A more sustainable way to synthesise biaryl molecules
Biaryl molecules, which have two aromatic rings joined by a single bond, are a fundamental building block in the chemical industry. Pharmaceutical, agricultural and other chemicals frequently use this structure as a building block. The way that biaryl molecules are currently produced is problematic as the methods are inefficient and rely on precious metals. EU-funded scientists from the CATCHCHEM (New catalytic C-H activation and decarboxylation chemistry) initiative have developed a new, more efficient and more sustainable way of synthesising biaryl molecules. The method they have created is metal-free. This means it does not rely on metals for catalysing the reaction and its starting substances do not include metals. The process uses molecules known as aryl sulfonamides, which have one benzene ring, and reacts them with benzyne, a reactive intermediate also with a ring. The molecules then rearrange, ejecting sulphur dioxide and creating a carbon-carbon bond between two benzene rings. This new process works better with substrates that are reactively limited by their large molecular size – something that reactions catalysed by metals struggle to overcome. By demonstrating a metal-free process for creating biaryl molecules, CATCHCHEM researchers have opened a new avenue for their synthesis. This will facilitate chemical processes that are more sustainable and efficient.
Keywords
Biaryl, chemical synthesis, CATCHCHEM, metal-free, benzene ring
