Green Chemistry Challenge Winners
EPA announced the winners of the 2024 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards for new and innovative green chemistry technologies. Through the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the generation and use of hazardous substances, this year’s winners have developed solutions to significant environmental challenges such as climate change and spur innovation and economic development. Read the press release.
2024 Green Chemistry Challenge Award Winners:
Academic Category: University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, for developing a process to generate three classes of lubricant base oils commonly used in vehicles and industrial machinery. The new method makes the oil from plants rather than petroleum-based materials. This process also eliminates some hazardous chemicals used in the traditional process.
Small Business Award: Viridis Chemical Company, Columbus, Nebraska, for developing a process for making ethyl acetate, a solvent widely used in industry and consumer products, from corn instead of chemicals derived from coal or methane. The hydrogen gas byproduct from the process can also be used to generate some of the energy required to operate the plant.
Greener Synthetic Pathways: Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, for developing a new “continuous process” for manufacturing an anti-cancer therapy drug. The new process prevents pollution by significantly reducing energy and water use compared to the traditional manufacturing process.
Design of Safer and Degradable Chemicals: Pro Farm Group, a Subsidiary of Bioceres Crop Solutions, Davis, California, for developing RinoTec™ Technology, an enhanced microbial pesticide for crops including corn, soybean, cotton and potatoes that reduces the environmental load of other pesticides.
Specific Environmental Benefit – Climate Change: PhoSul®, Sugar City, Idaho, for making phosphate fertilizer that avoids hazardous chemicals and waste emissions associated with traditional phosphate fertilizer production, such as strong acids, heavy metals, and radioactive materials.
Disclaimer: Mention of trade names, products, or services does not convey official EPA approval, endorsement, or recommendation.
Search Awards
| Award Year | Award | Company/Academic Name | Summary | Technology | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Merck & Co. Inc. | Breaking Barriers in Sustainable Manufacturing of Biologics: The Innovation of a Continuous Manufacturing Automated Process for KEYTRUDA® (read more) | Biotechnology, including use of biological processes or microorganisms; Synthetic Processes | Pharmaceuticals |
| 2024 | Design of Safer and Degradable Chemicals | Pro Farm Group, Inc., a Subsidiary of Bioceres Crop Solutions | RinoTec™: A Microbial Insecticidal and Nematicidal Seed Treatment (read more) | Biotechnology, including use of biological processes or microorganisms; Safer Chemical Products |
Agriculture and Agrochemicals – Pesticides |
| 2024 | Small Business | Viridis Chemical Company | Dehydrogenation of Bio-ethanol to Ethyl Acetate and Green Hydrogen Technology (read more) | Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Chemical Catalysts | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals |
| 2024 | Academic | University of Delaware, Professor Dionisios G. Vlachos |
Renewable Lubricant Base Oils (read more) |
Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Chemical Catalysts | Specialty Chemicals |
| 2024 | Specific Environmental Benefit—Climate Change | PhoSul® | An Organically Enhanced Rock Phosphate Fertilizer (read more) | Synthetic Processes | Agriculture and Agrochemicals, such as fertilizers, plant growth stimulators |
| 2023 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Solugen | Decarbonizing the Physical World (read more) | Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Biotechnology – Use of Isolated Enzymes | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Specialty Chemicals |
| 2023 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Captis Aire LLC | Chemical Adsorption Innovation Reduces Emissions (CAIRE™) Technology (read more) | Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Specialty Chemicals |
| 2023 | Design of Greener Chemicals | The Clorox Company | Clorox EcoClean™ Disinfecting Cleaner (read more) | Safer Chemical Products | Formulated Products |
| 2023 | Small Business | Modern Meadow | Modern Meadow Bio-FREED™ Powered by Bio-Alloy™ (read more) | Biotechnology, including use of biological processes or microorganisms | Pigments, Dyes, and Colorants |
| 2023 | Academic | Professor Richard Laine (University of Michigan) | Upcycling/Valorizing a Plentiful Agricultural Waste (read more) | Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Specialty Chemicals |
| 2023 | Specific Environmental Benefit—Climate Change | Air Company | AIRMADE™ Carbon Technology: Photosynthesis-inspired Conversion of CO2 to Sustainable Aviation Fuels and Alcohols (read more) | Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Chemical Catalysts; Energy Technologies | Fuels, including biofuels |
| 2022 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Amgen | An improved manufacturing process for LUMAKRAS™ (sotorasib), a novel drug for the treatment of certain non-small cell lung cancers (read more) | Synthetic Processes | Pharmaceuticals |
