MSU prof bags two patents for green chemistry

VADODARA: A teacher of M S University's Faculty of Science has bagged two Indian patents for use of solid catalyst in manufacturing of benzaldehyde and cycloaliphatic epoxide, both having industrial applications.

Professor

Anjali Patel

's invention has made manufacturing of benzaldehyde and epoxide environment friendly. The researcher has made

MSU

nominee in these patents which will help the university earn royalty if the process is commercialized in future.

Pragati

Shringarpure

, a student, carried out this work during her PhD under Patel's guidance. Benzaldehyde has widespread applications in perfumery, dyestuff and agro chemical industries. After vanillin, it is the second most important aromatic molecule used in cosmetics and flavour industries. Usually, it is manufactured by oxidation of styrene, benzyl alcohol and toluene as well as hydrolysis of benzyl chloride into benzaldehyde.

"Traditionally oxidation of toluene is carried out in organic solvents which are environmentally unfriendly and benzaldehyde thus produced often contains chlorine impurities. Also, toxic waste is generated in the process," Patel, a teacher at

Department of Chemistry

, told TOI.

"In the process that we have invented, we have not used any organic solvent. There is no waste product as we get 100 % benzaldehyde and most importantly we have used molecular oxygen as an oxidant which is totally environment friendly. Since, it is a green process, there is no toxic waste and there are no impurities," she said, adding that the product thus obtained is also cheaper.It is used in the synthesis of pesticides, pharmaceuticals, perfumery and dyestuffs.

"Many traditional process results in formation of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that has to be decomposed. We have overcome these disadvantages by using solid catalysts," she said, adding that the process has been made environment friendly by using oxidants.