Researchers at Johannes Kepler University Linz and the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis in Rostock (LIKAT) have developed a new manganese catalyst that makes certain chemical processes ecologically harmless. The research breakthrough has now been published in the journal ACS Catalysis.
Manganese is one of the most common metals in the earth’s crust and is ecologically harmless. In their new study, researchers from the JKU Institute of Catalysis (INCA) and their German colleagues describe the development of a novel catalyst based on this inexpensive and environmentally friendly metal. The catalyst makes it possible to produce complex aromatic molecules from simple chemical building blocks - substances that play an important role in the development of medicines, plastics and high-tech materials
Replacement for expensive precious metals
Until now, such so-called "cyclotrimerization reactions" have mostly been carried out with expensive precious metals such as rhodium or iridium. These metals are not only scarce and expensive - their extraction and use is also associated with environmental problems. In addition, these catalysts often require high temperatures and additional chemicals to become effective at all.The new manganese catalyst offers decisive advantages here: It uses one of the most common transition metals in the earth’s crust, which is neither toxic nor harmful to the environment. The reaction can take place at comparatively low temperatures (between 30 and 80 °C) and only requires visible light to take place - without additional, often expensive and complicated light activators. This makes the process not only cheaper, but also more sustainable.
"Another advantage is that the chemical reaction is fast, very efficient and ’clean’ - which means there are hardly any undesirable by-products," emphasizes Prof. Marko Hapke, Head of the JKU Institute of Catalysis. such complex, highly substituted aromatic compounds are often used in research, e.g. for the development of drugs or new functional molecules that are of interest for applications in materials science. In such cases, the development of new catalysts is important," he says optimistically about possible applications. It also shows the importance of international research cooperation.
"The discovery is the result of close international cooperation. Researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT) in Rostock worked closely with our team from INCA. Particularly noteworthy are the achievements of the two doctoral students Benedikt Baumann (INCA) and Phong Dam (LIKAT), who
Independence from Russian imports
The researchers hope that this approach will pave the way for a broader use of readily available metals such as manganese, iron or nickel for catalysis. This could significantly reduce expensive and politically problematic imports of precious metals - many of which currently come from Russia, among others, and have risen sharply in price in recent years.It also opens up new possibilities for making manganese usable for other chemical reactions in which expensive precious metals were previously used almost exclusively. The results are therefore an important step in the development of sustainable catalysts, which could ultimately make the chemical industry more environmentally friendly and cost-effective.
