Researchers at the University of Leeds, Johnson Matthey and Pfizer have created a complex organic molecule with the help of an iridium and palladium mixture.

The chemists have used the bimetallic catalysis of the two platinum group metals (pgms) to assemble three molecular building blocks into a complex organic molecule, reports the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Using the bimetallic catalysis, the scientists designed a cascade of reactions occurring sequentially, resulting in three C-C bonds, one tetrasubstituted carbon centre, one spirocyclic ring and one di- or tri-substituted exocyclic alkene.

It is hoped that this development will lead to the generation of expanded cascades of higher complexity, with the researchers using the relative rate data to improve the processes used in the bimetallic catalysis.

Ÿ Adfero Ltd