Cheap iron salts can catalyze the formation of key pharmaceutical structures

Scientists from the University of hastfield, UK, have confirmed for the first time that ordinary iron salts can replace precious rare metals as catalysts, and generate a new type of chemical reaction, which can catalyze the formation of the common spiral heterocyclic structure framework in bioactive natural products, and the cost has been reduced by 1000 times The research was published in the journal Nature chemistry, and the core reaction part of the research has been patented Catalyst is an important part of the chemical industry, and even statistics show that the catalyst chemical industry accounts for 40% of the world's GDP, which is also an important research topic in academia In addition to industrial interests, new research also has special scientific value Joe Sweeney, a professor of catalysis and chemical biology who led the research, said that although most of the catalysts currently in use, such as rare metals such as rhodium, palladium, platinum and iridium, have higher catalytic activity, they are rare in the earth's crust, so there is an urgent need for more sustainable metal catalysts to step onto the industrial stage Iron salt is cheap and abundant in the earth's crust Using it as a catalyst will not only bring huge economic benefits to the pharmaceutical and agricultural chemical industries, but also greatly reduce the price of medical drugs According to a recent report by the organization of physicists, the research of Sweeney's team proves that the same chemical process catalyzed by iron is 1000 times cheaper than that catalyzed by rare metals Another advantage is that iron is the basic microelement in diet, which is not toxic to human body Swiny said that the new process is very easy to operate, "the use of standard laboratory equipment can complete the new catalytic reaction process at room temperature, fully in line with the basic standards of organic chemistry." The Sweeney team will then work with a number of companies to continue to study the effect of new catalysts on the production line and realize the industrialization of these catalysts as soon as possible "We have developed a whole new chemical process with the hope that its potential can create a wide range of social benefits," he said