Chemical Reactins on the Water Surface
Researchers at the University of Regensburg, led by Professor Dr. Burkhard König, Institute of Organic Chemistry, have developed a new synthesis method: Light reaction on a water surface allows chemical syntheses without the use of organic solvents or other reaction additives. This makes the production of chemical products more efficient and environmentally friendly. The results of years of research have now been published in the internationally renowned journal Science.
By forming chemical bonds between atoms, complex molecules such as those needed for medicines, crop protection products, or high-performance materials are prepared using synthetic chemistry. Such synthesis reactions typically require organic solvents, metal catalysts, and reagents such as acids or alkalis. Not all auxiliary materials and solvents can always be recycled, which results in waste.
Researchers from the University of Regensburg under the lead of Prof. Dr. Burkhard König, are now presenting a completely different way to synthesize complex molecules: the molecules to be reacted are applied to a water surface, where they form a thin film. Irradiation with violet light triggers a reaction that links both reaction partners. The new methodology exploits the film formation of water-insoluble organic molecules on the water surface (like an oil film on a puddle) to create ideal conditions for activation by light. The breadth of application of the technology was demonstrated in over 160 examples, including the synthesis of precursors of drugs. The light reaction on the water surface now allows chemical synthesis without the use of organic solvents or other reaction additives. This makes the production of chemical products more efficient and environmentally friendly. The results of years of research have now been published in the scientific journal Science.
The project has been running for about two years. During this time, numerous experiments were carried out to further develop and confirm the central discovery. Transferring the reaction to a flow reactor was a breakthrough, as the synthesis can be carried out continuously and larger amounts of product are also accessible. Spectroscopic measurements provided insight into the molecular mechanism of the reaction. In subsequent work, the synthesis technology will now be applied to other reactions to achieve the widest possible range of applications in the production of chemical products.
Wissenschaftliche Ansprechpartner:
Prof. Dr. Burkhard König
Institute of Organic Chemistry
University of Regensburg
Phone: +49 941 943-4576
burkhard.koenig@ur.de
https://www.uni-regensburg.de/chemie-pharmazie/organische-chemie-koenig/startsei…
Originalpublikation:
Ya-Ming Tian, Wagner Silva, Ruth M. Gschwind, Burkhard König, “Accelerated photochemical reactions at oil-water interface exploiting melting point depression”, Science, 15 Feb 2024, Vol 383, Issue 6684, pp. 750-756, DOI: 10.1126/science.adl3092
Weitere Informationen:
Media Contact
All latest news from the category: Life Sciences and Chemistry
Articles and reports from the Life Sciences and chemistry area deal with applied and basic research into modern biology, chemistry and human medicine.
Valuable information can be found on a range of life sciences fields including bacteriology, biochemistry, bionics, bioinformatics, biophysics, biotechnology, genetics, geobotany, human biology, marine biology, microbiology, molecular biology, cellular biology, zoology, bioinorganic chemistry, microchemistry and environmental chemistry.
Newest articles
First-of-its-kind study uses remote sensing to monitor plastic debris in rivers and lakes
Remote sensing creates a cost-effective solution to monitoring plastic pollution. A first-of-its-kind study from researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities shows how remote sensing can help monitor and…
Laser-based artificial neuron mimics nerve cell functions at lightning speed
With a processing speed a billion times faster than nature, chip-based laser neuron could help advance AI tasks such as pattern recognition and sequence prediction. Researchers have developed a laser-based…
Optimising the processing of plastic waste
Just one look in the yellow bin reveals a colourful jumble of different types of plastic. However, the purer and more uniform plastic waste is, the easier it is to…