IIT Bombay breakthrough: Converting simple carbon chains into ring molecules in fewer steps
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) have developed a new method to convert simple, straight-chain carbon compounds into complex ring-shaped molecules. The process is faster, more efficient, and produces less chemical waste compared to existing techniques.
The research, led by Professor Debabrata Maiti, was published in the journal Nature. The team collaborated with Somnath Kar from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
Straight-chain carbon compounds such as fatty acids are abundant in nature. However, many biologically important organic compounds, including drugs, have ring-shaped molecular structures. Previously, converting these simple chains into rings required multiple steps that were time-consuming and costly.
The new method uses a novel chemical entity that achieves the conversion in fewer steps with higher efficiency and significantly reduced chemical wastage. This addresses a long-standing challenge in synthetic chemistry.
The development could lead to more efficient production of medicinal and other valuable chemicals, reducing costs and environmental impact.
