Synthesising Designed Molecules That Cannot Be Made!

Molecules that, in structural terms, go beyond the boundaries of what is currently known both improve our understanding of fundamental science, and have the potential for exciting and important downstream applications. These molecules are not large – they just contain the simplest arrangements of atoms and bonds that have not yet succumbed to synthesis. Examples of designed molecules that we made for the first time are shown below. These structures have redefined our broader knowledge of what can be synthesised. Also shown are examples of molecules that have not yet been prepared, which represent some of the available projects in the group in 2027, with potential applications in wide-ranging fields, from new “smart” materials to medicines. They include molecules with flat cyclohexane rings, or Möbius π-systems, and other crazy stuff.