Green Chemistry Coverage in Organic Chemistry Textbooks

This paper examines the current state of the implementation of green chemistry into organic chemistry textbooks. Content analysis of the 15 most used organic chemistry textbooks revealed that only 10 of them had any mention of green chemistry. In textbooks that contained mentions of green chemistry, it was mentioned on less than 1% of pages. Green chemistry topics mentioned include the 12 green chemistry principles, atom economy, greener solvents and reagents, recycling, biodegradable materials, renewable feedstocks, and catalysis. Only three textbooks contained several end-of-chapter problems with green chemistry content, and all but two included the majority of green chemistry content in extraneous textboxes. The current presentation of green chemistry concepts and lack of assessment items is more suitable for a lecture-based approach as opposed to creating a student-centered learning environment.