| 2022 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Merck & Company, Inc. | Developing a greener way to make LAGEVRIO™ (molnupiravir), an antiviral treatment for COVID-19 (read more) | Synthetic Processes | Pharmaceuticals |
| 2022 | Academic | Professor Song Lin (Cornell University) | Developing a new, more efficient process using electrochemistry to create large and complicated molecules that are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry (read more) | Synthetic Processes | Pharmaceuticals; Specialty Chemicals |
| 2022 | Small Business | Provivi | Creating Provivi FAW™, a biological pheromone-based product that controls the fall armyworm, a destructive pest of corn (read more) | Safer Chemical Products | Agriculture and Agrochemicals – Pesticides |
| 2022 | Specific Environmental Benefit—Climate Change | University of California Davis | A technology that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by producing chemicals for making plastic from biomass rather than petroleum (read more) | Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Plastics; Specialty Chemicals |
| 2021 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Bristol Myers Squibb Company | Five sustainable reagents (read more) | Synthetic Processes | Pharmaceuticals; Specialty Chemicals |
| 2021 | Academic | Professor Srikanth Pilla, Clemson University | Nonisocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) foam (read more) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Plastics |
| 2021 | Designing Greener Chemicals | Colonial Chemical | Suga®Boost surface cleaner (read more) | Safer Chemical Products | Formulation Ingredients |
| 2021 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Merck & Co. | Gefapixant Citrate (read more) | Synthetic Processes | Pharmaceuticals |
| 2021 | Small Business | XploSafe LLC | PhosRox, a novel sorbent (read more) | Recycling Technologies | Agriculture and Agrochemicals, such as fertilizers, plant growth stimulators; Water treatment |
| 2020 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Genomatica | Biobased Butylene Glycol (read more) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals |
| 2020 | Designing Greener Chemicals | Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway Company | Biobased Formaldehyde-Free Thermoset Binder Formulation (read more) | Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Buildings and Architecture |
| 2020 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Merck & Co. | A Green Solution to the ProTide Synthesis Problem: Design of a Multifunctional Catalyst That Stereoselectively Assembles ProDrugs (read more) | Chemical Catalysts | Pharmaceuticals |
| 2020 | Academic | Professor Steven Skerlos, University of Michigan and Fusion Coolant Systems | Pure-Cut™ (read more) | Solvents – Carbon Dioxide | Metals |
| 2020 | Small Business | Vestaron Corporation | SPEAR® Insecticide: First Member of a New Class of Biopesticides That Show Efficacy Comparable to Synthetic Insecticides (read more) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering; Safer Chemical Products | Agriculture and Agrochemicals – Pesticides |
| 2019 | Small Business | Kalion, Inc. | Microbially Produced High-Purity Glucaric Acid for Diverse Uses (read more) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals |
| 2019 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Merck & Co. | Innovating for a Greener Future: Development of a Green & Sustainable Manufacturing Process for Zerbaxa™ (read more) | Synthetic Processes | Pharmaceuticals |
| 2019 | Academic | Professor Sanjoy Banerjee, City University of New York | Rechargeable Alkaline Zn-MnO2 Batteries for Grid Storage Applications (read more) | Energy Technologies | Energy Production, Transmission, and Storage |
| 2019 | Greener Reaction Conditions | WSI | TRUpath™ (read more) | Safer Chemical Products | Soaps and Detergents |
| 2017 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Amgen Inc. / Bachem | Green Process for Commercial Manufacture of Etelcalcetide Enabled by Improved Technology for Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis (read more) | Synthetic Processes | Pharmaceuticals |
| 2017 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Merck & Co., Inc. | Letermovir: A Case Study in State-of-the-Art Approaches to Sustainable Commercial Manufacturing Processes in the Pharmaceutical Industry (read more) | Synthetic Processes | Pharmaceuticals |
| 2017 | Academic | Professor Eric J. Schelter, University of Pennsylvania | Simple and Efficient Recycling of Rare Earth Elements from Consumer Materials Using Tailored Metal Complexes (read more) | Recycling Technologies | Metals |
| 2017 | Designing Greener Chemicals | The Dow Chemical Company / Papierfabrik August Koehler SE | Breakthrough Sustainable Imaging Technology for Thermal Paper (read more) | Safer Chemical Products | Printing and Imaging; Pulp and Paper |
| 2017 | Small Business | UniEnergy Technologies LLC | The UniSystem™: An Advanced Vanadium Redox Flow Battery for Grid-Scale Energy Storage (read more) | Energy Technologies | Energy Production, Transmission, and Storage |
| 2016 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | CB&I; Albemarle | AlkyClean® Technology: An Inherently Safer Technology for the Production of Gasoline Alkylate (read more) | Chemical Catalysts | Fuels, including biofuels |
