Chimia最新文献

Biocatalysis leverages enzymes, nature's catalysts, to enhance essential steps in chemical synthesis, thereby promoting more sustainable and efficient processes. Enzymes, macromolecular proteins, catalyze reactions with precision and efficiency in all living organisms. These biocatalysts have been honed over millenia for their specific roles within a biological system; however, they can be effectively reengineered to address novel challenges through recent advancements in molecular biology and bioinformatics. In this review, we present selected enzyme sourcing and engineering examples from our laboratory demonstrating the transition of enzymatic processes from academic research to application in Swiss industries.

Neurodegenerative diseases encompass a range of chronic diseases marked by the progressive loss of structure or function of the nervous system, particularly within areas of the brain such as the neurons (or nerve cells). This degeneration leads to a decline in cognitive abilities, motor skills, and other neurological functions. The progression can be gradual, occurring over years or even decades, and often leads to significant disability and, ultimately, death. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent degenerative disease that affects cognition and that rises dramatically with age. It is a progressive, chronic disease that occurs when nerve cells in the brain die. Current treatments largely address symptoms without altering or reversing disease progression. However, recent advancements with amyloid-β (Aβ) antibodies validate Aβ as a therapeutic target for AD. This article details my long-term experience as a medicinal chemist and project leader working on γ-secretase, a key target in AD drug discovery. I will share initial insights from a multi-disciplinary effort to discover a disease modifying treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Polymethacrylates, including poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), are produced on a large scale for applications ranging from optics to construction, yet their end-of-life fate remains largely linear. Chemical recycling to regenerate the monomer (depolymerization) offers a promising route to circularity, but conventional methods such as pyrolysis rely on high-temperature random scission pathways that suffer from poor selectivity and undesirable side reactions. Recent advances have demonstrated that polymethacrylates synthesized by controlled radical polymerizations can undergo efficient depolymerization under milder conditions through reactivation of thermally labile chain-end functionalities. Emerging mid-chain-initiated depolymerization strategies further extend low temperature chemical recycling to polymers produced by conventional free-radical polymerization. This review highlights these developments, comparing mechanisms, limitations, and opportunities towards scalable, energy-efficient chemical recycling of polymethacrylates to support a more sustainable plastic economy.

Azaarenes, particularly pyridines, represent some of the most important structural and functional motifs across various fields. Consequently, late-stage C-H bond functionalization and skeletal editing of azaarenes hold significant value, particularly for accelerating structure-activity relationship studies. Dearomatized intermediates derived from such azaarenes offer an innovative strategy for selectively modifying these valuable cores. Among them, oxazinoazaarenes are a practical and scalable platform for regioselective meta- and para-C-H functionalization and skeletal editing of the azaarene moiety. This short review highlights the advancements in oxazinoazaarene-based pyridine modification methods achieved by our group and others.

Pesticides are frequently applied in large quantities in agriculture, resulting in their widespread presence in agricultural areas. Additionally, processes such as drift and volatilization contribute to their dispersion far beyond treated sites. However, systematic soil monitoring remains limited. To assess pesticide exposure to soil organisms, highly sensitive, accurate, and robust multi-residue analytical methods are essential. Given the wide variety of pesticides applied, monitoring those most likely to adversely affect soil health and terrestrial ecosystems is a prerequisite. Soil is one of the most complex environmental matrices, posing significant challenges throughout the entire analytical workflow. Here, we summarize the historical evolution of pesticide analysis in soil, outline key methodological advances, and discuss major challenges that must be addressed along the whole analytical workflow to enable effective soil monitoring. Ultimately, protecting soil requires both analytical and regulatory progress, as part of a broader set of measures.

Directed evolution (DE) optimizes biomolecules through natural selection principles, revolutionizing the development of proteins, nucleic acids, and strains for various applications. However, conventional DE methods face limitations in screening throughput, which can prevent the identification of rare but optimal variants within a population. Droplet-based microfluidics enable the transfer of conventional screening methods into nanolitre- scale droplets, enabling high-throughput screening while preserving genotype-phenotype connections. This technology allows rapid screening of millions of variants, opening new possibilities for microbial strain engineering and metabolite production optimization. We discuss the integration of microfluidics into DE workflows and reflect on its potential applications in agrochemical research, including enzyme evolution, crop trait improvement, and natural product biosynthesis.

Electrochemistry is significantly contributing to the technological revolution of organic synthesis, where the implementation of different techniques has garnered innovative and scalable synthetic methodologies. This article explores the impact of synthetic organic electrochemistry in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industry. Key examples in high throughput experimentation, medicinal chemistry, discovery process chemistry, and process chemistry are presented, highlighting the relevance of electrochemistry in the advancement of organic synthesis, and driving innovation in the fine chemical industry.

Photooxygenation reactions are sustainable alternatives to standard oxidation methods for the synthesis of crucial building blocks, natural products and drugs. This review is intended to provide readers with the latest advances on the development of singlet oxygen (1O2) mediated photooxygenations using continuous flow technology.