Green chemistry innovation: a systematic review on sustainable catalysis and its strategic future directions

Abstract

The development of regioselective and stereoselective catalytic methodologies marks a significant milestone in green chemistry. With the increasing need for sustainable practices in the chemical industry, these approaches are transforming the synthesis of complex chemical intermediates, including pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and functional materials. Catalytic methods make these reactions more selective to given substrates, which increases atom economy while lessening the environmental impact. The objective of this review is to analyze and discuss recent developments in catalysis with an emphasis on sustainable methodologies which include: transition metal catalysis, organocatalysis, photocatalysis, and electrocatalysis. The catalytic approaches not only offer cleaner and more efficient energy pathways for molecular transformations, but also support the use of hydrogen and bio-based feedstocks along with green solvents, adhering to eco-design principles. In academic and industrial settings, precision chemistry is achieved through regio- and stereoselective catalysis. The resulting discrete building blocks reduce the number of steps, resources, and waste necessary to produce the desired molecular structures. The inclusion of circular economy models and life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies has made these processes more appealing from a regulatory and industrial standpoint, driving a shift towards sustainable process innovations. Even so, the difficulties of catalyst deactivation, a narrow scope for reusability, limited substrate scope, and economic scalability barriers continue to impede industrial adoption across the field. To resolve these issues, the review suggests future strategies such as the creation of catalysts from earth-abundant metals, the formation of hybrid catalytic systems, AI and machine learning integration for catalyst development, and real-time dynamic optimization of processes through digital chemistry tools. The review also aims to motivate the design of catalytic systems that shift from environmentally irresponsible to sustainable, economically viable, and revolutionize the industry while bridging the gap between innovation and application by outlining achievements alongside existing problems, thus closing the gap between innovation and application.