The 'wired' universe of organic chemistry - pp31 - 36

Bartosz A. Grzybowski, Kyle J. M. Bishop, Bartlomiej Kowalczyk & Christopher E. Wilmer

doi:10.1038/nchem.136

The vast number of known organic compounds and the reactions that connect them together can be thought of as a complex network. Analysing the organic chemistry universe in this manner may prove useful for both fundamental and practical purposes, such as predicting chemical reactivity or improving how regulated substances are monitored.

Abstract - | Full Text - The 'wired' universe of organic chemistry | PDF (507 KB) - The 'wired' universe of organic chemistry | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: General chemistry | Organic chemistry

Towards the computational design of solid catalysts - pp37 - 46

J. K. Nørskov, T. Bligaard, J. Rossmeisl & C. H. Christensen

doi:10.1038/nchem.121

Advances in computational methods have enabled the trends in reactivity for transition metal and alloy catalysts to be described theoretically. This review discusses some of the first examples of how such knowledge can be used to design solid catalysts.

Abstract - | Full Text - Towards the computational design of solid catalysts | PDF (1,308 KB) - Towards the computational design of solid catalysts

Subject Categories: Catalysis | Theoretical chemistry | Physical chemistry

Spontaneous assembly and real-time growth of micrometre-scale tubular structures from polyoxometalate-based inorganic solids - pp47 - 52

Chris Ritchie, Geoffrey J. T. Cooper, Yu-Fei Song, Carsten Streb, Huabing Yin, Alexis D. C. Parenty, Donald A. MacLaren & Leroy Cronin

doi:10.1038/nchem.113

Adding low concentrations of aromatic organic cations to an aqueous solution in which polyoxometalate-based crystals are immersed leads to the spontaneous growth of tubular structures with controllable diameters. Tubes can be fused together to form junctions and are shown to act as channels through which liquids can flow.

Abstract - | Full Text - Spontaneous assembly and real-time growth of micrometre-scale tubular structures from polyoxometalate-based inorganic solids | PDF (634 KB) - Spontaneous assembly and real-time growth of micrometre-scale tubular structures from polyoxometalate-based inorganic solids | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Inorganic chemistry | Materials chemistry

See also: News and Views by Constable

Minimal nucleotide duplex formation in water through enclathration in self-assembled hosts - pp53 - 56

Tomohisa Sawada, Michito Yoshizawa, Sota Sato & Makoto Fujita

doi:10.1038/nchem.100

Short nucleotides with just one or two bases do not generally form stable hydrogen-bonded pairs in water. Now, however, it has been shown that the hydrophobic interior of water-soluble coordination cages offers a sheltered environment in which stable duplexes can be formed.

Abstract - | Full Text - Minimal nucleotide duplex formation in water through enclathration in self-assembled hosts | PDF (442 KB) - Minimal nucleotide duplex formation in water through enclathration in self-assembled hosts | Supplementary information | Chemical compounds

Subject Category: Supramolecular chemistry

See also: News and Views by Thomas

Catalytic behaviour of dense hot water - pp57 - 62

Christine J. Wu, Laurence E. Fried, Lin H. Yang, Nir Goldman & Sorin Bastea

doi:10.1038/nchem.130

Water can behave in unexpected ways at high pressure and temperature. Simulations of the detonation of a high explosive show that 'extreme' water can act as a chemical catalyst that promotes the transport of oxygen between reactive sites — contrary to the current view of water as a stable final product.

Abstract - | Full Text - Catalytic behaviour of dense hot water | PDF (510 KB) - Catalytic behaviour of dense hot water | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Catalysis | Physical chemistry | Theoretical chemistry

Asymmetric total syntheses of (+)- and (-)-versicolamide B and biosynthetic implications - pp63 - 68

Kenneth A. Miller, Sachiko Tsukamoto & Robert M. Williams

doi:10.1038/nchem.110

Two closely related species of fungus each produce one enantiomer of the same natural product. The biomimetic synthesis of both enantiomers reported here supports the unusual conclusion that the two species have evolved to produce a pair of enantiomerically distinct enzymes.

Abstract - | Full Text - Asymmetric total syntheses of (+)- and (-)-versicolamide B and biosynthetic implications | PDF (422 KB) - Asymmetric total syntheses of (+)- and (-)-versicolamide B and biosynthetic implications | Supplementary information | Chemical compounds

Subject Categories: Organic chemistry | Synthesis

Imaging intracellular viscosity of a single cell during photoinduced cell death - pp69 - 73

Marina K. Kuimova, Stanley W. Botchway, Anthony W. Parker, Milan Balaz, Hazel A. Collins, Harry L. Anderson, Klaus Suhling & Peter R. Ogilby

doi:10.1038/nchem.120

The spectrally resolved fluorescence of a zinc–porphyrin dimer is used to quantify intracellular viscosity. The porphyrin dimer also acts as a singlet-oxygen sensitizer, and enables real-time observation of a surprisingly large increase in intracellular viscosity that occurs on singlet-oxygen-mediated photoinduced cell death.

Abstract - | Full Text - Imaging intracellular viscosity of a single cell during photoinduced cell death | PDF (685 KB) - Imaging intracellular viscosity of a single cell during photoinduced cell death | Supplementary information | Chemical compounds

Subject Categories: Analytical chemistry | Chemical biology | Photochemistry

Halogen bonds as orthogonal molecular interactions to hydrogen bonds - pp74 - 79

Andrea Regier Voth, Patricia Khuu, Keita Oishi & P. Shing Ho

doi:10.1038/nchem.112

A survey of protein–ligand complexes shows that hydrogen bonds and halogen bonds that share a common oxygen-atom acceptor are often geometrically perpendicular to one another. Moreover, theoretical studies on small-molecule models of such systems predict that these two interactions are energetically independent.

Abstract - | Full Text - Halogen bonds as orthogonal molecular interactions to hydrogen bonds | PDF (521 KB) - Halogen bonds as orthogonal molecular interactions to hydrogen bonds | Chemical compounds

Subject Categories: Biochemistry | Supramolecular chemistry | Theoretical chemistry

Polymer nanofibre junctions of attolitre volume serve as zeptomole-scale chemical reactors - pp80 - 86

Pavel Anzenbacher, Jr & Manuel A. Palacios

doi:10.1038/nchem.125

Performing chemical reactions on ultra-small scales is important in a number of disciplines. Now, it has been shown that a junction formed by fusing two polymer nanowires preloaded with reactants provides an effective attolitre-volume in which reactions can be conducted on a zeptomole (10^-21 mol) scale.

Abstract - | Full Text - Polymer nanofibre junctions of attolitre volume serve as zeptomole-scale chemical reactors | PDF (609 KB) - Polymer nanofibre junctions of attolitre volume serve as zeptomole-scale chemical reactors | Supplementary information | Chemical compounds

Subject Categories: Materials chemistry | Nanotechnology

See also: News and Views by deMello & Wootton

Compressed alkanes in reversible encapsulation complexes - pp87 - 90

Dariush Ajami & Julius Rebek, Jr

doi:10.1038/nchem.111

Molecules confined to small volumes can contort themselves into unusual conformations that differ from those usually observed when no constraints are placed on them. It is now shown that when normal alkanes are encapsulated inside self-assembled capsules, they adopt a coiled conformation and exert pressure inside their hosts.

Abstract - | Full Text - Compressed alkanes in reversible encapsulation complexes | PDF (638 KB) - Compressed alkanes in reversible encapsulation complexes | Supplementary information | Chemical compounds

Subject Category: Supramolecular chemistry