Chemists at the University of Illinois have developed a catalyst inspired by enzymes that simplifies the synthesis of ethers, important functional components in many drugs, foods, and personal care products. The catalyst, dubbed SOX, uses palladium to cleave a bond between carbon and hydrogen in an alkene, making it react with alcohol.
Traditionally, synthesizing ethers requires ripping a proton from the alcohol, resulting in a mixed cocktail of products that must be extracted to obtain the desired ether. This process also requires large amounts of ingredients, which is impractical for complex compounds.
The researchers took a different approach, drawing inspiration from enzymes that catalyze complex reactions by placing reaction partners close together and in the right orientation. They developed a version of SOX, called Sven- SOX, with specific geometry and electronic properties to align the activated alkene and alcohol, producing the desired ethers.
Sven- SOX worked efficiently, yielding over 130 ethers, including complex and bulky ones that have been challenging to produce using standard methods. The catalyst’s generality allows for the production of many new and useful ethers, with mild conditions tolerating sensitive groups. This approach also uses less material and fewer steps than traditional methods.
The researchers plan to explore other small-molecule catalysts with enzyme-like characteristics to make other classes of chemicals. They will also continue to optimize ether reactions and design future catalysts that incorporate the tools used by enzymes in nature.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2024-09-enzyme-catalyst-chemicals-position-ethers.html