Organic Chemistry

Scientists at Nagoya University have developed an iron-based photocatalyst that reduces reliance on rare metals in organic synthesis. The new design uses fewer costly chiral ligands and enables the first asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-heitziamide A. This advance promotes more sustainable chemical reactions under blue LED light.

January 23, 2026 Reported by AI

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have synthesized cage-shaped molecules featuring unusually warped double bonds, defying long-held principles of organic chemistry. This breakthrough builds on their 2024 overturning of Bredt's rule and could influence future drug design. The findings appear in Nature Chemistry.