Scientists Turn Methane Into Medicine Using Light

Scientists have cracked a puzzle that's stumped researchers for decades: how to turn humble natural gas into complex medicines.

A team at the University of Santiago de Compostela developed a new method that uses LED light and an iron-based catalyst to transform methane into valuable chemical building blocks. The best part? They've already created a real hormone therapy drug called dimestrol directly from methane for the first time ever.

Methane is the main ingredient in natural gas, one of Earth's most abundant resources. Today, we mostly just burn it for heat and electricity, releasing greenhouse gases in the process. The problem is that methane molecules are incredibly stable and stubborn, refusing to react easily with other chemicals.

The research team, led by Professor Martín Fañanás, designed a clever catalyst that performs a process called allylation. Think of it like attaching a chemical "handle" to methane that other chemists can grab onto later to build whatever they need.

The real innovation came from solving a tricky problem. Earlier attempts kept triggering unwanted chlorination reactions that created useless byproducts. The new catalyst uses a network of hydrogen bonds around an iron atom that guides the reaction in exactly the right direction, like chemical traffic control.

The method runs at relatively mild temperatures and pressures, powered by ordinary LED lights. It relies on iron rather than expensive rare metals, making it both affordable and environmentally friendly.

Why This Inspires

This discovery represents more than just clever chemistry. It opens a path toward a circular economy where we transform abundant natural resources into medicines and materials instead of simply burning them away.

The European Research Council funded this work as part of a broader effort to upgrade natural gas components into higher-value products. In related research, the same team recently found ways to create important industrial chemicals called ketones directly from these gases.

For communities living near natural gas reserves, this could mean new opportunities beyond traditional fuel extraction. Pharmaceutical manufacturing could one day happen closer to raw material sources, potentially creating jobs and reducing transportation impacts.

The CiQUS research center has earned recognition from the Galician government for research excellence and receives support from the European Union's regional development programs. Their work shows how fundamental science can deliver practical benefits that ripple through entire industries.

Converting greenhouse gases into medicines might sound like alchemy, but it's now scientific reality.