At a Glance
- Scientists have confirmed that vitamin B1 can stabilize a reactive molecule called a carbene in water, proving a 67-year-old biochemical theory once thought impossible.
- Carbenes, which have only six valence electrons, are typically unstable in water, but researchers showed that vitamin B1 can support their formation in cellular reactions.
- The research team stabilized the carbene by building a protective structure around it, allowing its existence in water to be observed using advanced imaging techniques.
- This breakthrough validates chemist Ronald Breslow’s long-standing theory and paves the way for using carbenes in aqueous chemical reactions.
- The findings could lead to greener industrial processes by replacing toxic solvents with water in reactions that use carbenes to produce drugs and fuels.
In a groundbreaking study, scientists have confirmed a 67-year-old theory about the role of vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, in biochemical reactions within the human body. The study, published in Science Advances, provides evidence that the highly reactive molecule known as a carbene can be stabilized and exist in water—something long thought impossible. This discovery solves a long-standing biochemical mystery and holds the potential for creating more environmentally friendly and efficient chemical processes, including pharmaceutical production.
Carbenes are a type of molecule where a carbon atom has only six valence electrons instead of the usual eight, making them highly reactive and unstable. For decades, researchers have suspected that vitamin B1 might form a carbene to help drive important biochemical reactions in cells. However, the instability of carbenes in water made it impossible to confirm this theory. Thanks to a research team led by Vincent Lavallo at the University of California, Riverside, carbenes have been successfully stabilized in water, providing solid evidence to back up a theory first proposed by chemist Ronald Breslow in 1958.
Lavallo’s team created a special “suit of armor” around the reactive molecule to stabilize the carbene. This protective structure shields the unstable part of the carbene from the surrounding water, allowing it to remain intact long enough to be studied. Using advanced techniques like nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography, the team was able to observe the carbene and confirm that it could exist in water. This breakthrough proves Breslow’s hypothesis and opens up new possibilities for using carbenes in various chemical reactions.
The implications of this discovery extend beyond just confirming a biochemical theory. Carbenes are already used in industrial processes, particularly in metal-based catalysts that help produce pharmaceuticals, fuels, and other materials. Traditionally, these processes rely on toxic organic solvents, but the new ability to use water as a solvent for these reactions could make them cleaner, safer, and more cost-effective. This research also brings scientists closer to mimicking the chemistry that occurs naturally in living cells mainly composed of water.
References
- Raviprolu, V. T., Gregory, A., Banda, I., McArthur, S. G., McArthur, S. E., Goddard, W. A., Musgrave, C. B., & Lavallo, V. (2025). Confirmation of Breslow’s hypothesis: A carbene stable in liquid water. Science Advances, 11(15), eadr9681. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr9681
- Bernstein, J. & University of California- Riverside. (2025, April 21). Scientists finally confirm vitamin B1 hypothesis from 1958. Phys.Org; University of California- Riverside. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-scientists-vitamin-b1-hypothesis.html
