Chemistry with a twist
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Cavities promote reactions, and they can also trap the products of reactions. Such (supramolecular) chemistry is used to provide models for how enzymes work, but it also allows un-natural reactions to be undertaken. A recently famous example is the preparation...
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In this post, I will take a look at what must be the most extraordinary small molecule ever made (especially given that it is merely a hydrocarbon). Its peculiarity is the region indicated by the dashed line below. Is it a bond? If so, what kind, given that...
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linked to by 2In 1988, Wilke (DOI: 10.1002/anie.198801851) reported molecule 1A 24-annulene. Click on image for model.It was a highly unexpected outcome of a nickel-catalyzed reaction and was described as a 24-annulene with an unusual 3D shape. Little attention has been...
linked to by 1The diagram below summarizes an interesting result recently reported by Hanson and co-workers (DOI: 10.1021/jo800706y. At ~neutral pH, compound 13 hydrolyses with a half life of 21 minutes, whereas 14 takes 840 minutes. Understanding this difference in reactivity...
Mauksch and Tsogoeva have recently published an article illustrating how a thermal electrocyclic reaction can proceed with distoratory ring closure, whilst simultaneously also exhibiting 4n electron Mbius-aromatic character (DOI 10.1002/anie.200806009). Why...
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Henry Rzepa made an interesting post on rationalizing the difference in half lives of amide hydrolysis in closely related molecules using molecular mechanics. Why not try it for yourself using Avogadro?The screencast shows you how to build the molecules (using...
Careful consideration of orbital topolologies of pericyclic reactions has led to the recent flurry of activity related to Möbius aromaticity, homoaromaticity, and antiaromaticity. I discussed this briefly in Chapter 2 of the book and in these posts (1,...
Careful consideration of orbital topolologies of pericyclic reactions has led to the recent flurry of activity related to Möbius aromaticity, homoaromaticity, and antiaromaticity. I discussed this briefly in Chapter 2 of the book and in these posts (1,...
