Alkenes News and Research

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Penn State researchers develop new method for creating cyclopropanes

Chemical structures called cyclopropanes can increase the potency and fine-tune the properties of many drugs, but traditional methods to create this structure only work with certain molecules and require highly reactive-;potentially explosive-;ingredients. Now, a team of researchers from Penn State has identified and demonstrated a safe, efficient and practical way to create cyclopropanes on a wide variety of molecules using a previously undescribed chemical process.

4 Aug 2023

Chemists find a simple way to produce previously inaccessible chiral Z-alkenes

Chemists from the University of Groningen have found a simple way to produce previously inaccessible chiral Z-alkenes, molecules that offer a significant synthetic short-cut for the production of bioactive molecules.

13 Jan 2023

Chemists successfully convert flat nitrogen-containing molecules into 3D structures

A major goal of organic and medicinal chemistry in recent decades has been the rapid synthesis of three-dimensional molecules for the development of new drugs.

26 Mar 2021

Using iodine as catalyst to advance the sustainability of pharmaceutical syntheses

Synthesizing pharmaceuticals for cancer, viral diseases, and other medical conditions is slow work. A particularly challenging chemical transformation is to start with what's known as an unactivated alkene--a common molecular building block--and end up with a vicinal diamine; i.e., installation of two nitrogen units into carbon--carbon double bonds.

16 Mar 2021

Chemists identify a new method to make valuable hydrocarbons

Inspired by light-sensing bacteria that thrive near hot oceanic vents, synthetic chemists at Rice University have found a mild method to make valuable hydrocarbons known as olefins, or alkenes.

8 Dec 2020

Ascorbic acid: A versatile catalyst for the synthesis of organic compounds

One of the important objectives of green chemistry is the use of eco-friendly solvents and catalysts to perform chemical reactions.

26 Sep 2020

Research team identifies key ingredients for producing high-value chemical compounds

Researchers have identified key ingredients for producing high-value chemical compounds in an environmentally friendly fashion: repurposed enzymes, curiosity, and a little bit of light.

8 Jun 2020

Japanese chemists develop vicinal reaction for creating highly functionalized ketones

Organic chemists are molecular architects, designing sophisticated structures. As the molecules used in science and medicine become ever more complex, new tools are needed to piece together the building blocks.

31 Oct 2019

Safe and reliable way to handle useful but foul-smelling gas in chemical synthesis

The chemical element sulfur is an important constituent in many pharmaceuticals and, consequently, it is desirable to be able to introduce sulfur-containing fragments efficiently in a broad range of chemical compounds.

21 Sep 2018

Ants can adapt their chemical profile over short evolutionary periods, say biologists

The bodies of ants and other insects are covered with a thin, wax-like layer that protects them from desiccation and enables them to exchange information, in social insects, for instance, to differentiate between enemies and nestmates.

14 Aug 2017

New chemical method developed to introduce alkenes into simple hydrocarbon molecules

Chemists at Princeton have developed a new chemical method to introduce valuable alkenes into simple hydrocarbon molecules, a transformation known as dehydrogenation, which is found in important processes such as the biosynthesis of essential fatty acids in the body and the commercial production of detergents.

13 Dec 2015

Princeton researchers develop cobalt-catalyzed reaction that may give unprecedented access to cyclobutanes

Researchers at Princeton have developed a cobalt-catalyzed [2π+2π] reaction that may give unprecedented access to cyclobutanes, four-membered ring-containing molecules.

10 Jun 2015

Novel technique could speed up the development of peptide-based drugs against cancer

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have devised two new ways of "stapling" peptide helices to prevent these medically important molecules from losing their shape and degrading in the presence of enzymes.

9 Feb 2011

Cigarette smoke, automobile exhaust and french fries increase risk of developing Alzheimer's disease

There is growing evidence that exposure to a group of chemicals known as type-2 alkenes -- which are found in the smoke inhaled from cigarettes, the exhaust of automobiles and even in French fries - can increase the chances of developing Alzheimer's disease and other neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease.

18 Nov 2010

World’s strongest acid may have a role in synthesizing pharmaceuticals

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have discovered the world’s strongest acid. Remarkably it is also the gentlest acid. This non-toxic and non-corrosive acid may have a role in processes such as improving the quality of gasoline, developing polymers and synthesizing pharmaceuticals.

16 Nov 2004