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Updated: Oct 5, 2025

Isolating Free Carbenes, their Mixed Dimers and Organic Radicals
Published on: April 19, 2019
Organic radical reactions confined to containers in supramolecular systems
Rui Wang1, Julius Rebek1,2, Yang Yu1
1Center for Supramolecular Chemistry & Catalysis and Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Shanghai University, 99 Shang-Da Road, Shanghai 200444, China. yangyu2017@shu.edu.
Abstract:
Radical chemistry and host-guest chemistry have each developed rapidly over the past decades and their intersection offers an attractive opportunity for modern applications. Radicals can be introduced into the frameworks of supramolecular hosts or radicals can be guests, generated in and confined to host containers. In this highlight we outline research achievements in both approaches, photoinduced and external reagent-initiated radicals in the host. Specific topics include rearrangement and fragmentation reactions, hydrocarbon oxidation and alkyl halide reductions of molecules confined to various supramolecular complexes. Applications to challenging problems in chemical synthesis are suggested.
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