| 2016 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Dow AgroSciences LLC | Instinct® Technology - Making Nitrogen Fertilizers Work More Effectively for Farmers and the Planet (read more) | Safer Chemical Products | Agriculture and Agrochemicals, such as fertilizers, plant growth stimulators |
| 2016 | Designing Greener Chemicals and Specific Environmental Benefit: Climate Change | Newlight Technologies | AirCarbon: Greenhouse Gas Transformed into High-Performance Thermoplastic (read more) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering; Polymers – Chemical Polymers | Plastics |
| 2016 | Academic | Professor Paul J. Chirik, Princeton University | Catalysis with Earth Abundant Transition Metals (read more) | Synthetic Processes; Chemical Catalysts | Broad Applicability, No Specific Sector |
| 2016 | Small Business | Verdezyne | Renewable Nylon Through Commercialization of BIOLON™ DDDA (read more) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering | Plastics |
| 2015 | Specific Environmental Benefit: Climate Change | Algenol | The Algenol Biofuel Process: Sustainable Production of Ethanol and Green Crude (read more and picture) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering | Fuels, including biofuels |
| 2015 | Designing Greener Chemicals | Hybrid Coating Technologies/Nanotech Industries | Hybrid Non-Isocyanate Polyurethane/Green Polyurethane™ (read more and picture) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers; Synthetic Processes | Paints and Coatings |
| 2015 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | LanzaTech Inc. | LanzaTech Gas Fermentation Process (read more and picture) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering | Fuels, including biofuels |
| 2015 | Academic | Professor Eugene Y.-X. Chen, Colorado State University | Greener Condensation Reactions for Renewable Chemicals, Liquid Fuels, and Biodegradable Polymers (read more and picture) | Synthetic Processes; Chemical Catalysts | Broad Applicability, No Specific Sector |
| 2015 | Small Business | Renmatix | The Plantrose® Process: Supercritical Water as the Economic Enabler of Biobased Industry (read more and picture) | Synthetic Processes | Fuels, including biofuels; Broad Applicability, No Specific Sector |
| 2015 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Soltex (Synthetic Oils and Lubricants of Texas, Inc.) | A Novel High Efficiency Process for the Manufacture of Highly Reactive Polyisobutylene Using a Fixed Bed Solid State Catalyst Reactor System (read more and picture) | Synthetic Processes | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals |
| 2014 | Small Business | Amyris | Farnesane: a Breakthrough Renewable Hydrocarbon for Use as Diesel and Jet Fuel (read more and podcast) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Fuels, including biofuels |
| 2014 | Academic | Professor Shannon S. Stahl, University of Wisconsin-Madison | Aerobic Oxidation Methods for Pharmaceutical Synthesis (read more and podcast) | Synthetic Processes; Chemical Catalysts | Pharmaceuticals; Broad Applicability, No Specific Sector |
| 2014 | Greener Reaction Conditions | QD Vision, Inc. (technology acquired by Samsung) | Greener Quantum Dot Synthesis for Energy Efficient Display and Lighting Products (read more and podcast) | Safer Chemical Feedstocks; Solvents – Alternative Solvents; Synthetic Processes | Electronics and Semiconductors |
| 2014 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Solazyme, Inc. (now Corbion) | Tailored Oils Produced from Microalgal Fermentation (read more and podcast) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Formulation Ingredients |
| 2014 | Designing Greener Chemicals | The Solberg Company (Acquired by Perimeter Solutions) | RE-HEALING™ Foam Concentrates–Effective Halogen-Free Firefighting (read more) | Safer Chemical Products | Fire Safety |
| 2013 | Designing Greener Chemicals | Cargill, Inc. | Vegetable Oil Dielectric Insulating Fluid for High-Voltage Transformers (read more) | Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Safer Chemical Products | Energy Production, Transmission, and Storage; Fire Safety |
| 2013 | Small Business | Faraday Technology, Inc. | Functional Chrome Coatings Electrodeposited from a Trivalent Chromium Plating Electrolyte (read more) | Safer Chemical Products | Automotive and Transportation; Metals |
| 2013 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Life Technologies Corporation (technology acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific) | Safe, Sustainable Chemistries for the Manufacturing of PCR Reagents (read more) | Synthetic Processes | Specialty Chemicals |
| 2013 | Academic | Professor Richard P. Wool, University of Delaware | Sustainable Polymers and Composites: Optimal Design (read more) | Polymers – Biopolymers, excluding the use of isolated enzymes; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Broad Applicability, No Specific Sector |
| 2013 | Greener Reaction Conditions | The Dow Chemical Company | EVOQUE™ Pre-Composite Polymer Technology (read more) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers | Buildings and Architecture; Paints and Coatings |
| 2012 | Designing Greener Chemicals | Buckman International, Inc. | Enzymes Reduce the Energy and Wood Fiber Required to Manufacture High-Quality Paper and Paperboard (read more and podcast) | Biotechnology – Use of Isolated Enzymes; Safer Chemical Products | Pulp and Paper |
| 2012 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Codexis, Inc. Professor Yi Tang, University of California, Los Angeles |
