A new AI tool finds ways to turn chemical waste into other useful products

 

Historically, the emphasis has been put on making stuff, and few people have cared about what to do with all the junk left as a by-product. A new AI computer synthesis platform called Allchemy has the ability to identify different drugs and agrochemicals that can be made from the chemical by-products. The software can simply try all the options and finally solve a problem no human chemist would ever be able to tackle because of its sheer volume. After predicting feasible synthetic routes, the program applies environmental, economic and geographic considerations to rank the reactions and even suggests greener alternatives to the known pathways. 

A Wołos et al, Nature, 2022, 604, 668 (DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04503-9)



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