Last May, I wrote an update to the story sparked by the report of the chemical synthesis of C2.[cite]10.1038/s41467-020-16025-x[/cite] This species has a long history of spectroscopic observation in the gas phase, resulting from its generation at high temperatures.[cite]10.1021/acs.accounts.0c00703[/cite] The chemical synthesis however was done in solution at ambient or low temperatures, a game-changer as they say. Here I give another update to this unfolding story.
Archive for January 20th, 2021
The chemical synthesis of C2: another fascinating twist to the story.
Wednesday, January 20th, 2021The thermal reactions … took precisely the opposite stereochemical course to that which we had predicted
Wednesday, January 20th, 2021The quote of the post title comes from R. B. Woodward explaining the genesis of the discovery of what are now known as the Woodward-Hoffmann rules for pericyclic reactions.[cite]10.1021/ja01080a054[/cite] I first wrote about this in 2012, noting that “for (that) blog, I do not want to investigate the transition states”. Here I take a closer look at this aspect.