An Efficient Biocatalytic Process to Manufacture Simvastatin (read more and podcast) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering; Biotechnology – Use of Isolated Enzymes | Pharmaceuticals |
| 2012 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Cytec Industries Inc. (acquired by Solvay) | MAX HT® Bayer Sodalite Scale Inhibitor (read more and podcast) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals |
| 2012 | Small Business | Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc. | Using Metathesis Catalysis to Produce High-Performing, Green Specialty Chemicals at Advantageous Costs (read more and podcast) | Polymers – Biopolymers, excluding the use of isolated enzymes; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Chemical Catalysts | Formulation Ingredients; Soaps and Detergents |
| 2012 | Academic | Professor Geoffrey W. Coates, Cornell University | Synthesizing Biodegradable Polymers from Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide (read more and podcast) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Chemical Catalysts | Plastics |
| 2012 | Academic | Professor Robert M. Waymouth, Stanford University Dr. James L. Hedrick, IBM Almaden Research Center |
Organic Catalysis: A Broadly Useful Strategy for Green Polymer Chemistry (read more and podcast) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Chemical Catalysts | Plastics |
| 2011 | Small Business | BioAmber, Inc. | Integrated Production and Downstream Applications of Biobased Succinic Acid (read more and podcast) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Food; Formulation Ingredients |
| 2011 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Genomatica | Production of Basic Chemicals from Renewable Feedstocks at Lower Cost (read more and podcast) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Automotive and Transportation; Bulk and Commodity Chemicals |
| 2011 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. | NEXAR™ Polymer Membrane Technology (read more and podcast) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers | Plastics; Water treatment |
| 2011 | Academic | Professor Bruce H. Lipshutz, University of California, Santa Barbara | Towards Ending Our Dependence on Organic Solvents (read more and podcast) | Solvents – Water, excluding fermentations, which are listed elsewhere; Solvents – Alternative Solvents; Synthetic Processes | Soaps and Detergents; Broad Applicability, No Specific Sector |
| 2011 | Designing Greener Chemicals | The Sherwin-Williams Company | Water-based Acrylic Alkyd Technology (read more and podcast) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers; Polymers – Biopolymers, excluding the use of isolated enzymes; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Safer Chemical Products | Buildings and Architecture; Paints and Coatings |
| 2010 | Designing Greener Chemicals | Clarke | Natular™ Larvicide: Adapting Spinosad for Next-Generation Mosquito Control (read more and podcast) | Safer Chemical Products | Agriculture and Agrochemicals – Pesticides; Formulated Products |
| 2010 | Small Business | LS9, Inc. (Acquired by Chevron Corporation) | Microbial Production of Renewable Petroleum™ Fuels and Chemicals (read more and podcast) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Automotive and Transportation; Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Fuels, including biofuels |
| 2010 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Merck & Co., Inc. Codexis, Inc. |
Greener Manufacturing of Sitagliptin Enabled by an Evolved Transaminase (read more and podcast) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering; Biotechnology – Use of Isolated Enzymes | Pharmaceuticals |
| 2010 | Academic | Professor James C. Liao, University of California, Los Angeles Easel Biotechnologies, LLC |
Recycling Carbon Dioxide to Biosynthesize Higher Alcohols (read more and podcast) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Automotive and Transportation; Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Fuels, including biofuels |
| 2010 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | The Dow Chemical Company BASF Corporation |
Innovative, Environmentally Benign Production of Propylene Oxide via Hydrogen Peroxide (read more and podcast) | Synthetic Processes; Chemical Catalysts | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals |
| 2009 | Greener Reaction Conditions | CEM Corporation | Innovative Analyzer Tags Proteins for Fast, Accurate Results without Hazardous Chemicals or High Temperatures (read more and podcast) | Analysis | Food |
| 2009 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Eastman Chemical Company | A Solvent-Free Biocatalytic Process for Cosmetic and Personal Care Ingredients (read more and podcast) | Biotechnology – Use of Isolated Enzymes; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Solvents – Solvent-Free Processes; Synthetic Processes | Formulation Ingredients |
| 2009 | Academic | Professor Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, Carnegie Mellon University | Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization: Low-impact Polymerization Using a Copper Catalyst and Environmentally Friendly Reducing Agents (read more and podcast) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers; Synthetic Processes; Chemical Catalysts | Broad Applicability, No Specific Sector |
