Burkhard König at the University of Regensburg and his team have found that a thin film of organic molecules floating on top of water provides the ideal location for light-driven coupling reactions that could be used to modify drug candidates and produce agrochemicals. Interactions between the organic and water layers actually accelerate these reactions, which do not require organic solvents, catalysts, or heat (Science 2024, DOI: 10.1126/science.adl3092).
König's team has now applied this concept to a range of photochemical reactions. “Water is the ideal solvent for photochemistry; no solvent is more transparent to light,” he says.
The researchers used flow photochemistry system to couple nitrogen heterocycles to a range of drug molecules. They also showed that it could produce grams of material over several hours. Similar coupling reactions, run in an organic solvent, would normally require a photocatalyst such as an iridium complex.
König hopes that using water in place of organic solvents could also offer a more sustainable approach to making these compounds.
From: Chemical & Engineering News
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