“Compounds in which individual atoms feel ‘uncomfortable’ often show a very interesting reactivity,”
Reactivity and triple bond would seem to be opposite properties as triple bond sounds "extra stable". Reactivity would seem to make "electrochemistry" breakup of molecules easy, but this molecule doesn't seem to produce useful fuel, or compounds that are not easier to get by other means.
What is interesting about this molecule's reactivity?
It might just be a local stable energy configuration and it could potentially be easily tipped over to a much more stable energy position. Therefore, even though it's a triple bond, it could still be extremely reactive.
While not exactly fitting the situation you can take for example H2 gas and O2 gas being combined and with a little bit of heat energy they can spontaneously form H2O and release a lot of energy in the form of an explosion. Both gases are very stable but H2O is far more stable.
I don't think triple bond means extra stability in all cases. Often its like flex taped something bulky into small area which is going to explode.. One of the triple bond may easily break and show reactivity.
Don't trust me I ain't chemist but extra stability is seen on N~2~ but not on C-C bonds IIRC
C-C triple bonds are also pretty stable, e.g. acetylene and other alkynes. C-B bonds on the other hand... I don't recall ever coming across one before today.
Bond strength isn't necessarily a measure of bond reactivity. Triple bonds are often quite reactive, and in certain contexts they're incredibly unstable and have unusual reactivity - see "benzyne"
Are benzynes really a triple bond, though, or are they more like a double bond with a "+" charge on one carbon and a "-" charge on the other?