TY - JOUR
AU - Zheng, Haiyan
AU - Li, Kuo
AU - Cody, George D.
AU - Tulk, Christopher A.
AU - Dong, Xiao
AU - Gao, Guoying
AU - Molaison, Jamie J.
AU - Liu, Zhenxian
AU - Feygenson, Mikhail
AU - Yang, Wenge
AU - Ivanov, Ilia N.
AU - Basile, Leonardo
AU - Idrobo, Juan-Carlos
AU - Guthrie, Malcolm
AU - Mao, Ho-kwang
TI - Polymerization of Acetonitrile via a Hydrogen Transfer Reaction from CH 3 to CN under Extreme Conditions
JO - Angewandte Chemie / International edition
VL - 55
IS - 39
SN - 1433-7851
CY - Weinheim
PB - Wiley-VCH
M1 - FZJ-2016-05538
SP - 12040 - 12044
PY - 2016
AB - Acetonitrile (CH$_{3}$CN) is the simplest and one of the most stable nitriles. Reactions usually occur on the C≡N triple bond, while the C−H bond is very inert and can only be activated by a very strong base or a metal catalyst. It is demonstrated that C−H bonds can be activated by the cyano group under high pressure, but at room temperature. The hydrogen atom transfers from the CH3 to CN along the CH⋅⋅⋅N hydrogen bond, which produces an amino group and initiates polymerization to form a dimer, 1D chain, and 2D nanoribbon with mixed sp2 and sp3 bonded carbon. Finally, it transforms into a graphitic polymer by eliminating ammonia. This study shows that applying pressure can induce a distinctive reaction which is guided by the structure of the molecular crystal. It highlights the fact that very inert C−H can be activated by high pressure, even at room temperature and without a catalyst.
LB - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
UR - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000384713100062
C6 - pmid:27561179
DO - DOI:10.1002/anie.201606198
UR - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/819971
ER -