GREEN CHEMISTRY
Potential of CO2- derived chemistry
One of the most promising aspects of CO2 utilisation lies in its potential application to large-volume chemical markets. Many everyday products rely on carbon-based molecules produced at significant industrial scale.
Surfactants are a notable example. These molecules play a crucial role in detergents, personal care products and industrial cleaning formulations. Global surfactant production significantly exceeds 20 million tonnes / year, and the majority are derived from petrochemical feedstocks or natural oils.
Similarly, polymers and foams used in construction, furniture and packaging depend heavily on carbonbased intermediates. Coatings and speciality additives also form part of this extensive chemical ecosystem.
Because these sectors operate at large scale, even partial substitution of fossil carbon with alternative feedstocks could lead to significant reductions in lifecycle emissions. The use of captured CO 2 as a component of chemical intermediates is therefore being explored in several areas, including the synthesis of polyols, carbonates and surfactant building blocks.
Viryea is a CO 2
-derived surfactant ingredient
Viridi has developed a CO 2
-derived surfactant ingredient, Vireya, and our work indicates that it can reduce the product carbon footprint by around 70 % compared with conventional fossil-derived alternatives.
For these applications to become viable, technologies must meet the performance, cost and scalability requirements expected by industrial users, while integrating with existing chemical manufacturing infrastructure. Catalysts must also remain stable over extended operating periods. These factors will ultimately determine how widely CO 2
- derived chemistry can be adopted.
Next decade
Looking ahead, the next phase of green chemistry is likely to involve a combination of technological advances and industrial collaboration. Developments in catalysis will remain central, particularly in enabling reactions that use unconventional feedstocks such as captured CO 2
.
Advances in process design and reaction engineering will also play an important role. Integrating carbon capture systems with chemical production facilities allows emissions from one process to serve as feedstock for another, creating more interconnected industrial ecosystems.
Collaboration across the value chain will be essential. Universities, research institutes and emerging technology companies are developing new catalytic concepts, while established chemical manufacturers bring expertise in scale-up, plant operation and global supply chains. Partnerships between these groups will help translate laboratory discoveries into commercially viable technologies.
Policy and regulatory frameworks will also influence the pace of adoption, particularly as manufacturers respond to tightening regulations on feedstocks, product carbon footprints and supply chain transparency. As industries seek to reduce carbon intensity across their supply chains, interest in alternative feedstocks and circular carbon approaches is likely to grow.
At its core, chemistry is about the transformation of matter and carbon remains one of its most important building blocks. The future of sustainable chemical manufacturing may therefore depend not only on reducing carbon emissions but also on reconsidering how carbon itself is sourced and used. Rather than viewing CO 2 solely as a waste product, it should increasingly be seen as a starting point for new chemical pathways.
If the next era of green chemistry succeeds in turning emissions into feedstocks, the industry may find itself doing something that once seemed paradoxical: using carbon in order to reduce carbon. And in doing so, it may redefine how the molecules that underpin modern life are made. ●
Isabelle Sumner
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
VIRIDI J info @ viriditech. com j https:// viriditech. com /
62 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981