doi:10.1038/nchem.338
Are the days of print journals numbered — and if they are, what will that mean for how we interact with the scientific literature?
Full Text - Good on paper? | PDF (1,158 KB) - Good on paper?
Subject Category: General chemistry
Adriaan J. Minnaard reviews Fundamentals of Asymmetric Catalysis by Patrick J. Walsh & Marisa C. Kozlowski
doi:10.1038/nchem.339
Full Text - Comprehending catalysis | PDF (1,044 KB) - Comprehending catalysis
Subject Category: Synthesis
doi:10.1038/nchem.340
Full Text - Our choice from the recent literature | PDF (1,034 KB) - Our choice from the recent literature
doi:10.1038/nchem.341
Full Text - Blogroll: Avoid clichés like... | PDF (800 KB) - Blogroll: Avoid clichés like...
Randall Snurr
doi:10.1038/nchem.345
One of the challenges facing the hydrogen economy is how to store and release the gas controllably. Although the large internal volumes of metal–organic frameworks offer promise, how can you keep the hydrogen inside?
Full Text - Metal–organic frameworksPutting the squeeze on hydrogen | PDF (977 KB) - Metal–organic frameworksPutting the squeeze on hydrogen
Subject Categories: Inorganic chemistry | Materials chemistry
Stuart Cantrill
doi:10.1038/nchem.349
For six days during the summer of 2009, hundreds of young researchers gathered in Germany on the shores of Lake Constance to take part in the 59th Meeting of Nobel Laureates at Lindau — this year dedicated to the topic of chemistry.
Full Text - Lindau 2009Eyes on the prize | PDF (918 KB) - Lindau 2009Eyes on the prize
Subject Category: General chemistry
Andrew J. Wilson
doi:10.1038/nchem.343
Diagnosing disease states relies on sensing imbalances in the quantities of markers present in biological fluids. Now a biologically compatible gold nanoparticle sensing-system that detects proteins in serum has been developed, offering great potential for medical diagnostics.
Full Text - Chemical sensingNanonose for sniffing out proteins | PDF (967 KB) - Chemical sensingNanonose for sniffing out proteins
Subject Categories: Analytical chemistry | Nanotechnology | Chemical biology
Neil Withers
doi:10.1038/nchem.342
Full Text - Electron holographyMeasuring magnetism | PDF (622 KB) - Electron holographyMeasuring magnetism
Subject Categories: Materials chemistry | Nanotechnology
Antonio M. Echavarren
doi:10.1038/nchem.344
The exact nature of the gold–carbon bond formed during homogeneous gold catalysis has recently attracted a lot of interest and is somewhat controversial. Now a study of the bonding and trends in reactivity of various gold complexes offers new insights into whether such structures can be defined as gold-stabilized cations or gold carbenes.
Full Text - Gold catalysisCarbene or cation? | PDF (1,103 KB) - Gold catalysisCarbene or cation?
Subject Categories: Catalysis | Inorganic chemistry | Organic chemistry
Varinder K. Aggarwal
doi:10.1038/nchem.346
New methodology that couples together carbonyl compounds with boronic acids shows much promise for synthesis owing to ease of access of the building blocks, functional group tolerance and broad scope of the reaction.
Full Text - Organic synthesisNew uses for old building blocks | PDF (1,003 KB) - Organic synthesisNew uses for old building blocks
Subject Categories: Organic chemistry | Synthesis
Matthew J. Webber & Alan C. Spivey
doi:10.1038/nchem.348
Saytzeff's rule is the result of empirical observations, and can be used to predict the outcome of elimination reactions. Now, ab initio calculations have provided the long-sought evidence to show that hyperconjugation is the key that unlocks the origin of this rule.
