The Top 25 Chemistry and Materials Sciences Articles of 2023

Top Articles

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  Hydrogen-bonding and π-π interaction promoted solution-processable covalent organic frameworks

  Covalent organic frameworks are generally not dispersible in common solvents resulting in the poor processability which limits their practical application. Here, the authors develop a top-down process to produce solution-processable covalent organic frameworks based on the assistance of ionic liquids by means of intermolecular hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions.

  • Lei Zhang
  • Qiu-Hong Zhu
  • Ling He

  ArticleOpen Access11 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Atroposelective hydroarylation of biaryl phosphines directed by phosphorus centres

  Directing group strategies have been used extensively in C–H activation reactions but current methods rely heavily on coordination with nitrogen or oxygen atoms in molecules and have therefore been found to exhibit limited generality in asymmetric syntheses. Here, the authors report enantioselective C–H activation with unsaturated hydrocarbons directed by phosphorus centres to rapidly construct libraries of axially chiral phosphines through dynamic kinetic resolution.

  • Zexian Li
  • Minyan Wang
  • Zhuangzhi Shi

  ArticleOpen Access21 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  A non-academic perspective on the future of lithium-based batteries

  In the field of lithium-based batteries, there is often a divide between academic research and industrial needs. Here, the authors present a view on applied research to help bridge academia and industry, focusing on metrics and challenges to be considered for the development of practical batteries.

  • James T. Frith
  • Matthew J. Lacey
  • Ulderico Ulissi

  PerspectiveOpen Access26 Jan 2023 Nature Communications
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  Total wash elimination for solid phase peptide synthesis

  Peptide drug manufacturing commonly uses large amounts of hazardous solvents primarily due to multiple washings after each step. Here, the authors introduce the concept of a completely wash-free methodology that enables up to 95% waste reduction.

  • Jonathan M. Collins
  • Sandeep K. Singh
  • Christopher L. Houser

  ArticleOpen Access9 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  One-dimensionally oriented self-assembly of ordered mesoporous nanofibers featuring tailorable mesophases via kinetic control

  One-dimensional materials have interesting physiochemical properties, but control over porosity is still a significant challenge. Here, the authors report a self-assembly method for the fabrication of 1D materials with an ordered mesostructure.

  • Liang Peng
  • Huarong Peng
  • Dongyuan Zhao

  ArticleOpen Access9 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Late-stage synthesis of heterobifunctional molecules for PROTAC applications via ruthenium-catalysed C‒H amidation

  PROTACs are uniquely powerful therapeutic agents, but their synthetic tractability significantly limit drug discovery programs. Here, the authors developed a single step synthesis of PROTAC conjugates via late stage ruthenium-catalysed C–H amidation.

  • Daniele Antermite
  • Stig D. Friis
  • Magnus J. Johansson

  ArticleOpen Access12 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Additive manufacturing of alloys with programmable microstructure and properties

  The traditional way of beating metals to improve their properties is not practical to 3D printed parts with intricate geometry. Here, the authors demonstrate how to program microstructural modifications of metals site-specifically during 3D printing to tune their properties.

  • Shubo Gao
  • Zhi Li
  • Matteo Seita

  ArticleOpen Access30 Oct 2023 Nature Communications
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  Discovery of a Drug-like, Natural Product-Inspired DCAF11 Ligand Chemotype

  Targeted protein degradation (TPD) has emerged as a new paradigm for modulating protein activity. Here, the authors develop bifunctional degraders combining a putative ligand of the autophagy-related LC3 protein with different protein targets, which direct proteins of interest to the proteasome by covalently targeting the DCAF11 E3 ligase substrate receptor.

  • Gang Xue
  • Jianing Xie
  • Herbert Waldmann

  ArticleOpen Access30 Nov 2023 Nature Communications
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  A biotin targeting chimera (BioTAC) system to map small molecule interactomes in situ

  Unbiased chemical biology strategies for direct readout of small molecule protein interactomes provide advantages over target-focused approaches. Here, the authors describe the BioTAC system, a network-scale small molecule guided proximity labeling platform, to rapidly identify ligand-target interactomes.

