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Synthesis

Chemistry In Pictures

Chemistry in Pictures: Aurora

by Craig Bettenhausen
November 27, 2019

A vial swirls with a green glow.
Credit: Andryj Borys

Lewis acid strength, aka the alacrity with which a chemical species accepts electrons, is an important factor in the way that the compound will react. But unlike Brønsted acidity, the ability of an acid to donate a proton, Lewis acidity is difficult to measure quantitatively. The bright green glow of a fluorescent dithienophosphole probe being developed at York University, here shown diffusing into dichloromethane, may give chemists a simple, bench-accessible handle on this important facet of acid-base chemistry.

Submitted by Andryj Borys, @AndryjBorys. Read the papers: Chem. 2019, DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2019.03.022; Chem. 2019, DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2019.05.019.

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