A multitalented atom-transfer reagent

In chemistry, as in other art forms, a well-executed mash-up can be greater than the sum of its parts. Researchers at the Technical University of Dortmund , led by Max Hansmann , combined the characteristic parts of two well-known reagents—a phosphorous ylide and a diazo compound— into a versatile new compound for transplanting carbon atoms into organic molecules ( Science 2024, DOI: 10.1126/science.ado4564 ) . "We very quickly saw that we can use it for different purposes depending on the starting material," says Hansmann. The molecule consists of a carbon atom flanked by a triphenylphosphine (PPh 3 ) on one side and dinitrogen on the other. Hansmann says the team's initial motivation was simply to make the compound and explore its properties. The researchers found that the diazophosphorous ylide was fairly straightforward to make by treating an already well-known carbodiphosphorane ylide compound (Ph 3 P=C=PPh 3 ) with nitrous oxide