  • Andrew J. Tao
  • Jiewei Jiang
  • Fleur M. Ferguson

  ArticleOpen Access4 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Giant adiabatic temperature change and its direct measurement of a barocaloric effect in a charge-transfer solid

  Cyano-RbMnFeCo shows a large barocaloric effect with reversible adiabatic temperature changes of 74 K (340 MPa) and 85 K (560 MPa). Here, the authors observe temperature change of +44 K (440 MPa), stable after repeating over 100 times.

  • Shin-ichi Ohkoshi
  • Kosuke Nakagawa
  • Ryu Hatano

  ArticleOpen Access27 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Ground-state electron transfer in all-polymer donor:acceptor blends enables aqueous processing of water-insoluble conjugated polymers

  Chemical approaches to improve aqueous dispersions of conjugated polymers are limited by the feasibility of modifying the backbone or lead to poor performance. Here, Liu et al. show that ground-state electron transfer in donor:acceptor blends aids aqueous dispersion, for high conductivity and solubility.

  • Tiefeng Liu
  • Johanna Heimonen
  • Simone Fabiano

  ArticleOpen Access20 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  A tautomerized ligand enabled meta selective C–H borylation of phenol

  Remote meta selective C–H Functionalization of aromatic compounds remains challenging in chemical synthesis. Here, the authors report an iridium catalyst bearing a bidentate pyridine-pyridone ligand framework that efficiently catalyzes this meta selective borylation reaction.

  • Saikat Guria
  • Mirja Md Mahamudul Hassan
  • Buddhadeb Chattopadhyay

  ArticleOpen Access30 Oct 2023 Nature Communications
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  Electrochemical nitrate reduction in acid enables high-efficiency ammonia synthesis and high-voltage pollutes-based fuel cells

  Research on electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia in acidic conditions has been less extensive than that conducted in alkaline conditions. Here, the authors report a hybrid of iron phthalocyanine and TiO₂ catalyst with improved efficiency toward acidic nitrate reduction and its application in Zn-nitrate batteries and high-voltage pollutes-based fuel cell.

  • Rong Zhang
  • Chuan Li
  • Chunyi Zhi

  ArticleOpen Access5 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Multiscale dynamics of charging and plating in graphite electrodes coupling operando microscopy and phase-field modelling

  Improved understanding of the spatial dynamics in graphite electrodes is needed to improve fast-charging protocols for Li-ion batteries. Here, authors highlight that lithiation heterogeneity leads to early lithium plating onset and find distinct relaxation behaviors at various states of charge.

  • Xuekun Lu
  • Marco Lagnoni
  • Paul R. Shearing

  ArticleOpen Access24 Aug 2023 Nature Communications
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  Photoinduced copper-catalyzed C–N coupling with trifluoromethylated arenes

  Selective defluorinative functionalization is a synthetic route to pharmaceutically important fluorine-containing compounds but activation of inert C–F bonds remains challenging. Here the authors report activation of di-or trifluoromethylated arenes for radical C–N coupling with carbazoles and aromatic amines using photoexcited copper catalysis.

  • Jun Huang
  • Qi Gao
  • Jin Xie

  ArticleOpen Access14 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Janus particles with tunable patch symmetry and their assembly into chiral colloidal clusters

  Janus particles commonly exhibit a high-symmetry patch, constraining the range of possible assemblies. Here, the authors devise a synthetic approach to fine-tune the patch symmetry in Janus particles and showcase the assembly of these particles into chiral colloidal clusters.

  • Tianran Zhang
  • Dengping Lyu
  • Yufeng Wang

  ArticleOpen Access21 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Breaking solvation dominance of ethylene carbonate via molecular charge engineering enables lower temperature battery

  Low-temperature operation remains challenging for batteries. Here, the authors report an electrolyte solvation structure design strategy to break solvation dominance of ethylene carbonate to facilitate the desolvation process that improves the low-temperature performance of lithium-ion batteries even below −100 °C.

