Replacing petroleum feedstock and harsh reagents with renewable biomass and enzymes cuts both waste and fossil dependence.
feedstock --enzyme--> platform chemical
atom economy = MW(product)/sum(MW(reactants))
- Bio-feedstock — renewable plant-derived starting material (sugars, oils, lignin fragments).
- Enzyme sites — biocatalyst sites replacing harsh chemical reagents.
- Selectivity — how cleanly the enzyme steers feedstock to the desired product versus side products.
- Conversion rate — how fast an engaged feedstock molecule completes conversion.
Green chemistry's 12 principles favour exactly this kind of catalytic, low-waste, bio-based route over traditional stoichiometric petrochemical synthesis.