Full Text - Molecular modellingSupporting Saytzeff | PDF (805 KB) - Molecular modellingSupporting Saytzeff
Subject Categories: Organic chemistry | Theoretical chemistry
Gareth O. Lloyd & Jonathan W. Steed
doi:10.1038/nchem.283
Small anions can be used to modulate the physical properties of supramolecular gels by interacting with the low-molecular-weight gelators from which such materials are composed. A better understanding of this anion-tuning effect will aid in the rational design of responsive gels that may prove useful for a number of practical applications.
Abstract - | Full Text - Anion-tuning of supramolecular gel properties | PDF (1,174 KB) - Anion-tuning of supramolecular gel properties
Subject Categories: Materials chemistry | Supramolecular chemistry
Sason Shaik, David Danovich, Wei Wu & Philippe C. Hiberty
doi:10.1038/nchem.327
The two established models of chemical bonding, covalent and ionic, do not accurately describe all forms of bonds. This article explains how 'charge-shift' bonds — with a large covalent–ionic resonance interaction energy — are a third type of bond, and discusses some examples.
Abstract - | Full Text - Charge-shift bonding and its manifestations in chemistry | PDF (577 KB) - Charge-shift bonding and its manifestations in chemistry
Subject Categories: General chemistry | Theoretical chemistry
Yuan-Zhi Tan, Su-Yuan Xie, Rong-Bin Huang & Lan-Sun Zheng
doi:10.1038/nchem.329
The most stable fullerenes obey the isolated-pentagon rule (IPR): hexagons of carbon atoms entirely surround pentagons to minimize strain. Recently, some examples of fused-pentagon fullerenes have been reported and this review summarizes current work to stabilize non-IPR fullerenes.
Abstract - | Full Text - The stabilization of fused-pentagon fullerene molecules | PDF (1,082 KB) - The stabilization of fused-pentagon fullerene molecules
Subject Category: Nanotechnology
Mrinmoy De, Subinoy Rana, Handan Akpinar, Oscar R. Miranda, Rochelle R. Arvizo, Uwe H. F. Bunz & Vincent M. Rotello
doi:10.1038/nchem.334
Protein imbalances in serum can be correlated with disease, but measurement and subsequent diagnosis is made difficult by the complex composition of serum. Now an array-based sensor, containing synthetic gold nanoparticles and biocompatible green fluorescent protein, has been developed that can detect proteins in undiluted human serum at physiologically relevant concentrations.
Abstract - | Full Text - Sensing of proteins in human serum using conjugates of nanoparticles and green fluorescent protein | PDF (1,140 KB) - Sensing of proteins in human serum using conjugates of nanoparticles and green fluorescent protein | Supplementary information
Subject Categories: Analytical chemistry | Nanotechnology | Chemical biology
See also: News and Views by Wilson
D. Strmcnik, K. Kodama, D. van der Vliet, J. Greeley, V. R. Stamenkovic & N. M. Marković
doi:10.1038/nchem.330
Better understanding of the fundamental bonding interactions at electrified metal–liquid interfaces is critical for improving the electrochemical reactions of fuel cells, but now traditional models are shown to be insufficient. Using experimental measurements of various electrocatalytic reactions on platinum and density functional theory it is shown that non-covalent interactions must be considered.
Abstract - | Full Text - The role of non-covalent interactions in electrocatalytic fuel-cell reactions on platinum | PDF (746 KB) - The role of non-covalent interactions in electrocatalytic fuel-cell reactions on platinum | Supplementary information
Subject Categories: Electrochemistry | Catalysis | Surface chemistry
Jong-Ho Kim, Daniel A. Heller, Hong Jin, Paul W. Barone, Changsik Song, Jingqing Zhang, Laura J. Trudel, Gerald N. Wogan, Steven R. Tannenbaum & Michael S. Strano
doi:10.1038/nchem.332
Single-walled carbon nanotubes wrapped with a carbohydrate-based polymer bearing diaminophenyl groups can be used to detect nitric oxide (NO) — an important messenger molecule for biological signalling. These polymer–nanotube hybrids are capable of real-time and spatially resolved sensing of NO in living cells, and could ultimately prove useful for in vivo detection.
