Putting 2 and 2 together: A new cobalt-catalyzed route to cyclobutanes
Monday, June 8, 2015 - 12:00
in Physics & Chemistry
Researchers at Princeton have developed a cobalt-catalyzed [2π+2π] reaction that may give unprecedented access to cyclobutanes, four-membered ring-containing molecules. Previous [2π+2π] reactions, so named for their carbon-carbon double bond starting materials called alkenes, have been limited in scope, leaving many cyclobutane compounds out of reach, along with any potentially beneficial properties.