Bridged or caged polycyclic hydrocarbons have unique structures and potential applications in materials science and medicinal chemistry due to their rigid, 3D spatial orientation of substituents.
In a recent study, researchers from SpiroChem AG and the University of Nottingham used small molecule single crystal diffraction at Diamond to investigate cuneanes – rarely studied hydrocarbons formed by rearranging cubanes1– to explore their potential as building blocks in medicinal chemistry and improve how medicines work.