  • Yuqing Chen
  • Qiu He
  • Jilei Liu

  ArticleOpen Access14 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  3D microprinting of inorganic porous materials by chemical linking-induced solidification of nanocrystals

  3D microprinting is considered a next generation manufacturing process for microscale components. Here, authors develop a generalised microscale 3D printing method to produce purely inorganic nanocrystal-linked porous materials that exhibit excellent functionality and hierarchical porosity.

  • Minju Song
  • Yoonkyum Kim
  • Jae Sung Son

  ArticleOpen Access20 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Ultraflexible, cost-effective and scalable polymer-based phase change composites via chemical cross-linking for wearable thermal management

  Jing et al. report a cost-effective chemical cross-linking method for synthesizing ultraflexible polymer-based phase change composites with 3D crosslinked networks and further demonstrate portable applications for wearable thermal management.

  • Yaoge Jing
  • Zhengchuang Zhao
  • Tingxian Li

  ArticleOpen Access5 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Octopus-inspired deception and signaling systems from an exceptionally-stable acene variant

  The design of multifunctional platforms with tunable spectroscopic and fluorescent properties that span the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectral regions remains challenging. Here, the authors report an actuator-type system that leverages a readily-prepared, easily-processable, and exceptionally-stable nonacene-like molecule to achieve multiple complementary dynamic operating modes.

  • Preeta Pratakshya
  • Chengyi Xu
  • Alon A. Gorodetsky

  ArticleOpen Access22 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Chiral, air stable, and reliable Pd(0) precatalysts applicable to asymmetric allylic alkylation chemistry

  Stereoselective carbon-carbon bond formation via palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation is important to access chiral natural products but commonly used catalyst systems often require high loadings or specific preactivation protocols. Here, the authors report several chiral single-component Pd(0) precatalysts that are active at low loadings for a variety of asymmetric allylic alkylation reactions.

  • Jingjun Huang
  • Thomas Keenan
  • David C. Leitch

  ArticleOpen Access5 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Bioinspired rational design of bi-material 3D printed soft-hard interfaces

  Stress concentrations make the design of durable interfaces between hard and soft materials a challenging task. Here, the authors, inspired by nature, combine mechanical tests and simulations on multiple geometries to generate design guidelines that yield strong and tough soft-hard interfaces.

  • M. C. Saldívar
  • E. Tay
  • A. A. Zadpoor

  ArticleOpen Access12 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Highly stretchable polymer semiconductor thin films with multi-modal energy dissipation and high relative stretchability

  Stretchable polymer semiconductors with high mechanical and electrical properties are challenging to develop. Wu et al. show that reversible molecular ordering under strain important for performance optimization and relative stretchability can be used to compare the relative strain tolerance of materials.

  • Hung-Chin Wu
  • Shayla Nikzad
  • Zhenan Bao

  ArticleOpen Access16 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Collaborative and privacy-preserving retired battery sorting for profitable direct recycling via federated machine learning

  Unsorted retired batteries pose recycling challenges due to diverse cathodes. Here, the authors propose a privacy-preserving machine learning system that enables accurate sorting with minimal data, important for a sustainable battery recycling industry.

  • Shengyu Tao
  • Haizhou Liu
  • Hongbin Sun

  ArticleOpen Access5 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  A robotic sensory system with high spatiotemporal resolution for texture recognition

  Artificial sensory systems are typically limited by their performance and response to static and dynamic stimuli. Here, Bai et al. propose an iontronic slip-sensor, which responds to both static pressure and high-frequency vibrations up to 400 Hz, achieving high spatiotemporal resolution for texture recognition.

  • Ningning Bai
  • Yiheng Xue
  • Chuan Fei Guo

  ArticleOpen Access14 Nov 2023 Nature Communications