Implementation of green chemistry approaches in chemistry labs instruction: A systematic literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24114/jpkim.v16i3.65184Keywords:
Chemistry laboratory, Environmental awareness, Green chemistry, Higher education, Practical skillsAbstract
In recent years, the urgent need to address environmental problems has driven green chemistry in various disciplines, focusing on designing chemical products and processes that minimize hazardous materials. This research conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) to evaluate the application of green chemistry in higher education chemistry lab practices and its impact on students' conceptual understanding, practical skills, and environmental awareness. Using the PRISMA method, 46 articles were analyzed from the Scopus and ScienceDirect databases extracted from a total of 537 published between 2015 and 2024. The findings show that applying green chemistry in chemistry laboratory learning can improve students' conceptual understanding, practical skills, and environmental awareness while encouraging environmentally friendly synthesis methods. However, challenges such as limited resources and the need for additional training for lecturers still exist. Institutional support and professional development are needed to maximize implementation. In conclusion, green chemistry has great potential to create a more environmentally responsible generation of chemists, with recommendations for comprehensive integration into chemistry curricula and increased support for educators to address implementation challenges. This study provides a basis for expanding the application of green chemistry in chemistry education and preparing students to face future sustainability challenges.References
Abraham, L. (2020). A Green Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution Reaction. Journal of Chemical Education, 97 (10), 3810–3815. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00181
Amaris, Z.N., Freitas, D.N., Mac, K., Gerner, K.T., Nameth, C., & Wheeler, K.E. (2017). Nanoparticle Synthesis, Characterization, and Ecotoxicity: A Research-Based Set of Laboratory Experiments for a General Chemistry Course. Journal of Chemical Education, 94 (12), 1939–1945. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00369
Andrew, O. B., Sherwood, J., & Hurst, G. A. (2022). A Greener Synthesis of the Antidepressant Bupropion Hydrochloride. Journal of Chemical Education , 99 (9), 3277–3282. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00581
Ang, J. W. J. (2021). Integrating Green Chemistry into Teaching Laboratories: Aqueous Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling Reaction Using a Recyclable Fluorous Precatalyst. Journal of Chemical Education, 98 (1), 203–207. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00072
Armstrong, L. B., Rivas, M. C., Zhou, Z., Douskey, M. C., & Baranger, A. M. (2024). Behind the Scenes of Teaching Green: An Iterative Approach to Curriculum Design and Implementation in the General Chemistry Laboratory. Journal of Chemical Education, 101(8), 3264-3275. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c00176
Armstrong, L.B., Rivas, MC, Zhou, Z., Irie, L.M., Kerstiens, GA, Robak, MAT, Douskey, MC, & Baranger, A.M. (2019). Developing a Green Chemistry Focused General Chemistry Laboratory Curriculum: What Do Students Understand and Value about Green Chemistry? Journal of Chemical Education, 96 (11), 2410–2419. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00277
Baldwin, O.W.M., Conrad-Marut, L.H., Beutner, G.L., & Vosburg, D.A. (2022). Facile Amide Bond Formation with TCFH-NMI in an Organic Laboratory Course. Journal of Chemical Education, 99 (11), 3747–3751. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00760
Biswas, R., & Mukherjee, A. (2017). Introducing the Concept of Green Synthesis in the Undergraduate Laboratory: Two-Step Synthesis of 4-Bromoacetanilide from Aniline. Journal of Chemical Education, 94 (9), 1391–1394. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00749
Chen, T.L., Kim, H., Pan, S.Y., Tseng, P.C., Lin, Y.P., & Chiang, P.C. (2020). Implementation of green chemistry principles in circular economy system towards sustainable development goals: Challenges and perspectives. Science of the Total Environment, 716 (1), 136998. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136998
