Perfluorocubane—a tiny electron guzzler

Perfluorination gives cubane the capacity to host an extra electron in its inner structure High symmetry arouses a sense of perfection and perennity. The highly symmetrical cubane molecule (C 8 H 8 ), despite its improbable bonding angles, has been synthesized using a complex, multistep approach ( 1...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2022-08, Vol.377 (6607), p.709-709
Main Authors: Krafft, Marie Pierre, Riess, Jean G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chemical Sciences
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Summary:Perfluorination gives cubane the capacity to host an extra electron in its inner structure High symmetry arouses a sense of perfection and perennity. The highly symmetrical cubane molecule (C 8 H 8 ), despite its improbable bonding angles, has been synthesized using a complex, multistep approach ( 1 ). Unexpectedly, the structurally strained and thermodynamically unstable molecule proved to be inert. In the molecular world, symmetry impedes reactivity because no weak spot is available for intrusion. Achieving perfluorination—that is, replacing all hydrogens of cubane with much larger fluorine atoms—was a challenge, with the reward of creating a perfect nest for hosting an additional electron, thus generating a radical anion. On page 756 of this issue, Sugiyama et al. ( 2 ) report the synthesis of perfluorocubane, C 8 F 8 , contributing to the understanding of electron-accepting perfluorinated polyhedral structures.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.adc9195