Chinese scientists unveil shortcut to turn coal into high-value drug ingredients

• Solves a 160-year-old chemical challenge by efficiently converting olefins into valuable alkynes under mild conditions.

• Enables low-cost coal-derived materials to be upgraded into high-value pharmaceutical ingredients.

• Revives overlooked reagent selenanthrene for precise molecular transformation.

• Supports China’s shift from bulk plastics to high-value fine chemicals.

• Reduces oil dependence while boosting economic returns from abundant coal resources.

Breakthrough study in Nature offers new path for China’s coal-based chemical industry

Chinese scientists have developed a pioneering method to transform cheap coal-derived materials into high-value ingredients used in medicines, marking a major advance for both chemistry and China’s industrial strategy.

In a study published on March 16 in the journal Nature, a team led by Professor Jiao Ning at Peking University reported that they had solved a chemical puzzle that had frustrated researchers for more than 160 years. Their discovery provides a mild and efficient way to convert inexpensive industrial feedstock known as olefins into far more valuable compounds called alkynes.

The breakthrough is being hailed as a conceptual shift in molecular synthesis and a potential gateway for China’s coal-based chemical industry to move into the production of high-value fine chemicals.

From abundance to scarcity

At the heart of the discovery are two fundamental building blocks of organic chemistry: olefins and alkynes.

Olefins contain a carbon-carbon double bond, a relatively reactive structure often described as a “bent line”. They are produced globally on a massive scale at low cost, typically from oil through high-temperature processes. In China, however, olefins are also manufactured from coal by first converting coal into methanol and then into olefins — a process of strategic importance for a country rich in coal but poor in oil resources.

Alkynes, by contrast, contain a carbon-carbon triple bond. This structure gives them a linear geometry and distinctive chemical reactivity, making them essential components in the synthesis of complex pharmaceuticals such as the antibacterial drug retapamulin, the antiviral medication grazoprevir and the cancer treatment erlotinib. They are also used in herbicides and insecticides.

While olefins are abundant and inexpensive, alkynes are relatively scarce and costly. They are usually produced through complex, multi-step chemical synthesis, often with limited yields. The ability to efficiently convert cheap olefins into valuable alkynes has long been seen as a potentially transformative step with significant economic implications.

A 160-year-old challenge

The concept of turning olefins into alkynes dates back to 1861. Traditional approaches, however, required extreme conditions, including high temperatures and strong bases. These harsh methods were inefficient and frequently damaged other delicate parts of the molecule, restricting their practical use.

Despite incremental improvements over the decades, the fundamental challenge remained unresolved.

Rather than refining conventional methods, Jiao’s team adopted an unconventional approach by reviving a largely forgotten reagent: selenanthrene.

First synthesised in 1896, selenanthrene had been overlooked for more than 130 years and had never been used in a synthetic reaction. After years of investigation, the researchers discovered that the compound possessed a unique capability. It could temporarily attach to an olefin’s double bond, alter the molecule’s structure and then detach cleanly without leaving residual fragments.

Molecular “surgery”

Using this insight, the team developed a new process resembling delicate molecular surgery.

In the first step, selenanthrene binds to the olefin’s double bond. Under mild conditions, the molecule is then reshaped, converting the “bent” double bond into a “straight” triple bond. Once the transformation is complete, the reagent can be removed and recovered for reuse.

The method operates under relatively gentle conditions and demonstrates high efficiency and practicality. It also allows for control over different three-dimensional forms of the same molecule — a crucial factor in drug development, where a molecule’s spatial arrangement can determine its effectiveness and safety.

The research not only resolves a longstanding academic problem but also holds major industrial implications.

Strategic implications for China

China has already invested heavily in technologies that convert coal into olefins, reducing dependence on imported oil. However, these coal-derived olefins have largely been used to manufacture low-cost plastics.

The new technique opens the possibility of upgrading these same raw materials into high-value chemicals, particularly key components of advanced pharmaceuticals. By enabling the production of essential building blocks for cancer and antiviral drugs, the method could significantly enhance the value generated from China’s abundant coal reserves.

The development reflects a broader strategic shift within China’s chemical industry — focusing not on increasing oil supplies, but on generating greater value through scientific innovation.

From lab to industry

Despite the promise of the discovery, experts caution that commercialisation will require further testing.

A Beijing-based expert, who requested anonymity, noted that scaling up the process for industrial production could present challenges, including potential “scale-up effects” that often emerge when laboratory reactions are transferred to large-scale facilities.

Such issues, the expert said, would need to be carefully evaluated in real-world production environments.

Even so, the breakthrough represents a milestone in both fundamental chemistry and industrial strategy — suggesting that, with the right scientific insight, even a long-standing chemical problem can yield transformative economic potential.