In recent decades, scientists have attempted to make more environmentally friendly chemical synthesis procedures. One area of environmental concern is the amount of electricity required to complete an experiment. An effective means for minimizing the amount of electricity needed to drive chemical reactions to completion is proposed through the use of solar parabolic reflectors. The proposed solar reflectors are assembled by covering unused satellite dishes with Mylar tape, giving the satellite dish reflective properties when the dish is directed at the sun. The ability to use the solar reflector as the sole heat source for organic synthesis reactions is being considered. Comparative studies will be conducted using electrical supplies to compare the solar reflectors ability to generate heat to drive the chemical reactions to completion. Analysis of the products of the reactions will be analyzed using NMR and GC-MS. Preliminary research has shown that the solar reflector is capable of heating a substance to a temperature over 300 °C, which is more than capable to drive most organic synthesis reactions to completion. The synthesis of isobutyrophenone, which is synthesized through a Friedel–Crafts acylation of benzene, has been attempted using the solar reflector.

Recently proposed solar reflectors developed from satellite dishes have the ability to be incorporated into student laboratory procedures to eliminate electricity use while demonstrating green chemistry techniques at the same time.There have been recent attempts to make chemical synthesis procedures more environmentally friendly. As a result, demand to incorporate more green chemistry techniques into student laboratories has increased. Electricity use is one area of environmental concern because fossil fuels are used for the majority of electrical energy in the United States. An effective means for minimizing the amount of electricity needed to drive chemical reactions to completion is proposed through the use of solar parabolic reflectors. A comparative study is conducted using an electrical and solar heat source on the Diels−Alder cycloaddition reaction of maleic anhydride and anthracene. This reaction is chosen as the test reaction due to its widespread use among many undergraduate chemistry programs. Analysis of the products is performed by NMR spectroscopy.

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Due to the depletion of fossil fuel energy sources, new alternative energy sources are becoming prevalent in our society. Biodiesel has been recognized as an attractive replacement for depleting energy sources since it is produced mainly from vegetable oils and animal fats, is a renewable resource, and is non-toxic. The synthesis of biodiesel involves heating a triglyceride with methanol (or ethanol) under strongly basic conditions. Since fossil fuels are used for electrical energy in the United States, the amount of electricity required to heat this reaction requires the use of non-renewable resources. An effective means for minimizing the amount of electricity needed to drive chemical reactions to completion is proposed through the use of solar parabolic reflectors. In this study, a technique was developed to incorporate recently proposed solar reflectors developed from satellite dishes into the synthetic procedure for biodiesel. Through the use of our technique, the generation of carbon dioxide waste during biodiesel production has been eliminated. Another area of environmental concern in biodiesel production is the generation of waste by-products (glycerol). A technique has been developed that incorporates the use of recovered biodiesel waste glycerol as the solvent system for Wolff-Kishner reduction reactions. The reduction of isobutyryl chloride has been performed successfully using biodiesel waste glycerol as the solvent system and solar irradiation as the heat source for the chemical reaction.

The ACS Green Chemistry Institute Pharmaceutical Roundtable was formed in 2005 to encourage the incorporation of green chemistry techniques into the synthetic pathways of pharmaceuticals. Through this initiative, synthetic pathways of several pharmaceuticals have been altered to adapt more environmentally friendly procedures. The amount of electricity required to complete chemical reactions have become an environmental concern due to depleting fossil fuels. A technique was recently developed in which satellite dishes were repurposed as solar reflectors capable of providing a heat source through solar irradiation. The ability to use the solar reflector as the sole heat source for synthetic reactions has been analyzed for the commercially important pharmaceutical, ibuprofen. Ibuprofen synthesis also incorporates chemicals that are not particularly friendly to the environment. The exchange of these chemicals with more environmentally friendly substitutes has been analyzed. The goal of this study is to incorporate a solar energy heat source to develop an alternative energy, more environmentally friendly pathway to ibuprofen.