Accidentally leaving a stainless-steel spatula in an overnight experiment has led to the discovery of a more efficient and environmentally friendly method of producing anti-addiction medications.
Chemists have used the accidental breakthrough to optimise the production of opiate-derived medications used for the treatment of alcohol and heroin addiction.
Commonly used anti-addiction drugs such as buprenorphine and naltrexone are produced synthetically through a number of steps, starting from the sap of the opiate poppy plant.
The complex manufacturing process means the cost of producing these medications is significant.
But now the Monash research team has developed a method to produce a higher opiate yield using free radical chemistry and common stainless steel.
Read more at Monash University