Effective with fluorine
Although fluorine and chlorine in their gaseous form are toxic, caustic and corrosive, they are indispensable as chemical precursors. Prof. Antonio Togni and his team have developed an alternative synthetic pathway that makes fluorine chemistry more simple and attractive for chemists.
Some pharmaceuticals are only effective because they contain fluorine atoms. Strategic installation of fluorine allows better penetration of cell membranes and slows down metabolic decomposition. Unfortunately, the installation of polyfluorinated functional groups often requires harsh reagents such as fluorine gas, which is quite difficult to handle, thus hindering the development of the full potential of fluorine chemistry. Cody Ross Pitts, Nico Santschi and Antonio Togni have developed a synthetic pathway that works without problematic gas reagents and uses rather mild-reacting solids instead.
Contact / Links:
Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, Prof. Antonio Togni
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