One electron σ-bonds were first proposed in 1931 but most discussion since then has been at a theoretical level. The first experimentally observed single-electron C–C bond both advances our fundamental understanding of bonding and provides the basis of an approach to creating a new class of molecules.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant 22205197) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2024BSSXM04). Sincere gratitude to J. Zhang (Stratingh Institute of Chemistry, University of Groningen) for his help and valuable suggestions.
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Xiong, Z., Zhang, H. Exploring the boundaries of covalency. Nat Rev Chem 8, 875–876 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-024-00672-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-024-00672-5
