Three previously unknown catalytic reactions have been discovered using a chip-based array. The approach is similar to that by which researchers screen molecules for activity against drug targets.
John Hartwig and Daniel Robbins from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign made an array of 345 potential catalysts by combining 15 metal-containing compounds with 23 organic fragments. To each of these candidates, they added 17 diverse small molecules as substrates for the catalytic reactions. Using mass spectrometry, the researchers checked whether any of the combinations had produced products that were heavier than their starting materials, indicating a successful reaction.
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Catalysis on a chip. Nature 477, 253 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/477253a
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/477253a
