Chemistry Optimised catalyst saves energy and time
The new system to produce certain nitrogen compounds could make the manufacture of medicines and pesticides more efficient.
The production of many drugs and pesticides requires certain nitrogen compounds, called aromatic amines. Researchers at RUB have developed a new efficient catalyst to synthesise these substances. The system is more active than conventional catalysts, so less energy is required during the reaction, and also difficult compounds can be synthesized.
The teams led by Professor Viktoria Däschlein-Gessner and Professor Lukas Gooßen worked together on the project as part of the Ruhr Explores Solvation cluster of excellence. The results were published online in the journal Angewandte Chemie on 19 November 2018.
The synthesis of aromatic amines is only possible with a palladium catalyst. By attaching organic groups – called ligands – to the metal catalyst, the Bochum chemists succeeded in significantly increasing the efficiency of the reaction. An industrial partner has already become aware of the new system and is working on preparing it for the market and using it on an industrial scale.