Reacción a "Organic chemists break century-old Bredt's rule"

The geometry in which atoms are arranged in a molecule determines many of its properties and, therefore, how they react with other molecules. There are chemical bonds which, because of their characteristics, have a fairly rigid arrangement. When these bonds are found in compounds with a distorted geometry, they can give rise to highly reactive species. This is the case of double bonds in certain arrangements of cyclic compounds.

Bredt's rule rules out the existence of compounds with such arrangements. What the authors of the paper demonstrate is that such compounds, even those under high stress, can exist long enough to react with other substances. This study, which could lead to changes in advanced Organic Chemistry textbooks, will also allow new reactivities to be explored. The scope of this publication will be seen in the coming years, depending on how this reaction can be controlled and what products can be obtained through it.