Articles in 2010

Amyloid cascades leading to peptide β-sheet fibrils are central to many diseases. Intermediate assemblies were recently identified as the toxic agents, but obtaining structural details of these early oligomers has largely been unsuccessful with traditional techniques. Here, ion mobility methods provide evidence for structural transitions from random to β-sheet assembly.

Characterization of plasma membrane proteins is important in understanding fundamental biological processes and developing new drugs, but their separation remains a challenge. Now, a synthetic receptor–ligand pair based on ferrocene derivatives and cucurbit[7]uril is shown to have exceptionally high binding affinity, and enables membrane proteins to be isolated efficiently without any contamination from naturally biotinylated molecules.

Aromatic hydrocarbons are among the most important building blocks in the chemical industry. Here, n-alkanes are catalytically converted to alkylaromatics, in yields up to 86%, using ‘pincer’-ligated iridium complexes and olefinic hydrogen acceptors. The carbon number of the n-alkanes is retained in the products, which are exclusively unbranched (n-alkyl-substituted).

Although most proteins fulfil their role as part of large protein complexes, little is known about the pathways of complex assembly. Here, ion mobility–mass spectrometry is used to monitor and structurally characterize the assembly intermediates of viral protein shells, called capsids, of two major human pathogens, norovirus and hepatitis B virus.

The enantiomers of chiral compounds pass through doped soap films at different rates resulting in chiral separation.

A material with viscoleastic properties that are stable over a large temperature range has been created from carbon nanotubes.

Jonathan R. Nitschke considers how the story of phosphorus, an element that glows without fire, nicely illustrates the pursuit of scientific knowledge — including how such knowledge goes on to serve many purposes, for better or for worse.

Rational synthesis of large polycyclic molecules is on its way. A bottom-up strategy for molecular assembly to tailor-make new molecules has been applied to fabricate nanographenes.

The United Nations has proclaimed 2011 to be the International Year of Chemistry. Under this banner, chemists should seize the opportunity to highlight the rich history and successes of our subject to a much broader audience — and explain how it can help to solve the global challenges we face today and in the future.

Helical macromolecules are ubiquitous in nature, and almost always adopt a one-handed conformation. Synthetic systems, in contrast, are typically obtained in racemic right- and left-handed mixtures. A helical phenylene oligomer has now been prepared that forms a non-racemic mixture on crystallization, and on oxidation locks one conformation in.

Using chemical intuition often allows one to predict what might transpire on throwing a batch of chemicals into a beaker, but sometimes the unexpected can occur. Bruce C. Gibb discusses how you define an 'emergent phenomenon', recognizing that it's not a simple exercise and can actually be different for each of us.

Transition-metal carbenes and alkylidenes are sometimes considered similar species with subtly different bonding and reactivities. Investigations into scandium and yttrium carbenes have raised questions about our understanding — and definition — of these widely used compounds.

The self-assembly of molecules into porous two-dimensional networks on surfaces has been well studied in recent years, but now the concept has been extended to three dimensions with a little help from fullerene molecules.

Principles based on overlaps and interactions between bonding and antibonding orbitals are known to control chemical reactivity. This Perspective discusses how, for reactions and kinetics of bioinorganic species, particular pathways are also exchange-enhanced — that is, favoured by an increase in the number of unpaired and spin-identical electrons on a metal centre.

Ceramic preparation of spinels — materials useful for a wide range of applications — requires complicated procedures and heat treatment over long periods. Now, it is shown that rapid synthesis of nanocrystalline Co–Mn–O spinels can be achieved under ambient conditions, and the resulting nanoparticles exhibit considerable catalytic activity towards the electrochemical oxygen reduction/evolution reactions.