Rare reaction could reshape drug work
Flinders University reports a rare new chemical reaction described as 'entirely new' with immediate uses in drug and protein science — researchers say it could be broadly useful across fields. — outlets are already linking the discovery to accelerated drug development workflows. (x.com) (x.com)
The finding is reported in a Nature Chemistry paper titled "Spontaneous trisulfide metathesis in polar aprotic solvents" (DOI 10.1038/s41557-026-02091-z) with Harshal D. Patel as first author and Justin M. Chalker as senior author. (nature.com) The chemistry—termed trisulfide metathesis—causes organic trisulfides to exchange sulfur partners spontaneously in polar aprotic solvents (for example DMF), reaching equilibrium in some cases within seconds and requiring no added reagents, heat or light. (nature.com) The team used the reaction to directly modify complex natural products, explicitly demonstrating modification of the anti‑tumor compound calicheamicin and construction of dynamic combinatorial libraries relevant to drug discovery. (phys.org) The authors also translated the mechanism into S–S metathesis polymerization and depolymerization to produce polyethylene‑analog materials that can be chemically recycled back to original building blocks. (nature.com) Funding and institutional details include Australian Research Council support (Unusual Trisulfide Chemistry DP230100587) and a new ARC Discovery grant DP260100466 for recyclable polymers, and the work grew from exploratory observations by Professor Justin Chalker together with Liverpool’s Dr Tom Hasell. (eurekalert.org) The Nature Chemistry manuscript records the submission on 28 March 2025 and acceptance on 9 February 2026, and its experimental section emphasizes both inter‑ and intramolecular trisulfide metathesis with unusually high rates and selectivity. (nature.com)
