Introducing ecodesign in silica sol–gel materials†
Abstract
Over the last decade, ecodesign has been introduced as a concept and a methodological framework to identify and improve sustainability in product development. In this context, the 12 principles of green chemistry provide suitable guidelines for the elaboration of molecules and materials in conditions that meet some ecodesign-related criteria. Sol–gel chemistry is an interesting domain to be examined in this perspective because it was early identified as an eco-friendly process compared to traditional routes to ceramics and glasses. Thus it is not surprising that many recent developments in sol–gel technology have, explicitly or not, addressed sustainability issues. In this review, we present an overview of these advances, focusing on the chemistry of
- This article is part of the themed collection: Green materials