Contreras-Cruz, D.A., Cantú-Reyes, M., Garciá-Sánchez, J.M., Penã-Ortíz, D., Sánchez-Carmona, M.A., & Miranda, L.D. (2019). Shedding Blue Light on the Undergraduate Laboratory: An Easy-to-Assemble LED Photoreactor for Aromatization of a 1,4-Dihydropyridine. Journal of Chemical Education, 96 (9), 2015–2020. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b01026
Cooper, P. D., & Walser, J. (2019). Total Chemical Footprint of an Experiment: A Systems Thinking Approach to Teaching Rovibrational Spectroscopy. Journal of Chemical Education, 96 (12), 2947–2951. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00405
Cosio, M.N., Cardenal, A.D., Maity, A., Hyun, S.M., Akwaowo, V.E., Hoffman, C.W., Powers, T.M., & Powers, D.C. (2020). Exploring Green Chemistry with Aerobic Hypervalent Iodine Catalysis. Journal of Chemical Education, 97 (10), 3816–3821. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00410
Davila-Diaz, K. (2024). On-the-Go Lab for Aqueous Reactions Demonstrations: Activities at the Microscale. Journal of Chemical Education, 101 (5), 2149–2155. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c01317
de Marco, B. A., Rechelo, B. S., Tótoli, E. G., Kogawa, A. C., & Salgado, H. R. N. (2019). Evolution of green chemistry and its multidimensional impacts: A review. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 27(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2018.07.011
Dhollande, S., Taylor, A., Meyer, S., & Scott, M. (2021). Conducting integrative reviews: a guide for novice nursing researchers. Journal of Research in Nursing, 26(5), 427-438. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987121997907
Dicks, A.P., D'Eon, J.C., Morra, B., Kutas Chisu, C., Quinlan, K.B., & Cannon, A.S. (2019). A Systems Thinking Department: Fostering a Culture of Green Chemistry Practice among Students. Journal of Chemical Education, 96 (12), 2836–2844. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00287
Edwards, P., Zhang, W., Belton, B., & Little, D. C. (2019). Misunderstandings, myths and mantras in aquaculture: Its contribution to world food supplies has been regularly over reported. Marine Policy, 106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2019.103547
Fennie, M. W., & Roth, J. M. (2016). Comparing Amide-Forming Reactions Using Green Chemistry Metrics in an Undergraduate Organic Laboratory. Journal of Chemical Education, 93 (10), 1788–1793. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00090
Flemming, K., Booth, A., Garside, R., Tunçalp, Ö., & Noyes, J. (2019). Qualitative evidence synthesis for complex interventions and guideline development: clarification of the purpose, designs and relevant methods. BMJ Global Health, 4 (Suppl 1), e000882. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2018-000882
Ganesh, K. N., Zhang, D., Miller, S. J., Rossen, K., Chirik, P. J., Kozlowski, M. C., ... & Voutchkova-Kostal, A. M. (2021). Green chemistry: a framework for a sustainable future. Organometallics, 40(12), 1801-1805. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.organomet.1c00343
Gormong, E.A., Wentzel, M.T., Cao, B., Kundel, L.N., Reineke, T.M., & Wissinger, J.E. (2021). Exploring Divergent Green Reaction Media for the Copolymerization of Biobased Monomers in the Teaching Laboratory. Journal of Chemical Education, 98 (2), 559–566. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00688
Gusenbauer, M., & Haddaway, N. R. (2021). What every researcher should know about searching – clarified concepts, search advice, and an agenda to improve finding in academia. Research Synthesis Methods, 12 (2), 136–147. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrsm.1457
Harrypersad, S., & Canal, J. P. (2023). The Synthesis of Ruthenocene─ A Methodology Appropriate for the Inorganic Undergraduate Curriculum. Journal of Chemical Education, 100(3), 1320-1325. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c01258
Hie, L., Chang, J. J., & Garg, N. K. (2015). Nickel-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling in a green alcohol solvent for an undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory. Journal of Chemical Education, 92, pp. 571–574. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed500158p
Hopson, R., Lee, P. Y. B., & Hess, K. M. (2018). 1-Dimensional selective nuclear overhauser effect NMR spectroscopy to characterize products from a two-step green chemistry synthesis. Journal of Chemical Education, 95(4), 641-647. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00494
