Publications [#324540] of Stephen L Craig

Journal Articles

1. Wang, J; Kouznetsova, TB; Niu, Z; Rheingold, AL; Craig, SL, Accelerating a Mechanically Driven anti-Woodward-Hoffmann Ring Opening with a Polymer Lever Arm Effect., The Journal of organic chemistry, vol. 80 no. 23 (December, 2015), pp. 11895-11898 [doi]
   (last updated on 2026/01/16)

   Abstract:
   Mechanical forces have previously been used to drive reactions along pathways that violate the orbital symmetry effects captured in the Woodward-Hoffmann rules. Here, we show that a polymer "lever arm effect" can provide a mechanical advantage in accelerating the symmetry forbidden disrotatory ring opening of benzocyclobutene (BCB). Addition of an α-E-alkene to the BCB mechanophore drops the force required to induce reactions on the ∼0.1 s time scale of single-molecule force spectroscopy experiments from 1370 to 920 pN.