WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

Blue LED Light and Textbook Chemistry Enable Two-for-One Carbon Modification, Accelerating Complex Drug Synthesis

- University at Buffalo chemists developed a method using blue LED light and a photocatalyst to modify two adjacent carbon atoms in a single reaction instead of the usual one. - The technique uses off-the-shelf blue LEDs and commercially available carbon-halogen bond building blocks familiar from undergraduate organic chemistry. - Visible light offers a milder alternative to UV light, reducing the risk of degrading sensitive organic molecules during synthesis. - The team plans to collaborate with pharmaceutical companies to tailor the method for specific drug targets, aiming to accelerate production of more complex small-molecule drugs.