Title: Sun-Activated Catalyst Revolutionizes Chemical Synthesis, Boosting Sustainability Efforts
Date: June 15, 2023
Researchers at Politecnico di Milano have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of chemical synthesis by developing an innovative catalyst that promises significant sustainability improvements. This sun-activated catalyst reduces reliance on rare metals and enhances the efficiency of esterification reactions, which are crucial for the production of medicines, food additives, and polymers.
Published in the esteemed journal Nature Synthesis, the study outlines the revolutionary technique employed by the research team. By dispersing isolated atoms on carbon nitride supports, they created a highly active and selective catalyst for esterification reactions. This process involves combining carboxylic acids and bromides to produce the necessary components in the manufacturing of various products.
What sets this catalyst apart is its ability to reduce the use of rare metals, thus conserving critical resources and making the synthesis process more sustainable. Additionally, the catalyst can be activated by sunlight, eliminating the need for energy-intensive methods. This discovery has enormous potential for reducing dependence on finite resources and minimizing the environmental impact of catalytic processes.
Leading the project was Professor Gianvito Vilé, an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at the ‘Giulio Natta’ Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering. The first author of the paper, Mark Bajada, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the Politecnico di Milano, played a crucial role in the study. The research was conducted in close collaboration with scientists from the University of Milan Bicocca and the University of Turin and received funding from the European Commission through a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship and a recently awarded Horizon Europe project called SusPharma.
This groundbreaking development in chemical synthesis opens exciting possibilities for creating chemicals in a more efficient and environmentally friendly manner. By combining the benefits of reduced rare metal usage and sunlight activation, the team at Politecnico di Milano has paved the way for more sustainable manufacturing processes.
Reference:
“Light-driven C–O coupling of carboxylic acids and alkyl halides over a Ni single-atom catalyst” by Mark A. Bajada, Giovanni Di Liberto, Sergio Tosoni, Vincenzo Ruta, Lorenzo Mino, Nicolò Allasia, Alessandra Sivo, Gianfranco Pacchioni, and Gianvito Vilé, 15 June 2023, Nature Synthesis.
DOI: 10.1038/s44160-023-00341-3