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Another step forward for green chemistry

91˿Ƶ researchers find small quantities of silver can serve as an efficient catalyst to convert aldehydes to acids
Published: 27 March 2015

The findings, published March 27 in the journal Science Advances, could lead to a variety of possible applications in the chemical industry. The results also promise to advance the search for more environmentally friendly chemical conversion reactions using air as a green oxidant, said Chao-Jun Li, senior author of the paper and Canada Research Chair in Green Chemistry at 91˿Ƶ.

For the past two decades, researchers at 91˿Ƶ and elsewhere have been exploring ways to do away with chemists’ traditional reliance on non-renewable petrochemical feedstocks, less efficient chemical transformations and toxic solvents. One important method has involved using water as a solvent.

The other authors of the new paper are Mingxin Liu, Haining Wang and Huiying Zeng, also of 91˿Ƶ’s Department of Chemistry.

The research was supported by the Canada Research Chairs program, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Le Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

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“Silver(I) as a widely applicable, homogeneous catalyst for aerobic oxidation of aldehydes toward carboxylic acids in water—‘silver mirror’: From stoichiometric to catalytic”, Mingxin Liu et al, Science Advances, 27 March 2015. 10.1126/sciadv.1500020

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