Light-activated catalyst sorts mirror-image molecules by resetting carbon–halogen bonds

A photograph of the reaction setup, with blue LEDs shining on the reaction vessel

Source: © Feng Zhong et al/Springer Nature Limited 2025

Photocatalytic reaction that inverts chiral centres offers new way to enrich racemic mixtures

A new light-activated catalyst breaks and resets carbon–halogen bonds to convert racemic mixtures into enantiomerically enriched products. It is the first time that such a technique has targeted bonds involving heteroatoms. The process could streamline the synthesis of chiral pharmaceuticals, where precise enantiomer control is essential for biological activity.