Overview

• The discovery confirms Linus Pauling's 1931 theory about the existence of single-electron covalent bonds.
• This is the first experimental evidence of a stable single-electron bond between carbon atoms.
• The bond was identified in a derivative of hexaphenylethane subjected to an oxidation reaction with iodine.
• X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy were used to confirm the presence of the single-electron sigma bond.
• The findings, published in Nature, are expected to advance the understanding of chemical bonding and reactions.