Abstract - | Full Text - The rational design of nitric oxide selectivity in single-walled carbon nanotube near-infrared fluorescence sensors for biological detection | PDF (601 KB) - The rational design of nitric oxide selectivity in single-walled carbon nanotube near-infrared fluorescence sensors for biological detection | Supplementary information | Chemical compounds
Subject Categories: Analytical chemistry | Materials chemistry | Nanotechnology
Diego Benitez, Nathan D. Shapiro, Ekaterina Tkatchouk, Yiming Wang, William A. Goddard, III & F. Dean Toste
doi:10.1038/nchem.331
An analysis of key intermediates relevant to gold(I) catalysis has been performed using density functional theory. A bonding model is proposed whereby the reactivity of gold(I)-coordinated carbenes is dependent on carbene substituents and ancillary ligands that dictate where these gold structures lie on a continuum ranging from a metal-stabilized singlet carbene to a metal-coordinated carbocation.
Abstract - | Full Text - A bonding model for gold(I) carbene complexes | PDF (331 KB) - A bonding model for gold(I) carbene complexes | Supplementary information | Chemical compounds
Subject Categories: Catalysis | Inorganic chemistry | Organic chemistry
See also: News and Views by Echavarren
Sihai Yang, Xiang Lin, Alexander J. Blake, Gavin S. Walker, Peter Hubberstey, Neil R. Champness & Martin Schröder
doi:10.1038/nchem.333
Porous metal–organic frameworks are promising for hydrogen storage applications, but adsorption capacities have remained too low for practical use. Now, the adsorption behaviour of such a framework has been modulated by exchanging cations within its pores resulting in either kinetic trapping or enhanced hydrogen affinity.
Abstract - | Full Text - Cation-induced kinetic trapping and enhanced hydrogen adsorption in a modulated anionic metal–organic framework | PDF (688 KB) - Cation-induced kinetic trapping and enhanced hydrogen adsorption in a modulated anionic metal–organic framework | Supplementary information
Subject Categories: Inorganic chemistry | Materials chemistry
See also: News and Views by Snurr
José Barluenga, María Tomás-Gamasa, Fernando Aznar & Carlos Valdés
doi:10.1038/nchem.328
New economic and environmentally benign methods for achieving carbon–carbon bond formation are in constant demand. Here, a remarkably efficient and functional-group-tolerant, metal-free reductive cross-coupling of carbonyl compounds with boronic acids is described.
Abstract - | Full Text - Metal-free carbon–carbon bond-forming reductive coupling between boronic acids and tosylhydrazones | PDF (1,596 KB) - Metal-free carbon–carbon bond-forming reductive coupling between boronic acids and tosylhydrazones | Supplementary information | Chemical compounds
Subject Categories: Organic chemistry | Synthesis
See also: News and Views by Aggarwal
Douglas R. Kauffman, Chad M. Shade, Hyounsoo Uh, Stéphane Petoud & Alexander Star
doi:10.1038/nchem.323
Carbon-nanotube networks have been used to study the sensitivity to molecular oxygen of a dendrimer complexed with europium ions. Optically transparent devices made by coating nanotubes with the metal-containing dendrimer show a linear and reversible electrical response to O2, and may prove useful for oxygen-sensing applications.
Abstract - | Full Text - Decorated carbon nanotubes with unique oxygen sensitivity | PDF (1,984 KB) - Decorated carbon nanotubes with unique oxygen sensitivity | Supplementary information
Subject Categories: Materials chemistry | Nanotechnology
Jim Ibers
doi:10.1038/nchem.350
Jim Ibers takes a look at the intriguing structures and bonding found in tellurium and its compounds, and considers their uses in a diversity of fields ranging from metallurgy to electronics.
Full Text - Tellurium in a twist | PDF (793 KB) - Tellurium in a twist
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