| 2009 | Designing Greener Chemicals | The Procter & Gamble Company Cook Composites & Polymers Company (Chempol® technology acquired by Arkema Coating Resins) |
Chempol® MPS Resins and Sefose® Sucrose Esters Enable High-Performance Low-VOC Alkyd Paints and Coatings (read more and podcast) | Solvents – Solvent-Free Processes; Polymers – Chemical Polymers; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Safer Chemical Products; | Formulated Products; Buildings and Architecture; Paints and Coatings |
| 2009 | Small Business | Virent Energy Systems, Inc. | BioForming® Process: Catalytic Conversion of Plant Sugars into Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels (read more and podcast) | Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Solvents – Water, excluding fermentations, which are listed elsewhere; Synthetic Processes; Chemical Catalysts | Automotive and Transportation; Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Fuels, including biofuels |
| 2008 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Battelle | Development and Commercialization of Biobased Toners (read more) | Polymers – Biopolymers, excluding the use of isolated enzymes; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Printing and Imaging; Pulp and Paper |
| 2008 | Designing Greener Chemicals | Dow AgroSciences LLC (now CortevaTM Agriscience) | Spinetoram: Enhancing a Natural Product for Insect Control (read more) | Biotechnology, including use of biological processes or microorganisms; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Safer Chemical Products; Synthetic Processes; Chemical Catalysts | Agriculture and Agrochemicals – Pesticides |
| 2008 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Nalco Company | 3D TRASAR® Technology (read more) | Analysis | Water treatment |
| 2008 | Academic | Professors Robert E. Maleczka, Jr. and Milton R. Smith, III, Michigan State University | Green Chemistry for Preparing Boronic Esters (read more) | Solvents – Solvent-Free Processes; Synthetic Processes; Chemical Catalysts | Broad Applicability, No Specific Sector |
| 2008 | Small Business | SiGNa Chemistry, Inc. | New Stabilized Alkali Metals for Safer, Sustainable Syntheses (read more) | Safer Chemical Products | Fuels, including biofuels; Broad Applicability, No Specific Sector |
| 2007 | Designing Greener Chemicals | Cargill, Incorporated | BiOH™ Polyols (read more) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers; Polymers – Biopolymers, excluding the use of isolated enzymes; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Automotive and Transportation; Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Plastics |
| 2007 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Headwaters Technology Innovation (Acquired by Eco Material Technologies) | Direct Synthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide by Selective Nanocatalyst Technology (read more) | Solvents – Solvent-Free Processes; Synthetic Processes; Chemical Catalysts | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals |
| 2007 | Small Business | NovaSterilis Inc. | Environmentally Benign Medical Sterilization Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (read more) | Safer Chemical Products; Solvents – Carbon Dioxide | Medical Devices |
| 2007 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Professor Kaichang Li, Oregon State University; Columbia Forest Products Hercules Incorporated (now Ashland Inc.) |
Development and Commercial Application of Environmentally Friendly Adhesives for Wood Composites (read more) | Polymers – Biopolymers, excluding the use of isolated enzymes; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Safer Chemical Products | Buildings and Architecture |
| 2007 | Academic | Professor Michael J. Krische, University of Texas at Austin | Hydrogen-Mediated Carbon–Carbon Bond Formation (read more) | Synthetic Processes; Chemical Catalysts | Broad Applicability, No Specific Sector |
| 2006 | Small Business | Arkon Consultants NuPro Technologies, Inc. (now Eastman Kodak) |
Environmentally Safe Solvents and Reclamation in the Flexographic Printing Industry (read more) | Safer Chemical Products; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Solvents – Alternative Solvents | Paints and Coatings; Printing and Imaging |
| 2006 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Codexis, Inc. | Directed Evolution of Three Biocatalysts to Produce the Key Chiral Building Block for Atorvastatin, the Active Ingredient in Lipitor® (read more) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering; Biotechnology – Use of Isolated Enzymes; Solvents – Water, excluding fermentations, which are listed elsewhere; Synthetic Processes | Pharmaceuticals |
| 2006 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Merck & Co., Inc. | Novel Green Synthesis for β-Amino Acids Produces the Active Ingredient in Januvia™ (read more) | Synthetic Processes; Chemical Catalysts | Pharmaceuticals |
| 2006 | Academic | Professor Galen J. Suppes, University of Missouri-Columbia | Biobased Propylene Glycol and Monomers from Natural Glycerin (read more) | Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Synthetic Processes; Chemical Catalysts | Automotive and Transportation; Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Fuels, including biofuels |
| 2006 | Designing Greener Chemicals | S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. | Greenlist™ Process to Reformulate Consumer Products (read more) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers; Safer Chemical Products | Formulated Products; Plastics |
