A New Sustainable Route for an API Intermediate: Route Scouting and Greenness Improvement

The active pharmaceutical ingredient being studied is an anti-cancer agent. Initially, the work involved analysing standard industrial synthesis protocols and highlighting critical issues regarding safety and environmental impact, such as the use of toxic or chlorinated solvents. Reaction conditions were then optimised with a focus on replacing these solvents and reagents with 'green' alternatives, in line with the CHEM21 international guidelines for solvent selection. The environmental effectiveness of these optimisations was quantified using green chemistry metrics. The results demonstrate that integrating green chemistry principles and developing eco-friendly synthesis methods reduces toxic waste generation and simplifies product isolation and purification steps. This results in an efficient, safe and scalable process.