TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian researchers from Kashan University produced a recyclable nanocatalyst to make pharmaceutical products.


The most important achievement of the researchers was to introduce a non-toxic and cheap nanocatalyst through a simple production method to increase the efficiency and to significantly decrease the reaction time. The nanocatalyst has so far been produced at laboratorial scale.

Chromone derivatives are classified in the group of anti-inflammatory and anticancer drugs. Many of the methods reported for the production of these pharmaceutical products contain the use of toxic catalysts with limited applications. Long reaction time is another problem reported for these processes. Therefore, it is mandatory to create a simple and efficient method for the production of these derivatives without creating any environmental pollution.

According to Leila Javadian, one of the researchers, functionalized iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles have been used in this research in the production of recyclable nanocatalysts. The main application of the catalyst is in the production of chromone derivatives, which have specific medical properties.

The researcher pointed to the advantages of the nanocatalyst, and continued, "The need for using expensive and toxic catalysts, which cause harmful effects on the environment, is fulfilled by using the new catalyst. It seems that the commercialization of the magnetic nanocatalyst is possible due to the simple production method of iron oxide nanoparticles and the use of chitosan as a natural and available polymer."

The proposed nanocatalysts are cheaper than many other catalysts presented in the recent years, and their production method includes less steps. In other words, they decrease the cost for the production of drugs. In addition, the active surface of the catalyst has increased by stabilizing chitosan on iron oxide nanoparticles at nanometric scale. This fact results in increase in the reaction rate.

Results of the research have been published in Ultrasonics Sonochemistry, vol. 22, issue 1, 2015, pp. 341-348.

By Fars News Agency

 

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