Spectacular demonstration of innovative chemistry

A team of scientists at the Universities of Strathclyde and Newcastle has achieved one of the "most spectacular" demonstrations to date of an innovative form of chemistry which enables chemical bonds to be broken and their fragments trapped - and it could have potential applications in the making of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and materials.

The experiments in 'cleave and capture' chemistry, published by the prestigious journal Nature Chemistry, produced an extreme reaction, with at least six bonds broken in a cyclic ether compound known as THF (tetrahydrofuran).

The researchers were then able to collect all the ion fragments of the broken ring in the form of crystalline compounds that can be isolated. These could then be studied for potential use in other synthetic procedures and possible applications in areas such as pharmaceutical chemistry or material science.

The team of researchers from Strathclyde and from Newcastle University was led by Professor Robert Mulvey, head of inorganic chemistry in Strathclyde's  pepartment of pure and applied chemistry. He said, "Our research showed a new, unexpected reaction which was induced by the use of more reactive mixed-metal synergic bases than previously.

"It was remarkable to see so many bonds broken in the reaction and it was one of the most spectacular demonstrations of cleave and capture chemistry to date. It may seem like chemical carnage but we were able to capture all the fragments in a controlled manner and gather them together.

"Cleave and capture is an exciting new concept in chemistry with a host of possibilities for studying the mechanisms of reactions and using the fragments in other procedures."