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Reaction for coupling 3D molecular fragments expands the chemist’s toolkit

A glaring gap in the portfolio of reactions used to synthesize libraries of organic compounds has been filled by the advent of a general method for joining together 3D molecular fragments — a boon for pharmaceutical research.
  1. Jonathan A. Sorbie

    1. Jonathan A. Sorbie is in the Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York City, New York 10003, USA.

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  2. Tianning Diao

    1. Tianning Diao is in the Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York City, New York 10003, USA.

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In many fields of research, libraries of organic compounds are screened to find a ‘Goldilocks’ molecule — one that has an advantageous combination of properties for a given application. The development of general methods that enable rapid synthesis of a broad range of compounds is therefore paramount. A common approach for expanding compound libraries is known as cross-coupling, in which pairs of molecular fragments are linked through the formation of a carbon–carbon bond 1 . Writing in Nature , Al Zubaydi et al . 2 describe a general method for a type of cross-coupling that has proved particularly challenging: that between aliphatic molecular fragments, which are characterized by flexible 3D structures. This reaction increases the range of compounds that can be synthesized by chemists, unlocking opportunities for applications such as drug discovery.

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Nature 634, 551-553 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-03221-8

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Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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