Understanding cycloaddition mechanisms is beneficial for the creation of extended carbon nanostructures, yet traditional models often overlook symmetry-based mechanistic effects. Here, the authors employ topological classifiers to identify symmetry-forbidden pathways in polycyclic aromatic azomethine ylide cycloadditions, revealing that topologically-allowed endothermic reactions can guide nanographene engineering.
- Juan Li
- Amir Mirzanejad
- Carlos-Andres Palma