The discovery of a stable single-electron covalent bond between two carbon atoms validates a century-old theory.
Covalent bonds, in which two atoms are bound together by sharing a pair of electrons, form the scaffolding that underpins the majority of organic compounds. In 1931, the Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling suggested that covalent bonds made from just a single, unpaired electron could exist, but these single-electron bonds would likely be much weaker than a standard covalent bond involving a pair of electrons.
Now, a team of researchers from Hokkaido University has isolated a compound in which a single electron is shared between two carbon atoms in a remarkably stable covalent bond, known as a sigma bond.
The team used X-ray diffraction analysis to study the crystals and found that the carbon atoms in them were extremely close together, suggesting the presence of single-electron covalent bonds between carbon atoms. They were then able to confirm this using a form of chemical analysis called Raman spectroscopy.
Researchers have used excited-state electron transfer events to 'pump' olefin molecules up and then have them fall back down through a series of favorable steps to ultimately transform into ...
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