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New additive process enables the production of better and more environmentally friendly chemicals of high value

2024年08月07日11:46 来源:无

Researchers at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) have achieved a breakthrough that could lead to better and greener agricultural chemicals and everyday products.

Researchers at the Centre for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) have developed a process for more environmentally friendly agricultural chemicals and everyday products.  Source: saifur - adobe.stock.com

Using a process that combines natural enzymes and light, the team from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed an eco-friendly way to precisely mix fluorine, an important additive, into chemicals called olefins — hydrocarbons used in a vast array of products, from detergents to fuels to medicines. This method offers an efficient new strategy for creating high-value chemicals with potential applications in agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, renewable fuels, and more.

As an additive, fluorine can make agrochemicals and medicines work better and last longer. Its small size, electronic properties, and ability to dissolve easily in fats and oils all have a profound impact on the function of organic molecules, augmenting their absorption, metabolic stability, and protein interactions. However, adding fluorine is tricky and usually requires complex chemical processes that are not always friendly to the environment.

Major gap in molecular chemistry closed

The scientists in this study used a “photoenzyme” — a repurposed enzyme that works under light – to help bring fluorine into these chemicals. By using light and photoenzymes, they were able to precisely attach fluorine to olefins, controlling exactly where and how it is added. Because this method is not only environmentally friendly but very specific, it allows for more efficient creation of useful new compounds that were difficult to make before.

This approach fills a large gap in molecular chemistry, as previous methods to add fluorine were limited and inefficient. It also opens up new possibilities for creating better medicines and agricultural products, as fluorinated compounds are often more effective, stable, and longer-lasting than their non-fluorinated counterparts. That means fertilizers and herbi cides could be more effective in protecting crops, and medicines could be more potent or have fewer side effects.


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