Scientists Capture the Entire Lifecycle of a Chemical Catalyst; from the Cradle to the Grave

20 Apr 2026

Ground‑breaking new study, involving Ben O'Donoghue from the McGlacken Group, School of Chemistry, University College Cork (UCC) reveals how ‘earth‑abundant’ metals like manganese work to speed up chemical transformations, which could aid the sustainability of drug manufacture. 

In the race to create life‑saving medicines, precious metals such as palladium have long been one of the most common ingredients in modern drug synthesis. The metal acts as a catalyst by speeding up chemical reactions, but it comes with significant drawbacks. Many metals are costly, often toxic, and mined in geopolitically sensitive regions, raising concerns about sustainability, security of supply, and environmental impact. 

Now, an international team of researchers are exploring earth‑abundant metals such as manganese as a safer, cheaper, and more sustainable alternative to precious metals. These metals are far less toxic, widely available, and have the potential to reshape how vital medicines are made. 

The work was partially funded through a Research Ireland Frontiers for the Future Award to Professor Gerard McGlacken. 

To fully harness the potential of manganese catalysts, scientists need to understand how they function. However, the processes occur too rapidly to be observed with traditional laboratory equipment. In an exciting new collaboration involving University College Cork, the University of York and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, researchers have now succeeded in capturing manganese catalysts while they work.

Using cutting‑edge infrared spectroscopy, the team was able to observe the catalysts’ behaviour every femtosecond (one millionth of one billionth of a second!). This means that for the first time, chemists can observe the entire catalytic process unfolding, from initiation to termination (from the cradle to the grave!). 

This breakthrough deepens our scientific understanding of manganese‑based catalysis, unlocking the potential to design cleaner and more sustainable drug synthesis routes. 

The full study is published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.