Foreign Media: Chinese Scientists Solve 160-Year-Old Puzzle, Converting Coal into Pharmaceutical Raw Materials
Chinese scientists have discovered a method to transform inexpensive coal into key components for pharmaceuticals, solving a scientific challenge that has persisted for 160 years. They successfully converted industrial raw material olefins into high-value alkynes—a process previously complex and time-consuming—by finding an efficient and mild shortcut.
The research findings from a team at Peking University were published in the journal Nature on March 16, 2026.
This breakthrough not only revolutionizes the concept of molecular synthesis but also opens new possibilities for China’s coal chemical industry to enter the production of high-value fine chemicals.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1860469031733257/
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