Nanotechnology Now |
Home > Press > U of Toronto discovery of new catalyst promises cheaper, greener drugs
Abstract:
A chemistry team at the University of Toronto has discovered environmentally-friendly iron-based nanoparticle catalysts that work as well as the expensive, toxic, metal-based catalysts that are currently in wide use by the drug, fragrance and food industry.
U of Toronto discovery of new catalyst promises cheaper, greener drugs
Toronto, Canada | Posted on March 28th, 2012"It is always important to strive to make industrial syntheses more green, and using iron catalysts is not only much less toxic, but it is also much more cost effective," said Jessica Sonnenberg, a PhD student and lead author of a paper published this week in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
The research, which was directed by Robert Morris, chair of the Department of Chemistry, involved several steps. Suspecting the existence of nanoparticles, the team first set out to identify the iron catalysts. They then conducted investigations using an electron microscope to confirm that the iron nanoparticles were actually being formed during catalysis. The next step was to ensure that the iron nanoparticles were the active catalytic agents. This was done with polymer and poisoning experiments which showed that only the iron atoms on the surface of a nanoparticle were active.
But a further challenge remained. "Catalysts, even cheap iron ones developed for these types of reaction, still suffer one major downfall," explained Sonnenberg. "They require a one-to-one ratio of very expensive organic ligands - the molecule that binds to the central metal atom of a chemical compound - to yield catalytic activity. Our discovery of functional surface nanoparticles opens the door to using much smaller ratios of these expensive compounds relative to the metal centres. This drastically reduces the overall cost of the transformations."
The research team included Neil Coombs at U of T's Centre for Nanostructure Imaging and Imagetek Analytical Imaging Inc., and Paul Dube of the Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Funding was provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada as a Discovery grant to Morris and as an Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship and Vanier Scholarship to Sonnenberg.
####
For more information, please click here
Contacts:
Kim Luke
416-978-4352
Copyright © University of Toronto
If you have a comment, please Contact us.Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
Bookmark:
| Related News Press |
News and information
Pioneering breakthrough of chemical nanoengineering to design drugs controlled by light June 18th, 2013
Study Shows How the Nanog Protein Promotes Growth of Head and Neck Cancer June 18th, 2013
New Method to Synthesize Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles with High Catalytic Activity June 18th, 2013
Chemistry
Pioneering breakthrough of chemical nanoengineering to design drugs controlled by light June 18th, 2013
New Method to Synthesize Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles with High Catalytic Activity June 18th, 2013
Govt.-Legislation/Regulation/Funding/Policy
Working backward: Computer-aided design of zeolite templates: Rice scientists apply drug-design lessons to production of industrial minerals June 17th, 2013
An Innovative material for the Green Earth: Simple and inexpensive process to make a material for CO2 adsorption June 17th, 2013
Nanoparticle Opens the Door to Clean-Energy Alternatives June 14th, 2013
Discovery of new material state counterintuitive to laws of physics June 14th, 2013
Nanomedicine
Pioneering breakthrough of chemical nanoengineering to design drugs controlled by light June 18th, 2013
Study Shows How the Nanog Protein Promotes Growth of Head and Neck Cancer June 18th, 2013
Production of Polyaniline Biosensors Modified with Conductive Polymer Composites June 18th, 2013
European Technology Platform for Nanomedicine and Nanomed2020 European Consortium Launch the Nanomedicine Award June 17th, 2013
Discoveries
Pioneering breakthrough of chemical nanoengineering to design drugs controlled by light June 18th, 2013
Study Shows How the Nanog Protein Promotes Growth of Head and Neck Cancer June 18th, 2013
New Method to Synthesize Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles with High Catalytic Activity June 18th, 2013
Production of Polyaniline Biosensors Modified with Conductive Polymer Composites June 18th, 2013
Announcements
Pioneering breakthrough of chemical nanoengineering to design drugs controlled by light June 18th, 2013
Study Shows How the Nanog Protein Promotes Growth of Head and Neck Cancer June 18th, 2013
New Method to Synthesize Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles with High Catalytic Activity June 18th, 2013
Production of Polyaniline Biosensors Modified with Conductive Polymer Composites June 18th, 2013
Food/Agriculture/Supplements
Can nanotech save dying shrimp farms? June 15th, 2013
Lorraine University uses Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis to characterize biomolecules for agrichemicals, pharmacology and cosmetics May 28th, 2013
Biodegradable Nanocomposites Synthesized for Food Stuff Packaging May 27th, 2013
Plants ‘talk’ to plants to help them grow May 8th, 2013
Grants/Awards/Scholarships/Gifts/Contests/Honors/Records
European Technology Platform for Nanomedicine and Nanomed2020 European Consortium Launch the Nanomedicine Award June 17th, 2013
Unzipped nanotubes unlock potential for batteries: Rice University lab combines graphene nanoribbons with tin oxide for improved anodes June 13th, 2013
Ph.D. student at Hebrew University wins Kaye Award for research on delivering safer drugs through skin applications June 12th, 2013
 |
||
 |
||
| The latest news from around the world, FREE | ||
 |
||
|
|
||
| Premium Products | ||
 |
||
|
Only the news you want to read!
Learn More |
||
 |
||
|
University Technology Transfer & Patents
Learn More |
||
 |
||
|
Full-service, expert consulting
Learn More |
||
|
|
||
abbigliamento uomo
Computer Accessories
| © Copyright 1999-2013 7th Wave, Inc. All Rights Reserved | PRIVACY POLICY :: CONTACT US :: STATS :: SITE MAP :: ADVERTISE |