MSGID: 1:317/3 646c415d   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Fluorine-based new drug synthesis at lightning speed    
      
     Date:   
         May 22, 2023   
     Source:   
         Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH)   
     Summary:   
         Researchers synthesize fluorine-based compound via rapid biphasic   
         (gas and liquid) mixing.   
      
      
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   FULL STORY   
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   How short is one second? The duration of a second can be defined as one   
   86,400th of a 24-hour day. A bullet train traveling at 300 km per hour can   
   cover a distance of 83 meters in one second. On average, an individual's   
   blink lasts for 0.3 seconds, allowing for three blinks to occur within one   
   second. A joint team of researchers from POSTECH has proposed a synthesis   
   method for fluorine-based compound via a rapid mixing reaction between   
   a gaseous component and liquid that takes less than a single second.   
      
   The research team led by Professor Dong-Pyo Kim and Jeong-Un Joo   
   (Department of Chemical Engineering at POSTECH), and Professor Heejin Kim   
   and Hyune-Jea Lee (currently, a researcher at Samsung Advanced Institute   
   of Technology) from the Department of Chemistry at Korea University has   
   successfully developed a new method for synthesizing trifluoromethyl   
   intermediate (-CF3) from fluoroform (CHF3). It involves the use of a   
   special reactor capable of achieving an ultra- fast mixing between gas   
   and liquid. This method offers promising prospects for the synthesis   
   of novel fluorine-based new drugs. The research was published in Nature   
   Communications.   
      
   Fluorine is not found in its pure form naturally, but instead exists   
   solely in the form of various chemical compounds. Sodium fluoride, a   
   compound containing fluorine, is used as an ingredient in toothpaste due   
   to its ability to coat teeth and prevent cavities. Recent studies have   
   highlighted the potential of synthetic drug molecules containing fluorine   
   as they possess high permeability into cell membranes of diseased tissues   
   and exhibit strong binding affinity against proteins. Consequently,   
   there is growing interest in the development of drugs containing fluorine.   
      
   There are several approaches to synthesizing trifluoromethyl, but   
   the most cost-effective method involves substituting a hydrogen atom   
   from fluoroform, a simple precursor, with another element or functional   
   group. However, gaseous fluoroform is volatile, which makes it difficult   
   to mix with liquids and exhibits low reactivity. Moreover, it decomposes   
   instantly, requiring the addition of a substance that can react with   
   it. Unfortunately, this process can result in unintended chemical   
   reactions that lead to a low yield of trifluoromethyl.   
      
   To address the challenge of synthesizing trifluoromethyl from   
   fluoroform, the research team developed a novel gas-liquid reactor with a   
   zigzag-shaped channel and highly permeable non-porous membranes sandwiched   
   between upper and lower channels. This configuration allowed for the   
   swirling and mixing of superbase, a liquid utilized for dehydrogenation,   
   and gaseous fluoroform within the reactor. By breaking fluoroform   
   bubbles into smaller pieces to increase the contact area between gas   
   and liquid, the team was able to effectively produce trifluoromethyl   
   anion (CF3-). Unlike traditional approaches, they produced a fluoride   
   intermediate effectively without requiring stabilizers or additives.   
      
   The research team synthesized a fluorine-based compound by   
   immediately adding a compound that will react with the fluoride anion   
   intermediate. The entire process, which involved the generation of   
   a fluorine anion intermediate from fluoroform took place within a   
   second. The team maximized the formation of a trifluoromethyl anion,   
   which is known to be short-lived, and rapidly facilitated the subsequent   
   reaction before the intermediate decomposed. This method allowed for   
   improved yield of fluoride-based compounds and introduced a robust   
   technique for the synthesis of fluorine-based drugs.   
      
   The research findings have significant implications for industrial   
   applications in the economically efficient synthesis of fluoride   
   compounds, making them more practical as well contributing significantly   
   to studies on several unstable intermediates.   
      
   The study was conducted with the support from the National Research   
   Foundation of Korea.   
      
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Health_&_Medicine   
                   # Dietary_Supplements_and_Minerals # Dentistry #   
                   Pharmacology # Controlled_Substances   
             o Matter_&_Energy   
                   # Chemistry # Organic_Chemistry # Inorganic_Chemistry #   
                   Nature_of_Water   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Fluorine o Boiling_point o Sulfur_hexafluoride o Boiling o   
             Propellant o Hydrochloric_acid o Xenon o Nitrous_oxide   
      
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   Story Source: Materials provided by   
   Pohang_University_of_Science_&_Technology_(POSTECH).   
      
   Note: Content may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. Hyune-Jea Lee, Jeong-Un Joo, Se-Jun Yim, Dong-Pyo Kim, Heejin   
      Kim. Ex-   
         situ generation and synthetic utilization of bare trifluoromethyl   
         anion in flow via rapid biphasic mixing. Nature Communications,   
         2023; 14 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35611-9   
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230522131403.htm   
      
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