| 2005 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Archer Daniels Midland Company Novozymes |
NovaLipid™: Low Trans Fats and Oils Produced by Enzymatic Interesterification of Vegetable Oils Using Lipozyme® (read more) | Biotechnology – Use of Isolated Enzymes | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Food |
| 2005 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Merck & Co., Inc. | A Redesigned, Efficient Synthesis of Aprepitant, the Active Ingredient in Emend®: A New Therapy for Chemotherapy-Induced Emesis (read more) | Synthetic Processes | Pharmaceuticals |
| 2005 | Greener Reaction Conditions | BASF Corporation | A UV-Curable, One-Component, Low-VOC Refinish Primer: Driving Eco-Efficiency Improvements (read more) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers | Automotive and Transportation; Paints and Coatings |
| 2005 | Small Business | Metabolix, Inc. (now Yield10 Bioscience) | Producing Nature's Plastics Using Biotechnology (read more) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering; Polymers – Biopolymers, excluding the use of isolated enzymes; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Plastics |
| 2005 | Academic | Professor Robin D. Rogers, The University of Alabama | A Platform Strategy Using Ionic Liquids to Dissolve and Process Cellulose for Advanced New Materials (read more) | Polymers – Biopolymers, excluding the use of isolated enzymes; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Solvents – Alternative Solvents | Plastics; Pulp and Paper; Textiles and Fibers |
| 2005 | Designing Greener Chemicals | Archer Daniels Midland Company | Archer RCTM: A Nonvolatile, Reactive Coalescent for the Reduction of VOCs in Latex Paints (read more) | Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum- based or depleting resource; Safer Chemical Products | Formulation Ingredients; Buildings and Architecture; Paints and Coatings |
| 2004 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Bristol-Myers Squibb Company | Development of a Green Synthesis for Taxol® Manufacture via Plant Cell Fermentation and Extraction (read more) | Biotechnology, including use of biological processes or microorganisms; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Synthetic Processes | Pharmaceuticals |
| 2004 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Buckman Laboratories International, Inc. | Optimyze®: A New Enzyme Technology to Improve Paper Recycling (read more) | Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Biotechnology – Use of Isolated Enzymes | Pulp and Paper |
| 2004 | Designing Greener Chemicals | Engelhard Corporation (now BASF Corporation) | Engelhard Rightfit™ Organic Pigments: Environmental Impact, Performance, and Value (read more) | Safer Chemical Products; Solvents – Water, excluding fermentations, which are listed elsewhere | Paints and Coatings; Pigments, Dyes, and Colorants; Plastics |
| 2004 | Small Business | Jeneil Biosurfactant Company | Rhamnolipid Biosurfactant: A Natural, Low-Toxicity Alternative to Synthetic Surfactants (read more) | Biotechnology, including use of biological processes or microorganisms; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Safer Chemical Products | Agriculture and Agrochemicals, such as fertilizers, plant growth stimulators; Agriculture and Agrochemicals – Pesticides; Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Formulation Ingredients; Soaps and Detergents |
| 2004 | Academic | Professor Charles A. Eckert and Professor Charles L. Liotta, Georgia Institute of Technology | Benign Tunable Solvents Coupling Reaction and Separation Processes (read more) | Solvents – Carbon Dioxide; Solvents – Water, excluding fermentations, which are listed elsewhere; Synthetic Processes; Chemical Catalysts | Broad Applicability, No Specific Sector |
| 2003 | Small Business | AgraQuest, Inc. (now Bayer CropScience) | Serenade®: An Effective, Environmentally Friendly Biofungicide (read more) | Biotechnology, including use of biological processes or microorganisms; Safer Chemical Products | Agriculture and Agrochemicals – Pesticides |
| 2003 | Greener Reaction Conditions | DuPont | Microbial Production of 1,3-Propanediol (read more) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering; Polymers – Biopolymers, excluding the use of isolated enzymes; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Automotive and Transportation; Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Plastics; Textiles and Fibers |
| 2003 | Academic | Professor Richard A. Gross, Rensselaer Polytechnic University | New Options for Mild and Selective Polymerizations Using Lipases (read more) | Biotechnology – Use of Isolated Enzymes; Polymers – Biopolymers, excluding the use of isolated enzymes | Paints and Coatings; Plastics |
| 2003 | Designing Greener Chemicals | Shaw Industries, Inc. | EcoWorx™ Carpet Tile: A Cradle-to-Cradle Product (read more) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers; Safer Chemical Products | Buildings and Architecture; Plastics |
| 2003 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Süd-Chemie Inc. (now a Clariant Group Company) | A Wastewater-Free Process for Synthesis of Solid Oxide Catalysts (read more) | Synthetic Processes; Chemical Catalysts | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Fuels, including biofuels |
