Dietl Nicolas, Engeser Marianne, Schwarz Helmut
Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2009;48(26):4861-3. doi: 10.1002/anie.200901596.
No need for a metal: A combination of mass spectrometry and computational studies (density functional theory and coupled-cluster methods) shows that P(4)O(10) is the first polynuclear nonmetal oxide cation that is capable of activating the C--H bond of methane at room temperature (see picture). This process represents a further example in the reactivity of oxygen-centered radicals.
