Heating enables solid-state motion and improves the yield of a [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction within an organic cocrystal

Abstract

The ability to overcome a suppressed yield for a [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction, due to static disorder, by heating is reported. Increasing the temperature allows the ethylene groups within the reactant to undergo molecular pedal motion, which affords proper alignment of the reactive moieties and enables a quantitative yield for the photocycloaddition. High-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction determines the onset temperature for the induced pedal motion and demonstrates alignment at elevated temperature.