Howard, D.M., Adams, M.J., Clarke, T.-K., Hafferty, J.D., Gibson, J., Shirali, M., Coleman, J.R., Hagenaars, S.P., Ward, J., Wigmore, E.M., & Alloza, C. (2019). Genome-wide meta-analysis of depression identifies 102 independent variants and highlights the importance of the prefrontal brain regions David. Nature Neuroscience, 22 (3), 343–352. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-018-0326-7
Hurst, GA, Slootweg, JC, Balu, A.M., Climent-Bellido, M.S., Gomera, A., Gomez, P., Luque, R., Mammino, L., Spanevello, R.A., Saito, K., & Ibanez, J.G. (2019). International Perspectives on Green and Sustainable Chemistry Education via Systems Thinking [Research-article]. Journal of Chemical Education, 96 (12), 2794–2804. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00341
Keen, C., Couture, S., Abd El Meseh, N., & Sevian, H. (2020). Connecting Theory to Life: Learning Greener Electrochemistry by Taking Apart a Common Battery. Journal of Chemical Education, 97 (4), 934–942. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00840
Knutson, CM, Hilker, AP, Tolstyka, ZP, Anderson, CB, Wilbon, PA, Mathers, RT, Wentzel, MT, Perkins, AL, & Wissinger, JE (2019). Dyeing to Degrade: A Bioplastics Experiment for College and High School Classrooms. Journal of Chemical Education, 96 (11), 2565–2573. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00461
Knutson, C. M., Schneiderman, D. K., Yu, M., Javner, C. H., Distefano, M. D., & Wissinger, J. E. (2017). Polymeric Medical Sutures: An Exploration of Polymers and Green Chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 94 (11), 1761–1765. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00835
Kraus, S., Breier, M., & Dasí-Rodríguez, S. (2020). The art of crafting a systematic literature review in entrepreneurship research. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 16, 1023-1042. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-020-00635-4
Landstrom, E. B., Nichol, M., Lipshutz, B. H., & Gainer, M. J. (2019). Discovery-Based SNAr Experiment in Water Using Micellar Catalysis. Journal of Chemical Education, 96 (11), 2668–2671. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00310
Lapanantnoppakhun, S., Tengjaroensakul, U., Mungkornasawakul, P., Puangpila, C., Kittiwachana, S., Saengtempiam, J., & Hartwell, SK (2020). Green Analytical Chemistry Experiment: Quantitative Analysis of Iron in Supplement Tablets with Vis spectrophotometry Using Tea Extract as a Chromogenic Agent. Journal of Chemical Education, 97 (1), 207–214. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00530
Lasker, GA, Simcox, NJ, Mellor, KE, Mullins, ML, Nesmith, SM, Van Bergen, S., & Anastas, PT (2019). Introducing Toxicology into the Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory Using Safety Data Sheets and Sunscreen Activities. Journal of Chemical Education, 96 (4), 720–724. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00408
Leslie, J. M., & Tzeel, B. A. (2016). Gold(III)-Catalyzed Hydration of Phenylacetylene. Journal of Chemical Education, 93 (6), 1100–1102. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.5b00628
Lin, X., Jin, X., Xu, C., Lai, H., Lin, M., Ren, N., & Cai, L. (2023). Iodometric Titration on Microfluidic Paper-Based Analytical Devices for Determination of Ascorbic Acid: A Laboratory Experiment for Chemical Education Undergraduates. Journal of Chemical Education, 100 (5), 1997–2002. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c01236
Liu, Y., Myers, E. J., Rydahl, S. A., & Wang, X. (2019). Ultrasonic-Assisted Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of a Metal-Organic Framework: A Green General Chemistry Laboratory Project. Journal of Chemical Education, 96 (10), 2286–2291. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00267
Lu, G. ping, Chen, F., & Cai, C. (2017). Thiourea in the Construction of CS Bonds as Part of an Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory Course. Journal of Chemical Education, 94, pp. 244–247. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00232
Mohan, R. S., & Mejia, M. P. (2020). Environmentally Friendly Organic Chemistry Laboratory Experiments for the Undergraduate Curriculum: A Literature Survey and Assessment. Journal of Chemical Education, 97 (4), 943–959. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00753
