Organic synthesis is about making new molecules that haven't existed before. That's important for developing new drugs, improved batteries, better plastics, etc.
Organic molecules are networks of atoms, with both a distinct connectivity pattern, and a specific 3D orientation [1] of the atoms to each other. See e.g. the Wikipedia page of Lipitor[2] a picture of the connectivity pattern.
We build these molecules through chemical reactions. Over time, we have become pretty good at creating the connectivity patterns we want. However, achieving the correct 3D arrangement is still challenging.
List and MacMillan developed new chemical reactions that enable us to get both the connectivity, and the 3D aspect right. Such new methods are frequent Nobel contenders, and won e.g. in 2001 with Knowles/Noyori/Sharpless.
As for how these reactions work: it is true that they are catalyst-based and that catalysts speed up reactions, but that perspective is a bit misleading. The key point is that without catalysts, these reactions would not happen at all. So the catalysts List&MacMillan found accelerate some desirable reactions so much that they turn from "practically doesn't happen at all" to "done in an hour".
Congratulations to the outstanding work, and to the Nobel price!
Organic molecules are networks of atoms, with both a distinct connectivity pattern, and a specific 3D orientation [1] of the atoms to each other. See e.g. the Wikipedia page of Lipitor[2] a picture of the connectivity pattern.
We build these molecules through chemical reactions. Over time, we have become pretty good at creating the connectivity patterns we want. However, achieving the correct 3D arrangement is still challenging.
List and MacMillan developed new chemical reactions that enable us to get both the connectivity, and the 3D aspect right. Such new methods are frequent Nobel contenders, and won e.g. in 2001 with Knowles/Noyori/Sharpless.
As for how these reactions work: it is true that they are catalyst-based and that catalysts speed up reactions, but that perspective is a bit misleading. The key point is that without catalysts, these reactions would not happen at all. So the catalysts List&MacMillan found accelerate some desirable reactions so much that they turn from "practically doesn't happen at all" to "done in an hour".
Congratulations to the outstanding work, and to the Nobel price!
[1]: See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chirality_(chemistry) for a deeper look [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atorvastatin [3]: For a deeper look at the chemistry, check out https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2021/10/popular-chemistry... and https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2021/10/advanced-chemistr... -- also shared by _Microft