Issue 26, 2025

“On-seawater” accelerated aquacatalysis by edible fatty acids: harnessing the remarkable salting-out effect

Abstract

Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) are widely recognized for their metabolic and therapeutic benefits, yet their potential as catalysts for chemical reactions remains elusive. Herein, we report the development of a sustainable aquacatalytic system utilizing MCFAs, particularly caprylic acid, for Brønsted acid-catalyzed carbonyl allylation under “on-water” conditions. This approach leveraged the salting-out effect induced by NaCl to suppress micelle formation and enhance interfacial catalysis. By employing unrefined seawater and edible sea salt as cost-effective additives, the system enables the efficient allylation of aldehydes without a catalyst and the caprylic acid-catalyzed allylation of ketones. This reaction is scalable to gram-scale synthesis using a chromatography-free purification process, offering a practical and sustainable route for producing active pharmaceutical ingredients. Furthermore, the mild reaction conditions and compatibility with aqueous media facilitated successful on-DNA allylation, underscoring the potential of DNA-encoded library applications in drug discovery. This study highlights the unprecedented utility of MCFAs as renewable catalysts and establishes a versatile and environmentally friendly platform for aquatic organic transformations.

Graphical abstract: “On-seawater” accelerated aquacatalysis by edible fatty acids: harnessing the remarkable salting-out effect

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
24 Mar 2025
Accepted
02 Jun 2025
First published
03 Jun 2025
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Green Chem., 2025,27, 7960-7972

“On-seawater” accelerated aquacatalysis by edible fatty acids: harnessing the remarkable salting-out effect

S. B. Kim, S. J. Hong, D. H. Kim, G. M. Lee, Y. Lim, S. Lee, Y. Kwon and H. Y. Bae, Green Chem., 2025, 27, 7960 DOI: 10.1039/D5GC01441G

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