Force-sensitive molecule pulled apart to create highly reactive aryne
By 
Lauren Yarrow-Wright2024-09-04T13:23:00
High-intensity ultrasound initiates formal retro-[2+2] cycloaddition by stretching a benzocyclobutene core from strategically placed anchor points
A reactive aryne intermediate can be created by mechanically pulling apart a substituted benzocyclobutene molecule, new research shows. ‘This is a first for mechanochemistry, being able to generate this aryne, and what’s really exciting is that the reactivity we observe is completely different from the thermal reactivity,’ explains Guillaume De Bo, who led the work alongside Qianqian Cheng at the University of Manchester, UK.