Saralnama
Scientists at Chiba University, Japan, found a new way to change a tough part of the indole molecule using copper. Indole is important because it forms the base of many natural and medical compounds. The team used a copper catalyst to attach chemical groups at the C5 position of indole, which was difficult before. This method gave high yields, up to 91%, and works with many types of indole molecules. The copper helps by stabilizing an intermediate step in the reaction. This discovery could make drug development cheaper and easier. The research was led by Associate Professor Shingo Harada and published in Chemical Science. The team plans to explore more ways to build useful indole-based molecules that may help treat diseases in the future. (Updated 26 Aug 2025, 21:36 IST; source: link)