How does cross coupling work?
Several useful new chemical compounds are produced by synthesizing different types of organic compounds. One of the key components of an organic compound is carbon. However, it is not easy to combine carbon from one organic compound to the carbon from another. Therefore, one must add a different substance which would help them combine. Making two carbon atoms from two different compounds combine with the help of some additional substance is known as cross coupling.
Each of the three Nobel Prize winners for Chemistry this year discovered a new substance for cross coupling method. All of them were successful. However, Prof. Suzuki's method is the one which is most popular. His method is known as Suzuki-coupling. So what is so special about Suzuki-coupling?
The substance Prof. Suzuki used for cross-coupling is known as palladium which worked like a catalyst. As you know, a catalyst is a substance that makes a chemical reaction happen faster without being changed itself. The most important thing in Suzuki-coupling is that palladium can be removed once the combination of carbon atoms starts taking. This palladium will be unchanged. As a result, it can be used again and again. Moreover, it does not produce any toxic material which means that it is environmentally clean. It can be done at a normal temperature which means that the cost of production will be low.
Where do we use cross coupling?
Many industries use cross coupling in manufacturing pharmaceutical drugs (e.g. drugs that lowers your blood pressure, AIDS drugs, etc), agrochemicals (e.g. pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, etc.), materials for producing electronic appliances (e.g. television, personal computers, liquid crystal display for mobile phones, etc.) and so on. Due to cross coupling method, industries are able to manufacture these materials in a faster and cheaper way.
By the way, Prof. Suzuki taught for a brief period at Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts where my dad has been teaching.
Vocabulary
Organic Compound 有機化合物 (ゆうきかごうぶつ)
Agrochemical 農薬
Germicide 殺菌剤
Synthesis
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