Looking back

Our editors have sifted through 50 years of Nature and selected a number of exciting chemistry papers that 'caught our eye'. Have a favourite? Think we missed one? Let us know what you think (and see what people are saying about them) on our blog.

• Structure of chlorodesoxypatulinic acid

  Woodward, R. B. & Singh, G.

  doi:10.1038/165928b0

  Nature 165, 928–930 (1950)

  Published online: 10 June 1950

  Abstract | PDF (295 KB)

• Determination of the absolute configuration of optically active compounds by means of X-rays

  Bijvoet, J. M, Peerdeman, A. F. & van Bommel, A. J.

  doi:10.1038/168271a0

  Nature 168, 271–272 (1951)

  Published online: 18 August 1951

  Abstract | PDF (216 KB)

• Molecular structure of nucleic acids: a structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid

  Watson, J. D. & Crick, F. H. C.

  doi:10.1038/171738a0

  Nature 171, 737–738 (1953)

  Published online: 25 April 1953

  Abstract | PDF (538 KB)

• Man-made diamonds

  Bundy, F. P., Hall, H. T., Strong, H. M & Wentorf, R. H.

  doi:10.1038/176051a0

  Nature 176, 51–55 (1955)

  Published online: 9 July 1955

  Abstract | PDF (648 KB)

• Structure of vitamin B12

  Crowfoot Hodgkin, D. et al.

  doi:10.1038/178064a0

  Nature 178, 64–68 (1956)

  Published online: 14 July 1956

  Abstract | PDF (236 KB)

• A three-dimensional model of the myoglobin molecule obtained by X-ray analysis

  Kendrew, J. C. et al.

  doi:10.1038/181662a0

  Nature 181, 662–666 (1958)

  Published online: 8 March 1958

  Abstract | PDF (680 KB)

• Biological activity of synthetic prostaglandins

  Ramwell, P. W., Shaw, J. E., Corey, E. J. & Andersen, N.

  doi:10.1038/2211251b0

  Nature 221, 1251–1253 (1969)

  Published online: 29 March 1969

  Abstract | PDF (538 KB)

• Electrochemical photolysis of water at a semiconductor electrode

  Fujishima, A. & Honda, K.

  doi:10.1038/238037a0

  Nature 238, 37–38 (1972)

  Published online: 7 July 1972

  Abstract | PDF (207 KB)

• Stereochemistry of phosphoryl group transfer using a chiral [16O, 17O, 18O] stereochemical course of alkaline phosphatase

  Jones, S. R., Kindman, L. A. & Knowles, J. R.

  doi:10.1038/275564a0

  Nature 275, 564–565 (1978)

  Published online: 12 October 1978

  Abstract | PDF (538 KB)

• 'Melting ice' I at 77 K and 10 kbar: a new method of making amorphous solids

  Mishima, O., Calvert, L.D. & Whalley, E.

  doi:10.1038/310393a0

  Nature 310, 393–395 (1984)

  Published online: 2 August 1984

  Abstract | PDF (316 KB)

• Large losses of total ozone in Antarctica reveal seasonal ClOx/NOx interaction

  Farman, J. C., Gardiner, B. G. & Shanklin, J. D.

  doi:10.1038/315207a0

  Nature 315, 207–210 (1985)

  Published online: 16 May 1985

  Abstract | PDF (395 KB)

• C60: Buckminsterfullerene

  Kroto, H. W., Heath, J. R., O'Brien, S. C., Curl, R. F & Smalley, R. E.

  doi:10.1038/318162a0

  Nature 318, 162–163 (1985)

  Published online: 14 November 1985

  Abstract | PDF (216 KB)

• A receptor for the immunosuppressant FK506 is a cis-trans peptidyl-prolyl isomerase

  Harding, M. W., Galat, A., Uehling, D. E. & Schreiber, S. L.

  doi:10.1038/341758a0

  Nature 341, 758–760 (1989)

  Published online: 26 October 1989

  Abstract | PDF (348 KB)

• Positioning single atoms with a scanning tunneling microscope

  Eigler, D. M. & Schweizer, E. K.

  doi:10.1038/344524a0

  Nature 344, 524–526 (1990)

  Published online: 5 April 1990

  Abstract | PDF (531 KB)

• In vitro selection of RNA molecules that bind specific ligands

  Ellington, A. D. & Szostak, J. W.

  doi:10.1038/346818a0

  Nature 346, 818–822 (1990)

  Published online: 30 August 1990

  Abstract | PDF (497 KB)

• Solid C60: a new form of carbon

  Krätschmer, W., Lamb, L. D., Fostiropoulos K. & Huffman, D. R.

  doi:10.1038/347354a0

  Nature 347, 354–358 (1990)

  Published online: 27 September 1990

  Abstract | PDF (573 KB)

• Light-emitting diodes based on conjugated polymers

  Burroughes, J. H. et al.

  doi:10.1038/347539a0

  Nature 347, 539–541 (1990)

  Published online: 11 October 1990

  Abstract | PDF (339 KB)

