Scientists are searching for techniques to make major changes to the skeletons of molecules. University of Chicago chemists made a breakthrough in this quest, finding a way to "delete" a nitrogen atom from a molecule. Similar processes currently use generate a very toxic molecule—but Levin's group instead adds a key reagent, or reactive chemical, which bypasses the intermediate step. The nitrogen is released as N2, and two carbon atoms forge a bond in its place.
As a new foundational method, the discovery opens up avenues for constructing molecules.
"One thing it lets you do is think about making rings in a new way, with potentially fewer steps. That lets you change the logic of how you make things," said assistant professor Mark Levin said, who is a co-author of the study published in Nature.
The process doesn't work for every single molecule, but it does for many important ones. For example, Levin's group tested the method on lapatinib, a molecule approved by the FDA as a cancer drug, and was able to edit its composition quickly and easily.
"One side of this discovery is being able to actually work with a class of reactions that was largely underused because they're just awful to work with," said Levin. "More broadly speaking, we hope it represents a transformation in thinking about how you optimize a molecule."
Photo: A team of chemists with the University of Chicago announced a new technique that allows scientists to easily cut nitrogen atoms from molecules, which can make the process of finding new molecules for medicines or other uses easier and faster. Study co-authors Balu Dherange and Kathleen Berger demonstrate a drawing of the process. Credit: University of Chicago