Chemists from Tomsk Polytechnic University and St. Petersburg State University have developed a simplified and cost-effective method for producing imidazoles – organic molecules that serve as the basis for a wide range of medicinal and industrial compounds. The researchers proposed using oxygen from atmospheric air as a key reagent, significantly reducing both the environmental impact and production costs. This is
reported by Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia.
Imidazoles are crucial structural elements in many organic compounds widely used in medicine, agriculture, and materials science. They form the core of antifungal, antibacterial, antiparasitic, and anticancer drugs, as well as treatments for regulating blood pressure. Beyond healthcare, they are applied in crop protection, seed treatment, plastic recycling catalysts, electrolytes for batteries, and chemical catalysts.
Traditional methods for synthesising imidazoles often rely on toxic oxidisers such as manganese derivatives or chlorinated reagents. More sustainable alternatives typically require complex and expensive catalysts based on rare metals, making them impractical for large-scale use.
The research team introduced a new approach that enables the synthesis of the imidazole fragment from imidazoline, using atmospheric oxygen as the oxidising agent, which is converted into water during the process.
Using this innovative technique, the scientists successfully synthesised 23 different imidazoles with yields of up to 98 per cent. The process also demonstrates high selectivity, remaining stable even in the presence of groups sensitive to oxidation – a quality that broadens its potential industrial applications.
The new method is environmentally friendly, does not require special equipment or rare reagents, and could pave the way for a new generation of sustainable technologies in pharmaceutical and materials production.
In the next phase of their work, the researchers plan to test the scalability of the process and assess its suitability for industrial implementation.
Photo: Martin Philip /
iStock
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