Teaching an old metal new tricks

Scientists have figured out a way to recycle a common reagent used in synthetic chemistry reactions

29-Aug-2024 - The metallic element samarium, when bound with other elements, is an incrediblyuseful chemical reagent for synthesizing molecules that can lead to new pharmaceuticals. Discovered in a Russian mine in 1879, the element was named after the mineral it was found in, called samarskite, which itself ...

Carbon Atom Transfer

Spectacular basic research in organic chemistry

23-Jul-2024 - Professor Max Martin Hansmann from the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and his team have developed a new reagent for selectively adding carbon atoms to molecules. This development is so spectacular for basic research in organic chemistry that it has been published in the prestigious ...

Microreactor for synthesis with Grignard reagents

Continuous process control: faster, safer, cleaner

06-Jan-2021 - In 1912, Victor Grignard was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery of what came to be known as Grignard reagents. Since then, these compounds have come to play a key role in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Now, in a development by Fraunhofer researchers, a new type of ...

Self-sustaining loop of chemical reactions could revolutionize drug production

07-Jun-2018 - Experts from the University of Nottingham have created a self-sustaining circuit of reactions which is a greener and more efficient method of chemical production. Drs Francesca Paradisi and Martina Contente of the University of Nottingham produce chemicals more efficiently through a looped set of ...

Biocatalysts are a bridge to greener, more powerful chemistry

15-Nov-2017 - New research from the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute is building a bridge from nature's chemistry to greener, more efficient synthetic chemistry. Researchers in the lab of Alison Narayan analyzed biocatalysts evolved by nature for their effectiveness in a variety of synthetic ...

Simple incorporation of nitrogen into molecules

14-Jul-2017 - A Rice University laboratory that specializes in synthesizing reagents and intermediate molecules for the design and manufacture of drugs and other fine chemicals has delivered on a promise to generalize the synthesis of electrophilic (electron-poor) aminating agents. Aminating agents are ...

A more sustainable way to refine metals

08-Jun-2017 - A team of chemists in Canada has developed a way to process metals without using toxic solvents and reagents. The system, which also consumes far less energy than conventional techniques, could greatly shrink the environmental impact of producing metals from raw materials or from post-consumer ...

Merck to Acquire Sigma-Aldrich to Enhance Position in Attractive Life Science Industry

23-Sep-2014 - Merck and Sigma-Aldrich announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Merck will acquire Sigma-Aldrich for $17.0 billion (€13.1 billion), establishing one of the leading players in the $130 billion global life science industry. Merck will acquire all of the outstanding ...

Knowing whether food has spoiled without even opening the container

19-Mar-2014 - A color-coded smart tag could tell consumers whether a carton of milk has turned sour or a can of green beans has spoiled without opening the containers, according to researchers. The tag, which would appear on the packaging, also could be used to determine if medications and other perishable ...

Chemical reaction could streamline manufacture of pharmaceuticals and other compounds

The reaction resolves a long-standing challenge in organic chemistry

25-Jul-2013 - Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered a new chemical reaction that has the potential to lower the cost and streamline the manufacture of compounds ranging from agricultural chemicals to pharmaceutical drugs. The reaction resolves a long-standing challenge in organic ...