PEER REVIEW ORIGINAL RESEARCH: EHS & LCA assessment for 7-ACA synthesis A case study for comparing biocatalytic & chemical synthesis

Abstract A Green Technology Comparison framework incorporating a life cycle approach and sustainability metrics has been used to compare the performance, and the environment, health, safety, and life cycle impacts of two synthetic methods used to produce 7-aminocephalosporic acid (7-ACA). The routes under study were a chemical synthetic process and a two-enzyme catalyzed process, both starting from the potassium salt of cephalosporin C. Cradle-to-gate life cycle impact estimations were performed using the Fast Life Cycle Assessment of Synthetic Chemistry (FLASC™) tool and following modular gate-to-gate methodology. The results compare the synthetic efficiency, environment, health, safety, and life cycle metrics for a mature chemical process and a more recent but less developed enzymatic process for making 7-ACA. The chemical process has a higher yield, but a significantly lower reaction mass efficiency and half the mass productivity of the enzymatic process. The chemical process uses more hazardous materi...