Scientists Confirm 1958 Vitamin B1 Theory by Stabilizing Carbene in Water

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 03:05:00 +0200

A research team at the University of California, Riverside, has successfully stabilized a highly reactive molecule in water, confirming a 67-year-old theory originally proposed by chemist Ronald Breslow in 1958. Breslow hypothesized that vitamin B1, or thiamine, could form a fleeting carbene structure to assist in key biochemical reactions inside cells. Carbenes, which are reactive carbon species with only six valence electrons, typically decompose almost instantly—especially in water. For decades, this instability made the theory impossible to verify experimentally. Professor Vincent Lavallo and his colleagues overcame this challenge by designing a protective molecular framework that acts as a “suit of armor” around the carbene, preventing it from reacting with water. This protective structure allowed the carbene not only to survive but to remain stable for months in a sealed container. Using advanced analytical tools such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and x-ray crystallo