Rhodium salts of a ferrocenyl-based ligand catalyze asymmetric hydrogenation of unprotected enamines to produce β-amino acids (summary) |
| 2006 | Professor Galen Suppes, University of Missouri-Columbia | Copper chromite catalyst system efficiently converts glycerin to propylene glycol or hydroxyacetone (summary) |
| 2004 | Professors Charles A. Eckert and Charles L. Liotta, Georgia Institute of Technology | Phase transfer catalysts used with supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) can be recycled effectively; homogeneous catalysts (phase transfer catalysts, chiral catalysts, enzymes) are easier to recycle using CO2-expanded organic fluids (summary) |
| 2003 | Süd-Chemie Inc. | Synthesis of solid oxide catalysts with virtually no wastewater discharge, no nitrate discharge, and little or no NOx emissions (summary) |
| 2001 | Professor Chao-Jun Li, Tulane University | Transition metals as catalysts for reactions in air and water, replacing inert gas and organic solvents (summary) |
| 1999 | Professor Terry Collins, Carnegie Mellon University | Iron-based TAML™ activators catalyze the oxidation of hydrogen peroxide (summary) |
| 1998 | Professor Barry M. Trost, Stanford University | Transition metal catalysis and main group catalysis as important tools for atom economy (summary) |
| 1997 | BHC Company (now BASF Corporation) | Three catalytic steps replace six stoichiometric steps in the redesigned synthesis of ibuprofen (summary) |
| 1996 | Monsanto Company | Proprietary copper catalysts dehydrogenate diethanolamine, allowing an alternate synthesis of disodium iminodiacetate, a key intermediate in the synthesis of the herbicide Roundup® (summary) |
| Year | Winner | Description of the Winning Technology in Relation to the Topic Area |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Nalco Company | Fluorescent-tagged molecules in the 3D TRASAR® system detect mineral scale formation, microbial growth, and corrosion in cooling water systems, adding appropriate chemicals only when required (summary) |