UCLA Scientists Break 100-Year Chemistry Rule, Reshaping Organic Synthesis

• UCLA researchers challenged Bredt's rule, a 100-year-old organic chemistry principle limiting carbon-carbon double bonds at specific molecular positions.
• Bredt's rule previously constrained the design of new molecules, particularly impacting pharmaceutical development.
• Published in Science, the study by Neil Garg's team demonstrated creating "anti-Bredt olefins" (ABOs) that defy the rule using a novel synthesis and trapping method.
• The discovery reframes Bredt's rule as a guideline with possible exceptions in dynamic systems, rather than an absolute law.
• This breakthrough opens doors for developing new medicines, advancing industrial chemistry, and creating reactive intermediates for semiconductors.

Why It Matters: Groundbreaking UCLA research rewrites a century-old chemistry rule, unlocking new molecular possibilities.