As synthetic chemists we are very familiar with making chemical bonds, particularly C-C bonds, and building complex molecules. Having said that, fundamentally, with sufficient energy and entropy in the driving seat, it should be quicker and easier to break molecules apart. Deconstructive processes are not, however, as common as one might think- particularly cleavage of

1. Using an approved drug as a diazomethane surrogate1 A recent paper published in Angewandte Chemie describes the use of Temozolomide (TMZ) as a solid weighable diazomethane surrogate. TMZ is an approved drug and is the standout treatment for gliobastoma.  It is stable weighable solid, with reasonable water solubility.  Under physiological conditions , pH 7.4,

Whilst I was working towards my PhD in the early 90’s I remember reading ‘The Hot Zone’ by Richard Preston.1 Although non-fiction it read very much like a Michael Critchton2 thriller- describing the emergence and spread of viral hemorrhagic fevers and filoviruses such as Ebola and Marburg. Viruses such as Ebola are somewhat self-limiting in that the