New sustainable catalysis moves away from rare earth metals

A team of scientists at the University of Huddersfield have developed a new chemical reaction that is catalysed by the use of simple iron salts.

This provides an inexpensive, abundant and sustainable alternative to scarcer and therefore more expensive metals. This new reaction could lead to more affordable medicines due to its use in the pharmaceutical and agrichemical sectors.

Project leader Professor Joe Sweeney, from the University of Huddersfield, said: “Most of the catalytes that are in current use are so-called scarce metals such as rhodium, palladium, platinum or iridium. But if you look at tables of abundance in the earth’s crust, these metals are all right at the bottom, so there has been a big push towards devising catalytic processes that use more sustainable catalysts, such as iron, which is probably the most abundant metal.”

This new reaction is believed to be a thousand times cheaper than an equivalent process and can be carried out using standard laboratory apparatus at room temperature. The researchers have patented the core reaction and are continuing their research.

Catalysis, an essential part of the chemical industry, has been estimated to support up to 40% of the world’s GDP. An added bonus of using iron is that it is not deemed toxic.

Professor Sweeney said: “We are keen to establish connectivity with companies, so we can get these compounds out into industry as quickly as possible.”