Just out: Mechanistic insight into low-temperature alkylation of thiophene with styrene over zeolites MCM-22 and β
Communications Chemistry, Published online: 08 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s42004-026-02088-2Friedel-Crafts alkylation reactions are generally accepted to proceed via an electrophilic aromatic substitution mechanism, but alternative pathways remain underexplored. Here, the authors demonstrate that zeolite MCM-22 catalyzes the alkylation of thiophene with styrene through a non-conventional mechanism, highlighting the role of protonated thiophene and offering insights for designing more efficient catalytic processes.
