Random Access Memory (RAM) Contacts Waste Catalyzes Organic Reactions

Abstract The direct utilization of metals from electronic waste (e‐waste) in catalysis is a barely explored concept that, however, should be feasible for reactions where the catalytically active species can be formed in situ from the e‐waste metal pieces. This approach circumvents any capture or iso...

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Main Authors: Daniel Pérez de los Cobos‐Pérez, Marta Mon, Antonio Leyva‐Pérez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-06-01
Series:Global Challenges
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.202500069
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author Daniel Pérez de los Cobos‐Pérez
Marta Mon
Antonio Leyva‐Pérez
author_facet Daniel Pérez de los Cobos‐Pérez
Marta Mon
Antonio Leyva‐Pérez
author_sort Daniel Pérez de los Cobos‐Pérez
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The direct utilization of metals from electronic waste (e‐waste) in catalysis is a barely explored concept that, however, should be feasible for reactions where the catalytically active species can be formed in situ from the e‐waste metal pieces. This approach circumvents any capture or isolation of particular metals, thus saving additional treatments (extractions, neutralization, separations, washings, …) and valorizing the e‐waste in its own. Here, it is shown that a metallic contact (≈1 mg) of a computer´s random‐access memory (RAM) catalyzes a variety of organic reactions in high yields. For instance, one RAM contact catalyzes the one‐pot esterification‐hydration reaction between acyl chlorides, propargyl alcohols, and water, at room temperature in 93–99% yields with turnover frequencies >0.5 million per hour. In this way, >50 kg of organic products could be prepared with just the RAM contacts discarded per year in the Institute´s recycling bin. These results open the way to directly use e‐waste in catalysis for organic synthesis.
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institution Kabale University
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spelling doaj-art-0f7680e7f95f437c812c62a6bd1772042025-08-20T03:46:21ZengWileyGlobal Challenges2056-66462025-06-0196n/an/a10.1002/gch2.202500069Random Access Memory (RAM) Contacts Waste Catalyzes Organic ReactionsDaniel Pérez de los Cobos‐Pérez0Marta Mon1Antonio Leyva‐Pérez2Instituto de Tecnología Química (UPV−CSIC) Universitat Politècnica de València−Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Avda. de los Naranjos s/n València 46022 SpainInstituto de Tecnología Química (UPV−CSIC) Universitat Politècnica de València−Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Avda. de los Naranjos s/n València 46022 SpainInstituto de Tecnología Química (UPV−CSIC) Universitat Politècnica de València−Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Avda. de los Naranjos s/n València 46022 SpainAbstract The direct utilization of metals from electronic waste (e‐waste) in catalysis is a barely explored concept that, however, should be feasible for reactions where the catalytically active species can be formed in situ from the e‐waste metal pieces. This approach circumvents any capture or isolation of particular metals, thus saving additional treatments (extractions, neutralization, separations, washings, …) and valorizing the e‐waste in its own. Here, it is shown that a metallic contact (≈1 mg) of a computer´s random‐access memory (RAM) catalyzes a variety of organic reactions in high yields. For instance, one RAM contact catalyzes the one‐pot esterification‐hydration reaction between acyl chlorides, propargyl alcohols, and water, at room temperature in 93–99% yields with turnover frequencies >0.5 million per hour. In this way, >50 kg of organic products could be prepared with just the RAM contacts discarded per year in the Institute´s recycling bin. These results open the way to directly use e‐waste in catalysis for organic synthesis.https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.202500069catalysise‐wastegoldone‐pot reactionsRAM contacts
spellingShingle Daniel Pérez de los Cobos‐Pérez
Marta Mon
Antonio Leyva‐Pérez
Random Access Memory (RAM) Contacts Waste Catalyzes Organic Reactions
Global Challenges
catalysis
e‐waste
gold
one‐pot reactions
RAM contacts
title Random Access Memory (RAM) Contacts Waste Catalyzes Organic Reactions
title_full Random Access Memory (RAM) Contacts Waste Catalyzes Organic Reactions
title_fullStr Random Access Memory (RAM) Contacts Waste Catalyzes Organic Reactions
title_full_unstemmed Random Access Memory (RAM) Contacts Waste Catalyzes Organic Reactions
title_short Random Access Memory (RAM) Contacts Waste Catalyzes Organic Reactions
title_sort random access memory ram contacts waste catalyzes organic reactions
topic catalysis
e‐waste
gold
one‐pot reactions
RAM contacts
url https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.202500069
work_keys_str_mv AT danielperezdeloscobosperez randomaccessmemoryramcontactswastecatalyzesorganicreactions
AT martamon randomaccessmemoryramcontactswastecatalyzesorganicreactions
AT antonioleyvaperez randomaccessmemoryramcontactswastecatalyzesorganicreactions