JERUSALEM, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Israeli researchers have developed a new method to create complex organic molecules on demand, Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) said on Thursday.
This is a new approach to the creation of organic molecules with several adjacent stereochemical centers, which are parts of a molecule that can exist in several different spatial forms.
The method is based on two stages and is characterized by simplicity, selectivity, diversity, speed and low cost.
In the first stage, researchers created molecules in a ring shape. The rings are stretched and flexible, making it relatively easy to determine the location of each atom and to control the shape of the stereochemical centers.
In the second stage, they used a catalyst to break the ring at a certain point and obtain a non-ring molecule with several stereochemical centers.
In this experiment, they took advantage of an oxygen atom set in the molecule in the first stage and now served as a lever for directing the whole action while controlling the chain of events, in a kind of well-designed domino effect.
Then, the researchers were able to create and study one product at a time from 16 similar possible outcomes.
The results enabled the researchers to produce a large family of structures in a way that was not possible in previous methods. In doing so, they have created a toolbox to help the entire scientific community.
