Comment on "Single-crystal X-ray structure of 1,3-dimethylcyclobutadiene by confinement in a crystalline matrix"

Igor V Alabugin; Brian Gold; Michael Shatruk; Kirill Kovnir

doi:10.1126/science.1196188

Comment on "Single-crystal X-ray structure of 1,3-dimethylcyclobutadiene by confinement in a crystalline matrix"

Science. 2010 Nov 19;330(6007):1047; author reply 1047. doi: 10.1126/science.1196188.

Authors

Igor V Alabugin¹, Brian Gold, Michael Shatruk, Kirill Kovnir

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA. alabugin@chem.fsu.edu

PMID: 21097920
DOI: 10.1126/science.1196188

Abstract

Legrand et al. (Reports, 16 July 2010, p. 299) reported the experimental observation of square-planar and rectangular-bent geometries of 1,3-dimethylcyclobutadiene (Me(2)CBD) confined within a crystalline matrix. However, we found no evidence for the Me(2)CBD formation. We argue that the experimental x-ray density data are better attributed to the bicyclic β-lactone intermediate where carbon dioxide is covalently bound to cyclobutadiene.

Publication types

Comment
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.