The tetracoordinate tetrahedral carbon has magnificently served biological systems for millions of years and our imaginations for but a century.1 We here open the problem of stabilizing tetracoordinate planar carbon. It would seem too much to hope for a simple carbon compound to prefer a planar to a tetrahedral structure.(1) J. H. van't Hoff, "Voorstel tot uitbreíding der tegenwoordig in de scheikunde gebruikte strukuurformules in de ruimte," Utrecht, 1874;

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