Elusive crystal structure of borylnitrenes finally captured

Chemists have now captured a snapshot of a highly reactive boron-bound nitrene using in situ crystallography. This is the first time that researchers have been able to study this elusive species, more than 40 years after researchers first predicted that such a borylnitrene could exist.

Nitrenes are highly reactive intermediates, owing to each nitrogen atom having two unpaired electrons. Chemists exploit this reactivity for C–H insertions, cycloadditions or as a route to make isocyanates, for example.