A brief history of 1-methylcyclopropene

Abstract

Research that led to the discovery of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) started with efforts to understand the effects of controlled atmosphere storage and continued with studies that examined the nature of the ethylene binding site. Although some researchers focused on the use of silver ion for inhibiting ethylene action, Sisler and his colleagues focused on analogs of olefins that had a similar effect. Efforts to tag the binding site using activation tagging with diazocyclopentadiene led to the discovery of the dramatic effects of cyclopropenes, which were identified as products of its photooxidation. The story is a testament to the value of fundamental research and the collegiality and unique intellectual and technical abilities of the primary inventor, Edward C. Sisler.