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Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Coulomb Explosion Imaging as a Tool to Distinguish Between Stereoisomers
Published on: August 18, 2017
Explosions as a Synthetic Tool? Cycloalkynes as Precursors to Fullerenes, Buckytubes, and Buckyonions
1Pharmazeutisch-Chemisches Institut der Universität, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany).
Abstract:
A provacative question is asked by the title. Explosions will probably not become a general synthetic method, but strained dehydrobenzoannulenes decompose explosively upon heating to give, inter alia, structured, fullerenoid carbon particles. The spectacular thermochemical behavior of these cycloalkynes has fueled hopes that acetylenic cyclophanes such as 1 can be prepared and brought to coalesce to spherical forms of carbon like the fullerenes. Promising progress in this area has recently been made and is highlighted in this contribution.
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