| 2002 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Cargill Dow LLC (now NatureWorks LLC) | NatureWorks™ PLA Process (read more) | Biotechnology, including use of biological processes or microorganisms; Polymers – Biopolymers, excluding the use of isolated enzymes; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Solvents – Solvent-Free Processes | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Plastics; Textiles and Fibers |
| 2002 | Designing Greener Chemicals | Chemical Specialities, Inc. (now Viance) | ACQ Preserve®: The Environmentally Advanced Wood Preservative (read more) | Safer Chemical Products | Agriculture and Agrochemicals – Pesticides; Buildings and Architecture |
| 2002 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Pfizer, Inc. | Green Chemistry in the Redesign of the Sertraline Process (read more) | Synthetic Processes | Pharmaceuticals |
| 2002 | Academic | Professor Eric J. Beckman, University of Pittsburgh | Design of Non-Fluorous, Highly CO2-Soluble Materials (read more) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers; Safer Chemical Products; Solvents – Carbon Dioxide | Soaps and Detergents |
| 2002 | Small Business | SC Fluids, Inc. | SCORR – Supercritical CO2 Resist Remover (read more) | Solvents – Carbon Dioxide | Electronics and Semiconductors |
| 2001 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Bayer Corporation; Bayer AG (technology acquired by LANXESS) | Baypure™ CX (Sodium Iminodisuccinate): An Environmentally Friendly and Readily Biodegradable Chelating Agent (read more) | Safer Chemical Products | Agriculture and Agrochemicals, such as fertilizers, plant growth stimulators; Formulation Ingredients; Soaps and Detergents; Water treatment |
| 2001 | Small Business | EDEN Bioscience Corporation (technology acquired by Plant Health Care, Inc.) | Messenger®: A Green Chemistry Revolution in Plant Production and Food Safety (read more) | Biotechnology, including use of biological processes or microorganisms | Agriculture and Agrochemicals, such as fertilizers, plant growth stimulators; Agriculture and Agrochemicals – Pesticides |
| 2001 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Novozymes North America, Inc. | BioPreparation™ of Cotton Textiles: A Cost-Effective, Environmentally Compatible Preparation Process (read more) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering; Biotechnology – Use of Isolated Enzymes | Textiles and Fibers |
| 2001 | Designing Greener Chemicals | PPG Industries | Yttrium as a Lead Substitute in Cationic Electrodeposition Coatings (read more) | Safer Chemical Products | Automotive and Transportation; Paints and Coatings |
| 2001 | Academic | Professor Chao-Jun Li, Tulane University | Quasi-Nature Catalysis: Developing Transition Metal Catalysis in Air and Water (read more) | Solvents – Water, excluding fermentations, which are listed elsewhere; Chemical Catalysts | Broad Applicability, No Specific Sector |
| 2000 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Bayer Corporation (now Covestro) Bayer AG |
Two-Component Waterborne Polyurethane Coatings (read more) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers; Solvents – Water, excluding fermentations, which are listed elsewhere | Automotive and Transportation; Buildings and Architecture; Paints and Coatings; Pulp and Paper |
| 2000 | Designing Greener Chemicals | Dow AgroSciences LLC | Sentricon™ Termite Colony Elimination System, A New Paradigm for Termite Control (read more) | Safer Chemical Products | Agriculture and Agrochemicals – Pesticides |
| 2000 | Academic | Professor Chi-Huey Wong, The Scripps Research Institute | Enzymes in Large-Scale Organic Synthesis (read more) | Biotechnology – Use of Isolated Enzymes | Broad Applicability, No Specific Sector |
| 2000 | Small Business | RevTech, Inc. | Envirogluv™: A Technology for Decorating Glass and Ceramicware with Radiation-Curable, Environmentally Compliant Inks (read more) | Solvents – Solvent-Free Processes | Paints and Coatings; Pigments, Dyes, and Colorants; Printing and Imaging |
| 2000 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Roche Colorado Corporation (now CordenPharma Colorado) | An Efficient Process for the Production of Cytovene, a Potent Antiviral Agent (read more) | Synthetic Processes | Pharmaceuticals |
| 1999 | Small Business | Biofine, Inc. (now DPS BioMetics, Inc.) | Conversion of Low-Cost Biomass Wastes to Levulinic Acid and Derivatives (read more) | Polymers – Biopolymers, excluding the use of isolated enzymes; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Pulp and Paper |
| 1999 | Designing Greener Chemicals | Dow AgroSciences LLC | Spinosad: A New Natural Product for Insect Control (read more) | Biotechnology, including use of biological processes or microorganisms; Safer Chemical Products | Agriculture and Agrochemicals – Pesticides |
| 1999 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Lilly Research Laboratories | Practical Application of a Biocatalyst in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (read more) | Biotechnology, including use of biological processes or microorganisms; Synthetic Processes | Pharmaceuticals |
| 1999 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Nalco Company | The Development and Commercialization of ULTIMER®: The First of a New Family of Water-Soluble Polymer Dispersions (read more) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers; Solvents – Water, excluding fermentations, which are listed elsewhere | Water treatment |