Mooney, M., Vreugdenhil, A. J., & Shetranjiwalla, S. (2020). A Toolkit of Green Chemistry and Life-Cycle Analysis for Comparative Assessment in Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Experiments: Synthesis of (E)-Stilbene. Journal of Chemical Education, 97 (5), 1336–1344. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00697
O'Neil, N.J., Scott, S., Relph, R., & Ponnusamy, E. (2021). Approaches to Incorporating Green Chemistry and Safety into Laboratory Culture. Journal of Chemical Education, 98 (1), 84–91. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00134
Obhi, N. K., Mallov, I., Borduas-Dedekind, N., Rousseaux, S. A. L., & Dicks, A. P. (2019). Comparing Industrial Amination Reactions in a Combined Class and Laboratory Green Chemistry Assignment. Journal of Chemical Education, 96 (1), 93–99. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00578
Oliveira, J. R. P., Tusset, A. M., Andrade, D. I., Balthazar, J. M., Pagani, R. N., & Lenzi, G. G. (2024). Action Plans Study: Principles of Green Chemistry, Sustainable Development, and Smart Cities. Sustainability, 16(18), 8041
Othman, KA, Omer, RA, Mohammad, AAA, & Safin, DA (2024). Green Approaches for Efficient Functional Group Analysis of Organic Compounds. Journal of Chemical Education, 101 (2), 567–577. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c00809
Paristiowati, M., Rahmawati, Y., Fitriani, E., Satrio, JA, & Hasibuan, NAP (2022). Developing Preservice Chemistry Teachers' Engagement with Sustainability Education through an Online, Project-Based Learning Summer Course Program. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14 (3). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031783
Pfab, E., Filiciotto, L., & Luque, R. (2019). The Dark Side of Biomass Valorization: A Laboratory Experiment to Understand Humin Formation, Catalysis, and Green Chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 96 (12), 3030–3037. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00410
Płotka-Wasylka, J., Mohamed, H. M., Kurowska-Susdorf, A., Dewani, R., Fares, M. Y., & Andruch, V. (2021). Green analytical chemistry as an integral part of sustainable education development. Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 31, 100508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsc.2021.100508
Quinson, J. (2023). Room Temperature Surfactant-Free Syntheses of Gold Nanoparticles in Alkaline Mixtures of Water and Alcohols: A Model System to Introduce Nanotechnology and Green Chemistry to Future Chemists and Engineers. Journal of Chemical Education, 100 (9), 3612–3619. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c00492
Rattanakit, P., & Maungchang, R. (2019). Determining Iron(III) Concentration in a Green Chemistry Experiment Using Phyllanthus emblica (Indian Gooseberry) Extract and Spectrophotometry. Journal of Chemical Education, 96 (4), 756–760. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00817
Reyes, K.M.D., Bruce, K., & Shetranjiwalla, S. (2023). Green Chemistry, Life Cycle Assessment, and Systems Thinking: An Integrated Comparative-Complementary Chemical Decision-Making Approach. Journal of Chemical Education, 100 (1), 209–220. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00647
Ritter, S., & Abraham, L. (2022). A Green and Efficient Cyclization of Citronellal into Isopulegol: A Guided-Inquiry Organic Chemistry Laboratory Experiment. Journal of Chemical Education, 99 (12), 4134–4142. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00351
Sarkis-Onofre, R., Catalá-López, F., Aromataris, E., & Lockwood, C. (2021). How to properly use the PRISMA Statement. Systematic Reviews, 10 (117), 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-021-01671-z
Shaffril, HAM, Ahmad, N., Samsuddin, SF, Samah, AA, & Hamdan, ME (2020). Systematic literature review on adaptation towards climate change impacts among indigenous people in the Asia Pacific region. Journal of Cleaner Production, 258, 120595. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120595
Sharma, P., & Ponnusamy, E. (2022). DOZNTM 2.0: A quantitative green chemistry evaluator for a sustainable future. Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, 970 – 971, 122367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jorganchem.2022.122367
Sharma, R.K., Yadav, S., Gupta, R., & Arora, G. (2019). Synthesis of Magnetic Nanoparticles Using Potato Extract for Dye Degradation: A Green Chemistry Experiment. Journal of Chemical Education, 96 (12), 3038–3044. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00384
