Research Highlights

The supramolecular assembly of oligomers encoded with complementary recognition units enables duplex hybridization with helical structure.

Selective cross-coupling at either of two similar halide substituents in a dihalogenated substrate can be achieved by controlling the speciation of the active palladium catalyst.

It has so far proved difficult to characterize halogen bonds in solution. A new and simple approach is to use scalar coupling between atoms in a halogen bond donor as a measure of bond strengths with diverse acceptors.

Locally activating prodrugs through targeted irradiation — a new concept for concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

A polymer coating made from cosmetics-based ingredients can be applied to diverse surfaces to capture airborne droplets and mitigate the transmission of infectious respiratory diseases.

A disilagermirene is a cyclopropene analogue with an unsaturated Si=Ge moiety. Such rings can be generated and stabilized in the presence of Ni, which the Si=Ge group binds through its σ-bond rather than π-bond.

A deep dive into the mechanism of a classic photoredox reaction.

Laser ablation enables the study of discrete metal difluorides and their reactions with dioxygen and ozone. Metal-fluoride vibrational energies give an indication of the charge on a metal difluoride moiety and help us rationalize the resultant structures.

A range of aryl and alkenyl organosodium reagents can be prepared by halogen–sodium exchange reactions with neopentylsodium and may be a useful alternative to widely used organolithium reagents.

Twisted nanoribbons with up to 322 atoms in the aromatic core (53 rings) have been prepared.

Gold(III) complexes can undergo facile reductive elimination of aryl halides, particularly when bulky co-ligands are present. This study informs us about the elementary reactions of copper(III) congeners, which are prominent intermediates in organic cross-couplings.

Surface tension can help peel a 2D drawing away from the paper and convert it into a 3D object.

A combined experimental and computational approach provides structural insight into amorphous metal–organic frameworks.

A diversity-oriented synthesis approach to prepare libraries of porous materials has enabled the identification of polymers with specific and tunable lithium-ion transport properties that may be applied in the production of more efficient batteries and fuel cells.

(−)-Isoscopariusin A is the fourth natural product with potential immunosuppressive activity to be isolated from Isodon scoparius — a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine. Its synthesis will enable further study of its interesting biological activity.

Redox-responsive supramolecular nanoparticle surfactants can aid the preparation and control of all-liquid constructs.

A new direct route to amine-linked covalent organic frameworks affords robust crystalline materials amenable to post-synthetic modification.

Splat chemistry fires molecules at a surface and then analyses the products that remain attached in order to study the dynamics of collision-activated reactions

The dynamic process of sodium chloride nucleation and growth has been recorded in real time and with atomistic resolution.

Carbon dioxide molecules help toluene form gas-phase clusters through non-covalent interactions.