| 1999 | Academic | Professor Terry Collins, Carnegie Mellon University | TAML™ Oxidant Activators: General Activation of Hydrogen Peroxide for Green Oxidation Technologies (read more) | Solvents – Water, excluding fermentations, which are listed elsewhere; Chemical Catalysts | Pulp and Paper; Textiles and Fibers |
| 1998 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Argonne National Laboratory | Novel Membrane-Based Process for Producing Lactate Esters – Nontoxic Replacements for Halogenated and Toxic Solvents (read more) | Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Solvents – Alternative Solvents; Synthetic Processes | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Electronics and Semiconductors; Formulation Ingredients; Paints and Coatings; Printing and Imaging; Soaps and Detergents; Textiles and Fibers |
| 1998 | Academic | Dr. Karen M. Draths and Professor John W. Frost, Michigan State University | Use of Microbes as Environmentally Benign Synthetic Catalysts (read more) | Biotechnology – Genetic Engineering; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource; Synthetic Processes | Agriculture and Agrochemicals – Pesticides; Plastics; Bulk and Commodity Chemicals |
| 1998 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Flexsys America L.P. (now Eastman Chemical Company) | Elimination of Chlorine in the Synthesis of 4-Aminodiphenylamine: A New Process That Utilizes Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution for Hydrogen (read more) | Synthetic Processes | Bulk and Commodity Chemicals |
| 1998 | Academic | Professor Barry M. Trost, Stanford University | The Development of the Concept of Atom Economy (read more) | Synthetic Processes; Chemical Catalysts | Broad Applicability, No Specific Sector |
| 1998 | Small Business | PYROCOOL Technologies, Inc. | Technology for the Third Millennium: The Development and Commercial Introduction of an Environmentally Responsible Fire Extinguishment and Cooling Agent (read more) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers; Safer Chemical Products | Safety |
| 1998 | Designing Greener Chemicals | Rohm and Haas Company (now a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company) | Invention and Commercialization of a New Chemical Family of Insecticides Exemplified by CONFIRM™ Selective Caterpillar Control Agent and the Related Selective Insect Control Agents MACH 2™ and INTREPID™ (read more) | Safer Chemical Products | Agriculture and Agrochemicals – Pesticides |
| 1997 | Designing Greener Chemicals | Albright & Wilson Americas (now Rhodia, a member of the Solvay Group) | THPS Biocides: A New Class of Antimicrobial Chemistry (read more) | Safer Chemical Products | Agriculture and Agrochemicals – Pesticides; Water treatment |
| 1997 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | BHC Company (now BASF Corporation) | BHC Company Ibuprofen Process (read more) | Synthetic Processes; Chemical Catalysts | Pharmaceuticals |
| 1997 | Greener Reaction Conditions | Imation (technology acquired by Eastman Kodak Company) | DryView™ Imaging Systems (read more) | Solvents – Solvent-Free Processes | Medical Devices; Printing and Imaging |
| 1997 | Small Business | Legacy Systems, Inc. (now Modutek Corporation) | Coldstrip™, A Revolutionary Organic Removal and Wet Cleaning Technology (read more) | Solvents – Water, excluding fermentations, which are listed elsewhere | Electronics and Semiconductors |
| 1997 | Academic | Professor Joseph M. DeSimone, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and North Carolina State University (NCSU) | Design and Application of Surfactants for Carbon Dioxide (read more) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers; Solvents – Carbon Dioxide | Soaps and Detergents; Textiles and Fibers |
| 1996 | Small Business | Donlar Corporation (NanoChem Solutions, Inc., part of Flexible Solutions) | Production and Use of Thermal Polyaspartic Acid (read more) | Polymers – Biopolymers, excluding the use of isolated enzymes; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Agriculture and Agrochemicals, such as fertilizers, plant growth stimulators; Water treatment |
| 1996 | Greener Synthetic Pathways | Monsanto Company | Catalytic Dehydrogenation of Diethanolamine (read more) | Synthetic Processes; Chemical Catalysts | Agriculture and Agrochemicals – Pesticides |
| 1996 | Academic | Professor Mark Holtzapple, Texas A&M University | Conversion of Waste Biomass to Animal Feed, Chemicals, and Fuels (read more) | Biotechnology, including use of biological processes or microorganisms; Renewable Resources, technologies that use a renewable resource in place of a petroleum-based or depleting resource | Agriculture and Agrochemicals, such as fertilizers, plant growth stimulators; Bulk and Commodity Chemicals; Fuels, including biofuels |
| 1996 | Designing Greener Chemicals | Rohm and Haas Company (now a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company) | Designing an Environmentally Safe Marine Antifoulant (read more) | Safer Chemical Products | Agriculture and Agrochemicals – Pesticides; Paints and Coatings |
| 1996 | Greener Reaction Conditions | The Dow Chemical Company | 100 Percent Carbon Dioxide as a Blowing Agent for the Polystyrene Foam Sheet Packaging Market (read more) | Polymers – Chemical Polymers; Solvents – Carbon Dioxide | Plastics |