A Chemical Definition of Efficiency

19 November 2020, Version 1
This content is a preprint and has not undergone peer review at the time of posting.

Abstract

The term efficient has gained great popularity in the chemical literature, despite the lack of an applicable and relatable definition. In this perspective, a chemical definition of efficiency is discussed building on the concept of non-wasteful resource usage. It is proposed than an efficient method, synthesis or protocol is one which requires less resources in the form of money, time and materials than comparable approaches which accomplish the same task.

Keywords

efficient
efficiency
effective
definition
chemistry
synthesis
green chemistry
E-factor
waste

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