Bright blue breakthrough: Roberts and Boyn groups publish novel chemical process in Nature
Two vials glow bright neon green under blue lights
The new method of developing complex molecules eliminates wasteful additives in chemical reactions by using low-energy blue light. Photo provided by the Roberts Group.

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (11/18/2025) – A collaborative University of Minnesota Department of Chemistry team has developed a modern, energy-efficient method for making key precursor molecules used in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. Their novel process replaces waste-generating chemical additives with simple low-energy blue light. Associate Professor Courtney Roberts' and Assistant Professor Jan-Niklas Boyn's research groups recently published this now patent-pending work in Nature, opening doors to a more sustainable path for building complex molecules across chemistry and materials science.

Read the full news article on the College of Science and Engineering website.

Read the full research paper entitled, “Myriad aryne derivatives from carboxylic acids,” on the Nature Communications website.

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