Reaction mechanisms
The latest chemistry news and research on reaction mechanisms, including kinetic studies, physical organic chemistry and biochemical mechanisms, from the Royal Society of Chemistry's magazine, Chemistry World
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Article
Water microdroplet chemistry enables catalyst-free Diels–Alder reaction
‘Quasi-benzyne’ radical drives exotic reactivity
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Research
Energetically unfavourable Diels-Alder reaction driven by chemical fuel
Carbodiimide fuel powers rare, thermodynamically unpromising reaction between diene and dienophile
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Research
Machine learning could ‘change the paradigm’ for polaritonic chemistry
Model reveals influence of vibrational strong coupling during light-driven reaction
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Research
Ion-beam experiments probe fundamentals of hydronium–hydroxide neutralisation
Researchers uncover new insights into one of chemistry’s most fundamental equilibrium reactions
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Research
Plasma–microdroplet fusion enables catalyst-free amine alkylations
Microdroplet chemistry improves selectivity of plasma-mediated alkylation reactions
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Research
Unexpected oscillations clarify mechanism of 100 year-old Fischer–Tropsch reaction
Discovery could pave the way to improved design of catalysts
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Research
Electrophilic aromatic bromination study casts doubt on textbook intermediate
New computational evidence that electrophilic aromatic bromination actually occurs via an addition–elimination mechanism
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Research
Polymer upcycling strategy adds azide groups with electrocatalysis
Azido-modifications serve as diversification points for click transformations
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Research
Formation of chiral centres monitored in real time
Michael addition observed at single-molecule level
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Research
Charge-transfer interactions during C–H activation directly observed
New insights could guide the design of better catalysts
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Feature
Editing the structure of molecules
Nina Notman meets the chemists expanding the toolbox of reactions capable of adding, deleting and switching single atoms in rings at the heart of organic molecules
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Research
Surprise as electric fields found to cleave bond homolytically
Study also uncovers that the reaction rate in a field increases linearly with the solvent dielectric constant
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Research
AI model accurately classifies reaction mechanisms
Machine learning ‘surpasses chemist experts’ in identifying chemical processes
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Research
Time-resolved spectroscopy shines new light on migratory insertion mechanism
Using lasers to probe metal-centred reactions leads to new understanding of highly reactive catalytic intermediates
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Research
Water works as a monomer in polymer synthesis
Water monomers form direct linkages in polymer backbones when used to synthesise polyethersulfones
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Research
Spotlight shone on sped up photochemical reactions in droplets
Light can produce ‘hot spots’ in aerosols that supercharge reaction rates
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Research
Microscopy unveils piece-by-piece formation of 2D covalent polymers
New results provide ‘fundamental insights’ on the growth of covalent organic framework monolayers
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Opinion
We need our simple symbols, but machines might not
Will the curly arrow still be with us in another 100 years?
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Opinion
A century of curly arrows
Celebrating the simple symbols that – along with their straight counterparts – encapsulate complex chemical behaviours
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Feature
Wiring up organic synthesis
James Mitchell Crow talks to the organic chemists using electrochemistry to add or remove electrons to their molecules at the flick of a switch