First synthesis of 1-azahomocubane shows nitrogen can take the strain
Chemists overcome synthetic challenges to finally incorporate a nitrogen atom into the homocubane skeleton
Researchers in Australia and the US have synthesised and characterised 1-azahomocubane, over 50 years after the first reported synthesis of cubane. Their 16-step synthesis overcomes the main bugbear of making cubane frameworks – undesired rearrangement reactions of high-energy intermediates.