Sustainable chromatography (an oxymoron?)

Abstract

Chromatography is routinely used in drug discovery as a means to isolate intermediates and final compounds. From a sustainability perspective, it is one of the largest contributors of solvent waste in the drug discovery process. The medicinal chemistry subgroup within the American Chemical Society's Green Chemistry Institute Pharmaceutical Roundtable (ACS GCI PR) offers a perspective aimed at providing chemists with practical tools and easily implemented techniques to improve the sustainability of drug discovery through reduction of the waste generated during chromatography. This perspective also offers alternatives to traditional, silica gel-based chromatography as well as information on how to avoid chromatography completely through use of crystallization and reaction telescoping.