Hardcore Pharmceutics: Cobs to Pills

Furfural is a building block for pharmaceuticals

Since in the 1920s furfural’s antiseptic properties were discovered, it has not only be used for its antiviral, fungicidal and bactericidal properties. Furfural and especially furoic acid serve as starting materials for (complex) synthesis of active ingredients for the pharmaceutical and agricultural applications.

Only about 7% of the global furfural production is consumed by the pharmaceutical or agricultural chemistry.

Furoic Acid

The oldest building block is furoic acid:

Customary process for making furoic acid: Cannizzaro reaction, followed by acidification (Image by DalinYebo)

Antimalarial Medicine

A recent (2012) use of furfural as staring material to synthesise Idolo[3,2-c]quinolines and its derivatives, which is an antimalarial medicine:

Furfural: 6 Steps to Medicine (Image by DalinYebo)