Sues, P. E., Cai, K., McIntosh, D. F., & Morris, R. H. (2015). Template effect and ligand substitution methods for the synthesis of iron catalysts: A two-part experiment for inorganic chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 92 (2), 378–381. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed500341p
USEPA, 2017. How EPA Evaluates the Safety of Existing Chemicals. https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/how-epa-evaluates-safety-existing-chemicals
Verdía, P., Santamarta, F., & Tojo, E. (2017). Synthesis of (3-Methoxycarbonyl)coumarin in an Ionic Liquid: An Advanced Undergraduate Project for Green Chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 94 (4), 505–509. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00148
Waked, AE, Demmans, KZ, Hems, RF, Reyes, LM, Mallov, I., Daley, E., Hoch, LB, Mastronardi, ML, De La Franier, BJ, Borduas-Dedekind, N., & Dicks, AP (2019). The Green Chemistry Initiative's contributions to education at the University of Toronto and beyond. Green Chemistry Letters and Reviews, 12 (2), 187–195. https://doi.org/10.1080/17518253.2019.1609597
Wang, X., Chrzanowski, M., & Liu, Y. (2020). Ultrasonic-Assisted Transesterification: A Green Miniscale Organic Laboratory Experiment. Journal of Chemical Education, 97 (4), 1123–1127. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00956
Wójcik, S., Ciepiela, F., Baś, B., & Jakubowska, M. (2022). Deep learning assisted distinguishing of honey seasonal changes using quadruple voltammetric electrodes. Talanta, 241, 123213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123213
Wu, N., Kubo, T., Sekoni, K.N., Hall, A.O., Phadke, S., Zurcher, D.M., Wallace, R.L., Kothari, D.B., & McNeil, A.J. (2019). Student-Designed Green Chemistry Experiment for a Large-Enrollment, Introductory Organic Laboratory Course. Journal of Chemical Education, 96 (11), 2420–2425. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00375
Xiao, Y., Liu, Z., Gu, H., Yang, F., Zhang, L., & Yang, L. (2021). Improved method to obtain essential oil, asarinin and sesamin from Asarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum using microwave-assisted steam distillation followed by solvent extraction and antifungal activity of essential oil against Fusarium spp. Industrial Crops and Products, 162, 113295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2021.113295
Xiong, F., Liu, RX, Fan, XX, Zhang, M., She, Y., Cao, WQ, Chen, C., Ding, T.M., & Zhang, SY (2023). Bringing Green Organic Electrochemistry to Undergraduates: A Designed Comparison Organic Experiment of Bromination. Journal of Chemical Education, 100 (12), 4686–4695. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c00869
Zhang, M., Day, E. L., McFall-Boegeman, H., Petritis, S. J., & Cooper, M. M. (2023). Incorporation of green chemistry into undergraduate organic laboratory using cooperative project-based experiments and case studies. Green Chemistry Letters and Reviews, 16(1), 2183781. https://doi.org/10.1080/17518253.2023.2183781
Zhang, Y. (2017). Zhang, Y. (2017). Discussion on the development of green chemistry and chemical engineering. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 94, p. 012136. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/94/1/012136
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors published in this journal agree to the following terms:
- The copyright of each article is retained by the author (s).
- The author grants the journal the first publication rights with the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, allowing others to share the work with an acknowledgment of authorship and the initial publication in this journal.
- Authors may enter into separate additional contractual agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of published journal versions of the work (for example, posting them to institutional repositories or publishing them in a book), with acknowledgment of their initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (For example in the Institutional Repository or on their website) before and during the submission process, as this can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and larger citations of published work.
Jurnal Pendidikan Kimia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License