Metal-cored molecule is the first of its kind

Musgrave, Rebecca

doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01135-7

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30 April 2025

Metal-cored molecule is the first of its kind

A new class of organometallic compound has been made that has a distinctive geometry and electronic structure — with potential for catalysis and materials science.

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Rebecca Musgrave⁰

Rebecca Musgrave
1. Rebecca Musgrave is in the Department of Chemistry, King’s College London, London SE1 1DB, UK.
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In the 1950s, seminal research into compounds featuring flat hydrocarbon rings and metal atoms¹ sparked a burst of growth in the field of organometallic chemistry — the study of compounds that contain bonds between metal and carbon atoms. Today, a vast number of organometallic compounds have been made, many of which have a crucial role in catalysis and materials science. However, the discovery of a new class of organometallic compound is rare. Writing in Nature, Xu et al.² report the synthesis of a type of organometallic molecule that has, until now, eluded preparation. Such molecules have an unusual electronic structure and hold promise as building blocks for a range of applications.

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Nature 641, 43-44 (2025)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-01135-7

References

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Xu, B. et al. Nature 641, 106–111 (2025).
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Liu, H., Liu, Y. & Zhu, D. J. Mater. Chem. 21, 3335–3345 (2011).
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The author declares no competing interests.

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[1] Fischer, E. O. & Hafner, W. Z. Naturforsch. B 10, 665–668 (1955).
Article Google Scholar

[2] Xu, B. et al. Nature 641, 106–111 (2025).
Article Google Scholar

[3] Faraday, M. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 115, 440–466 (1825).
Article Google Scholar

[4] Merino, G. et al. Chem. Sci. 14, 5569–5576 (2023).
Article PubMed Google Scholar

[5] Seyferth, D. Organometallics 21, 2800–2820 (2002).
Article Google Scholar

[6] Senge, M. O., Sergeeva, N. N. & Hale, K. J. Chem. Soc. Rev. 50, 4730–4789 (2021).
Article PubMed Google Scholar

[7] Lash, T. D. Chem. Rev. 117, 2313–2446 (2017).
Article PubMed Google Scholar

[8] Xu, B. et al. Nature Commun. 15, 4378 (2024).
Article PubMed Google Scholar

[9] Elliott, G. P., Roper, W. R. & Waters, J. M. J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. 1982, 811–813 (1982).
Article Google Scholar

[10] Chen, D., Xie, Q. & Zhu, J. Acc. Chem. Res. 52, 1449–1460 (2019).
Article PubMed Google Scholar

[11] Liu, H., Liu, Y. & Zhu, D. J. Mater. Chem. 21, 3335–3345 (2011).
Article Google Scholar

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