Hexacoordinated Carbon Atom Detected

Scientists from Freie Universität Berlin Demonstrated Existence of Unusual Organic Molecule with a Hexacoordinated Carbon Atom. ' 052/2017 from Mar 14, 2017 Scientists from Freie Universität Berlin have isolated an organic molecule whose structure seems to contradict fundamental principles of organic chemistry. "The doubly positively charged ion of the organic molecule hexamethylbenzene with the formula C₆(CH₃)₆²⁺ has a pyramidal structure with a pentagon as the base area," explains Dr. Moritz Malischewski of Freie Universität, who led the research. Benzene compounds normally have a flat six-membered ring consisting of six carbon atoms. "We are confident that this molecule will at some point be included in the textbooks of organic chemistry," says Prof. Konrad Seppelt, who was involved in the study. At the current state of research, it appears that application possibilities for the newly discovered carbon compound are unlikely. "The existence of the compound is limited to solutions in superacids at low temperatures," says Malischewski.