Monday, 23 September 2019
Researchers have developed an environmentally friendly method for a key process used in the production of pharmaceuticals and other important chemicals that only leaves water as a byproduct, opening up new possibilities for drug discovery and production.
Scientists at the University of Nottingham’s Centre for Sustainable Chemistry are working to develop environmentally sustainable chemical processes that use much less energy and generate little or no waste when compared to current industrial technologies.
As part of this programme, a research team led by Dr Ross Denton and in collaboration with GSK have been working on a process known as the Mitsunobu reaction after its inventor Oyo Mitsunobu, to improve its environmental sustainability. This reaction has huge potential to improve drug discovery and production processes but has not been widely adopted in commercial processes due to the high levels of waste it produces.
In a paper published in the journal Science the reseachers have solved this problem and show their new process can be used towards the synthesis of the tuberculosis drug thiocarlide.
Reducing waste
The Mitsonubu reaction has been well used in the Chemistry community since its discovery in 1967. The reaction is able to form a chemical bond between two molecules, an alcohol containing compound and a coupling partner of choice. These types of connections have a plethora of uses and are crucial in the synthesis of molecules used both in academic research and commercial applications. Whilst the Mitsonubu reaction is extremely useful it requires the addition of the two molecules you wanted to join together as well two additional reagents. The additional reagents are crucial for the reaction to work however are not incorporated into the final product. This results in the generation of a large amount of undesirable waste, causing problems both economically and environmentally.
This team’s innovative strategy involves adding a single additional reagent, a catalyst which is regenerated at the end of the reaction. The regeneration of the catalyst means that only a very small amount is needed to be added in order to activate many cycles of the reaction and it can be recovered when the process is complete. The main attraction of this method is to be able to recycle and reuse the catalyst, however another benefit is that the sole by-product is water, increasing the economic and environmental viability of the reaction.
The catalyst itself can be easily made on a large scale, and there are future plans to supply it to a wide range of industries to aid synthetic research.
‘This research represents an important step forward in the processing of chemicals in a greener and more sustainable way – even for those processes like Mitsunobu that have been used for a long time. We are now looking forward to taking developing this research further so that it can be used within the Pharmecuetical industry.”
Story credits
More information on the is available from Ross Denton at the University of Nottingham on xxxxxx or Jane Icke Media Relations Manager for the Faculty of Science at the University of Nottingham, on +44 (0)115 951 5751 jane.icke@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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