A new chemical method that could speed up the creation of medicines, materials and products people rely on every day has been developed by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Department of Chemistry researchers. The work, published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition , a journal of the German Chemical Society, shows how common ingredients called aldehydes can be transformed into more complex molecules using visible light and a specialized catalyst.
Lighting the way
Aldehydes are simple, widely available starting materials used across many chemical processes. Traditionally, turning them into useful advanced compounds requires multiple steps, harsh conditions or costly materials. The UH Mānoa team introduced a light-powered, energy-efficient approach that guides aldehydes through a controlled reaction, producing valuable molecular structures used in drug development, natural product research and chemical manufacturing.
The process relies on light and a specialized palladium catalyst to drive the chemical changes. It enables chemists to quickly and reliably make two useful types of molecules. The approach is also flexible, working on a wide range of starting materials, including complex molecules found in pharmaceuticals.
Making a big impact
For the general public, the importance lies in what this advancement could make possible. Faster and more efficient ways to build complex molecules can shorten the development timeline for new medicines, reduce costs in chemical manufacturing and improve access to products ranging from therapeutics to advanced materials. By enabling more sustainable and streamlined chemistry, the study offers a step toward innovations that could benefit health, technology and everyday life.
"We're always looking for ways to make complex chemistry feel less like a barrier and more like an opportunity," said Assistant Professor and co-author Zuxiao Zhang. "What excites us most is how this platform opens a new creative space for scientists—giving them tools to build molecules in ways that simply weren't practical before. Discoveries like this help lay the groundwork for future breakthroughs we can't yet imagine."
The Department of Chemistry is housed in UH Mānoa's College of Natural Sciences .
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