Spin covalent chemistry of carbon

TL;DR

This review explores the unique spin covalent chemistry of carbon, defining its theoretical framework, and discussing its implications for chemical modification, polymerization, and catalysis involving carbon compounds.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of spin covalent chemistry of carbon and develops a mathematical framework to understand and predict its chemical behavior.

Findings

Carbon exhibits unique spin covalent chemistry not seen in other elements.

The mathematical apparatus enables algorithms for chemical modification and catalysis involving carbon.

Spin covalent chemistry provides a virtual analog supplementing empirical understanding.

Abstract

This review presents the covalent chemistry of carbon within the spin-radical concept of electron interaction. Using the language of valence bond trimodality, the regions of classical spinless covalence and its spin counterpart are defined. Carbon is the only element exhibiting spin covalent chemistry. Classical covalent chemistry of carbon concerns molecular substances whose valence bond structure includes segregate or chained single sp3C-C bonds. Substances with double sp2C-C and triple sp1C-C bonds are the subject of spin covalent chemistry of carbon. The mathematical apparatus of spin covalence forms the basis of algorithms governing the chemical modification of carbon substances, polymerization processes, and catalysis involving them, making it possible to supplement the empirical spin covalent chemistry of carbon with its virtual analog.