“Chemists in Guy Bertrand’s team at the CNRS “Joint Research Laboratory” (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California – San Diego) have just taken another step forward by isolating the very first stable compound in which there are only 4 valence electrons left on the carbon. To achieve this first, the chemists introduced bulky substituents on the periphery of the carbene to electronically stabilize this otherwise unstable species. This strategy also made possible its characterization by X-ray crystallography, providing proof of this atypical valence state…”
Original article from CNRS Chimie by CCdM