• Synthesis from DNA of a molecule with the connectivity of a cube

  Chen, J. H. & Seeman, N. C.

  doi:10.1038/350631a0

  Nature 350, 631–633 (1991)

  Published online: 18 April 1991

  Abstract | PDF (605 KB)

• A low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell based on dye-sensitised colloidal Ti02 films

  O'Regan, B. & Grätzel, M

  doi:10.1038/353737a0

  Nature 353, 737–740 (1991)

  Published online: 24 October 1991

  Abstract | PDF (539 KB)

• A new type of synthetic peptide library for identifying ligand-binding activity

  Lam, K. S. et al.

  doi:10.1038/354082a0

  Nature 354, 82–84 (1991)

  Published online: 7 November 1991

  Abstract | PDF (477 KB)

• Generation and use of synthetic peptide combinatorial libraries for basic research and drug discovery

  Houghten, R. A. et al.

  doi:10.1038/354084a0

  Nature 354, 84–86 (1991)

  Published online: 7 November 1991

  Abstract | PDF (449 KB)

• Helical microtubules of graphitic carbon

  Iijima, S.

  doi:10.1038/354056a0

  Nature 354, 56–58 (1991)

  Published online: 7 November 1991

  Abstract | PDF (518 KB)

• Ordered mesoporous molecular sieves synthesized by a liquid-crystal template mechanism

  Kresge, C. T., Leonowicz, M. E., Roth, W. J., Vartuli, J. C. & Beck, J. S.

  doi:10.1038/359710a0

  Nature 359, 710–712 (1992)

  Published online: 22 October 1992

  Abstract | PDF (504 KB)

• Self-assembling organic nanotubes based on a cyclic peptide architecture

  Ghadiri, M. R., Granja, J. R., Milligan, R. A., McRee, D. E. & Khazanovich, N.

  doi:10.1038/366324a0

  Nature 366, 324–327 (1993)

  Published online: 25 December 1993

  Abstract | PDF (501 KB)

• Crystal structure of a bacterial non-haem iron hydroxylase that catalyses the biological oxidation of methane

  Rosenzweig, A. C., Frederick, C. A., Lippard, S. J. & Nordlund, P.

  doi:10.1038/366537a0

  Nature 366, 537–543 (1993)

  Published online: 9 December 1993

  Abstract | PDF (1,094 KB)

• Total synthesis of taxol

  Nicolaou, K. C. et al.

  doi:10.1038/367630a0

  Nature 367, 630–634 (1994)

  Published online: 17 February 1994

  Abstract | PDF (617 KB)

• A chemically and electrochemically switchable molecular shuttle

  Bissell, R. A, Córdova, E., Kaifer, A. E. & Stoddart, J. F.

  doi:10.1038/369133a0

  Nature 369, 133–137 (1994)

  Published online: 12 May 1994

  Abstract | PDF (596 KB)

• Self-replication of complementary nucleotide-based oligomers

  Sievers, D. & von Kiedrowski, G.

  doi:10.1038/369221a0

  Nature 369, 221–224 (1994)

  Published online: 19 May 1994

  Abstract | PDF (417 KB)

• Homogeneous catalysts based on silane dendrimers functionalized with arylnickel(II) complexes

  Knapen, J. W. J. et al.

  doi:10.1038/372659a0

  Nature 372, 659–663 (1994)

  Published online: 15 December 1994

  Abstract | PDF (493 KB)

• Asymmetric autocatalysis and amplification of enantiomeric excess of a chiral molecule

  Soai, K., Shibata, T., Morioka, H. & Choji, K.

  doi:10.1038/378767a0

  Nature 378, 767–768 (1991)

  Published online: 28 December 1995

  Abstract | PDF (353 KB)

• Organization of 'nanocrystal molecules' using DNA

  Alivisatos, A. P. et al.

  doi:10.1038/382609a0

  Nature 382, 609–611 (1996)

  Published online: 15 August 1996

  Abstract | PDF (795 KB)

• Total synthesis of brevetoxin A

  Nicolaou, K. C. et al.

  doi:10.1038/32623

  Nature 392, 264–269 (1998)

  Published online: 19 March 1998

  Abstract | PDF (368 KB)

• A homochiral metal-organic porous material for enantioselective separation and catalysis

  Seo, J. S. et al.

  doi:10.1038/35010088

  Nature 404, 982–986 (2000)

  Published online: 27 April 2000

  Abstract | PDF (325 KB)

• Peptide cyclization catalysed by the thioesterase domain of tyrocidine synthetase

  Trauger, J. W., Kohli, R. M., Mootz, H. D., Marahiel, M. A. & Walsh, C. T.

  doi:10.1038/35025116

  Nature 407, 215–218 (2000)

  Published online: 14 September 2000

  Abstract | PDF (156 KB)

• A chemical switch for inhibitor-sensitive alleles of any protein kinase

  Bishop, A. C. et al.

  doi:10.1038/35030148

  Nature 407, 395–401 (2000)

  Published online: 21 September 2000

  Abstract | PDF (225 KB)