Chemists have successfully generated an unstable molecule in water, a feat once believed to be impossible.

Chemists have confirmed a 67-year-old theory about vitamin B1 by stabilizing a highly reactive molecule in water, a breakthrough that was long considered impossible. This discovery not only resolves a long-standing biochemical question but also paves the way for more sustainable and efficient methods of producing pharmaceuticals.

The molecule involved is a carbene, a form of carbon atom with only six valence electrons instead of the usual eight. This electron deficiency makes carbenes extremely unstable and reactive, especially in water, where they typically break down almost immediately. However, for decades, scientists have suspected that vitamin B1, or thiamine, might form a carbene-like intermediate during essential reactions in the body. //

The reference is to Ronald Breslow, a Columbia University chemist who proposed in 1958 that vitamin B1 could convert into a carbene to drive biochemical transformations in the body. Breslow’s idea was compelling, but carbenes were so unstable, especially in water, that no one could prove they actually existed in a biological setting. //

Beyond confirming a biochemical hypothesis, the discovery has practical implications. Carbenes are often used as “ligands,” or support structures, in metal-based catalysts — the chemical workhorses used to produce pharmaceuticals, fuels, and other materials. Most of these processes rely on toxic organic solvents. The researchers’ method of stabilizing carbenes in water could help make those reactions cleaner, less expensive, and safer.

“Water is the ideal solvent — it’s abundant, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly,” Raviprolu said. “If we can get these powerful catalysts to work in water, that’s a big step toward greener chemistry.”