German students accidentally discover stable oxoborane molecules
Two doctoral researchers at the University of Würzburg found the elusive compounds while conducting unrelated chemistry experiments.
Two doctoral students at the University of Würzburg in Germany have discovered a class of molecules that chemists have struggled to isolate since the 1960s, according to the Times of India.
The researchers, Lukas Lubczyk and Christian Markl, noticed unusual orange and yellow solids forming during separate experiments involving the compound diboracumulene and various ketones. These substances were later identified as oxoboranes, which contain a triple bond between boron and oxygen.
While scientists previously detected these molecules under extreme conditions, the team successfully prepared three oxoboranes that exist as crystalline solids stable at room temperature. The findings were published in Nature Chemistry on October 27, 2026.
The research team, led by Professor Holger Braunschweig, used X-ray crystallography and computational studies to confirm the structures. The researchers noted that the stability of the compounds may be due to electron-rich chemical groups attached to the boron framework.
The discovery allows for more detailed study of the properties and reactions of these molecules. Initial tests showed the compounds could react with amines, suggesting they may serve as starting points for new chemical reactions.
The researchers at Würzburg are now looking into whether this method can produce other difficult-to-isolate compounds involving different elements.