Study of the Reactivity of Malonate Carbene Derivatives.

Abstract

Carbenes are a class of radical organic reactive intermediate used throughout the chemical industry for the formation of carbon-carbon bonds. This chemistry is important for the synthesis of polymers, pharmaceuticals, and other molecules of interest. Carbenes can also be found in interstellar space. Because of their reactivity, it was discovered that when carbenes reacted with water and a base, they can form a sugar. This discovery lends great support to the Primordial Soup Theory of Life’s origin. Carbenes consist of a central carbon atom with two bonds and two free electrons. The electronic configuration of the carbene is referred to as a singlet or triplet state, describing the pairing and placement of the electrons in the unbound orbitals of the carbon atom. These differing electronic configurations yield different reactivities. Synthesis of carbenes using stable precursors allows for the study of their physical and electronic properties.