Credit: JACS Au (2023). DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00532
A UNIST-affiliated research team has unveiled a new method to produce a selective anticancer precursor substance that targets and eliminates cancer cells. This revolutionary method, which previously existed only in theory, has been proven experimentally for the first time, opening up new possibilities in the development of innovative drugs through extensive research into the effects of anticancer precursors on the human body.
Led by Professor Jaeheung Cho from the Department of Chemistry at UNIST, the research team successfully demonstrated that the synthesis of hydroxymato cobalt(III), a potential candidate substance for anticancer precursors, involves the reaction of active metal oxygen species with nitrile. Unlike previous studies that relied on expensive heavy metals, this new method uses cost-effective metals and works at lower temperatures.
The work is published in the journal JACS Au.
Nitrile, a compound widely used in pharmaceuticals and agricultural pesticides, has proven difficult to synthesize. However, the research team has now confirmed that the reaction between nitriles and cobalt-hydroperoxo species, a type of active metal oxygen species, leads to the synthesis of peroxyimidate to cobalt(III). This discovery reveals that cobalt(III) peroxyimidate is an intermediate substance formed during the chemical reaction, ultimately producing cobalt(III) hydroxymite.
To synthesize cobalt(III)-peroxyimidato complexes, the research team introduced a new species known as acobalt(III)-hydroperoxo specs. Remarkably, they discovered that the reaction occurs when -hydroperoxo is attacked nucleophilically with nitrile. Additionally, it has been observed that adding a base to cobalt(III) peroxymidato transforms it into cobalt(III) hydroxymito, allowing the synthesis of precursors.
The research team placed particular emphasis on the importance of basicity in metal-dioxygen specifications, particularly metal-(hydro)peroxo (M–O).2(H)) complex species. By controlling the atoms bonded to cobalt-hydroperoxo species that did not react with nitrile, they were able to increase the basicity, allowing rapid reactions even at low temperatures.
To further study the structural aspects of the cobalt(III)-hydroperoxo specifications, the research team used computational chemical simulations, which harness the power of computing to analyze chemical phenomena. These simulations highlighted the impact of changes in atom combination on the structure of cobalt(III)-hydroperoxo specifications, reaffirming the crucial role of basicity.
Professor Cho said: “This research unveils the underlying mechanisms of active metal oxygen species in nitrile activation, serving as a basis for future development of catalysts capable of nitrile activation. »
More information:
Yeongjin Son et al, Mechanistic insights into nitrile activation by Cobalt(III)–Hydroperoxo intermediates: the influence of ligand basicity, JACS Au (2023). DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00532
Provided by Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology
Quote: A breakthrough in nitrile activation is a promising route for the synthesis of anticancer precursors (December 29, 2023) retrieved December 30, 2023 from
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