Post by Scripps Research

A team of chemists led by Phil Baran has developed a new method to snap together complex 3D molecules from highly reactive radicals without losing their shape. The study reports a stereoretentive radical-radical cross-coupling reaction that uses a simple nickel catalyst to join two carbon-based fragments into one molecule while keeping the starting 3D arrangement intact. The new reaction works across a wide range of pharmaceutically relevant molecules, offering a useful new tool for drug discovery. It has the potential to shorten synthetic routes, reduce waste and accelerate the exploration of chemical space—especially when paired with artificial intelligence to map out new routes for creating drugs. “Our goal is to make it easier to build the kinds of molecules that matter in medicine,” adds Baran. “If we can simplify how those structures are assembled, it changes how chemists approach synthesis from the ground up.” More: https://ow.ly/kv4c50Za5h4