Ruthenium Complexes Can Accelerate the Development of New Medicines
A group of scientists at INEOS RAS, HSE University, and MIPT have synthesised catalysts containing a ruthenium atom and an aromatic ring. The scientists have isolated the mirror forms of these catalysts and investigated their effectiveness in producing heterocycles, which are commonly found in the structures of drugs. The research findings have been published in Chemical Communications.
Isoquinoline derivatives exhibit high biological activity and are widely used as medicines such as diuretics, antibacterials, and antioxidants. One of the key stages in the synthesis of these substances is the activation of carbon-hydrogen bonds in the initial reagents. Typically, this stage must be conducted using catalysts that contain metal atoms.
Palladium compounds are most often used for such syntheses and can rightfully be considered leaders in the number of reactions they accelerate. However, they are not universally applicable. In 1993, a paper by Japanese scientists was published in Nature that described, for the first time, the carbon–hydrogen bond activation using a ruthenium catalyst. Over the last decade, the potential of these reactions has captivated scientists worldwide, with more than 300 papers published on this topic annually.
A group of Russian scientists at the A.N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds of the Russian Academy of Sciences, HSE University, and MIPT has extensive experience working with ruthenium compounds. Thus, in 2022, they obtained a ruthenium complex with an aromatic derivative of natural camphor, but it proved to be ineffective in catalysis. This year, they modified the structure of the compound to make the metal atom more accessible to reagents. A derivative of tetralin, an oil refining product, was chosen as the aromatic ring for binding ruthenium.
The resulting catalyst was separated into two enantiomers. Enantiomers are substances with the same chemical composition but different structures, similar to an object and its mirror image. The scientists used chromatography to separate the enantiomers. This process can be compared to the absorption of liquid by a sponge, where a specially selected compound acts as the sponge, absorbing the enantiomers at different rates.
'We aimed to make the synthesis as brief and straightforward as possible so that other scientists could easily use this method,' explains Dmitry Perekalin, Professor at the Joint Department of Organoelement Chemistry with the INEOS RAS, HSE Faculty of Chemistry, and Head of the Laboratory of Functional Organoelement Compounds at INEOS RAS.
The scientists used the obtained catalyst enantiomers to activate the bonds in benzamide and subsequently complete the cyclic structure of dihydroisoquinoline. The yield of the target substances was between 50% and 80%. According to the authors, the method they have developed can be used for the synthesis of other chiral catalysts, and research in this direction will continue.
The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, Grant 23-13-00345.
See also:
Russian Scientists Propose Method to Speed Up Microwave Filter Design
Researchers at HSE MIEM, in collaboration with colleagues from the Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics (MTUCI), have implemented a novel approach to designing microwave filters—generative synthesis using machine learning tools. The proposed method reduces the filter development cycle from several days to just a few minutes and in the future could be applied to the design of other microwave electronic devices. The results were presented at the IEEE International Conference '2026 Systems of Signals Generating and Processing in the Field of on Board Communications.'
Scientists Find That Only Technological Innovations Consistently Advance Environmental Sustainability
Renewable energy and labour productivity do not always contribute to environmental sustainability. Technological innovation is the only factor that consistently has a positive effect. This is the conclusion reached by an international team of researchers, including Natalia Veselitskaya, Leading Research Fellow at the HSE ISSEK Foresight Centre. The study has been published in Sustainable Development.
HSE Researchers Train Neural Network to Predict Protein–Protein Interactions More Accurately
Scientists at the AI and Digital Science Institute of the HSE Faculty of Computer Science have developed a model capable of predicting protein–protein interactions with 95% accuracy. GSMFormer-PPI integrates three types of protein data (including information about protein surface properties) to analyse relationships between proteins, rather than simply combining datasets as in previous models. The solution could accelerate the discovery of disease molecular mechanisms, biomarkers, and potential therapeutic targets. The paper has been published in Scientific Reports.
HSE Scientists Uncover Mechanism Behind Placental Lipid Metabolism Disorders in Preeclampsia
Scientists at HSE University have discovered that in preeclampsia—one of the most severe complications of pregnancy—the placenta remodels its lipid metabolism, reducing its own cholesterol synthesis while increasing cholesterol transfer to the foetus. This compensatory mechanism helps sustain foetal nutrition but accelerates placental deterioration and may lead to preterm birth. The study findings have been published in Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences.
HSE Experts Reveal Low Accuracy of Technology Forecasts in Transportation
HSE researchers evaluated the accuracy of technology forecasts in the transportation sector over the past 50 years and found that the average accuracy rate does not exceed 25%, with the lowest accuracy observed in aviation and rail transport. According to the scientists, this is due to limitations of the forecasting method and the inherent complexities of the sector. The study findings have been published in Technological Forecasting and Social Change.
Wearable Device Data and Saliva Biomarkers Help Assess Stress Resilience
A team of scientists, including researchers from HSE University, has proposed a method for assessing stress resilience using physiological markers derived from wearable devices and saliva samples. The participants who adapted better to stress showed higher heart rate variability, higher zinc concentrations in saliva, and lower potassium levels. The findings were published in the Journal of Molecular Neuroscience.
When Circumstances Are Stronger Than Habits: How Financial Stress Affects Smoking Cessation
HSE researchers have found that the likelihood of quitting smoking rises with increasing financial struggles. While low levels of financial difficulties do not affect smoking behaviour, moderate financial stress can increase the probability of quitting by 13% to 21%. Responses to high financial stress differ by gender: men are almost 1.5 times more likely to give up cigarettes than under normal conditions, whereas no significant effect is observed on women’s decisions to quit smoking. These conclusions are based on data from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS-HSE) for 2000–2023 and have been published in Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes.
HSE Researchers Propose New Method of Verbal Fluency Analysis for Early Detection of Cognitive Impairment
Researchers from the HSE Center for Language and Brain and the Mental Health Research Centre have proposed a new method of linguistic analysis that enables the distinction between normal and pathological ageing. Using this approach, they showed that patterns in patients’ word choices during verbal fluency tests allow clinicians to more accurately differentiate clinically significant impairments from subjective memory complaints. Incorporating this type of analysis into clinical practice could improve the accuracy of early dementia diagnosis. The results have been published in Applied Neuropsychology: Adult.
How the Brain Processes a Word: HSE Researchers Compare Reading Routes in Adults and Children
Researchers from the HSE Center for Language and Brain used magnetoencephalography to study how the brains of adults and children respond to words during reading. They showed that in children the brain takes longer to process words that are frequently used in everyday speech, while rare words and pseudowords are processed in the same way—slowly and in parts. With age, the system is reorganised: high-frequency words shift to a fast route, whereas new letter combinations are still analysed slowly. The study was published in the journal Psychophysiology.
'Science Can Only Be Done Collaboratively'
On March 19, Academician and Professor Andrey Yaroslavtsev, Head of the Joint Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Material Science with the RAS Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, celebrated his birthday. To mark the occasion, he spoke with the HSE News Service about protons, membranes, and other areas of his research.