Bayer and Rhodia ChiRex combine strength to consolidate expertise in the field of homogeneous catalysis
Leverkusen/Boston - Bayer AG, Leverkusen, and Rhodia ChiRex Inc., Boston, USA, have signed license agreements with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA, to develop catalytic processes for the preparation of aromatic amines and ethers using technology developed by Prof. Stephen L. Buchwald. This technology, covered by several MIT patents, is based on very efficient and innovative catalysis containing transition metal complexes.
The license agreements with MIT will enable the two companies to use the Buchwald methodology for the production of intermediates and active ingredients in major segments of the life science area. Bayer and Rhodia ChiRex will also conduct research to develop new catalytic processes based on this still young technology. This technique consists in the transformation of readily available aromatic derivatives by creation of C-N and C-O bonds with the formation of arylamine and arylether derivatives. The reactions are conducted with the help of transition metal complexes of palladium, platinium and nickel and utilize a novel class of phosphines as ligands.
The catalytic processes which take place under mild conditions are highly selective and produce good yields of the desired products. Buchwald and his colleagues have developed this technology at MIT, beginning in the mid nineties. Since then, continual improvements have been made in order to arrive at more practical and efficient catalysts. Commenting on the significance of these transformations, Buchwald said: "A large percentage of pharmaceutically active ingredients and about one third of all the known organic compounds contain amino moieties. This gives some ideas of the importance of high performance and versatile methods for the synthesis of aromatic amines. This methodology is already widely used in discovery laboratories of pharmaceutical companies worldwide. The MIT team hopes that this collaborative effort will further enhance the utility of this chemistry and make it a practical avenue for the preparation of aryl amines and ethers."
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