Researchers from Lehigh University in the U.S. and Cardiff University in the U.K. have developed a new catalyst system using gold-palladium nanoparticles which may lead to more environmentally-friendly production methods for spices and perfumes. The chemical, pharmaceutical, and perfume industries use methods for oxidizing primary alcohols for manufacturing many perfumes and flavorings. For example, 95 percent of the world’s vanilla is synthetically manufactured through such oxidation processes, which use reagents that can be expensive and potentially toxic. The new catalyst system uses gold-palladium nanoparticles that enable oxidation without the use of solvents.
