Comment

Most of our knowledge about the chemical composition of the Earth’s interior is primarily retrieved by indirect observations, experiments and calculations that are limited to simple compositions. Here, the authors present the investigation of inclusions trapped in super deep diamonds as an alternative source of a wealth of information on the chemical state of the Earth’s interior through time.

Transition metals are increasingly recognized as key drivers in the formation and aging of light-absorbing organic aerosols, known as brown carbon, which impact the energy flux in the atmosphere. Here the authors discuss somewhat overlooked condensed phase chemical processes and identify research needs to improve our fundamental understanding of atmospheric aerosols and ultimately reduce modelling uncertainties of the direct and indirect effects of aerosol particles on the climate.

The transfer of chiral information from optically pure reaction components to products can generate enantiomerically-enriched molecules, but the control of stereochemistry often proves challenging. Here, the author highlights how our fundamental understanding of stereocontrol has evolved and discusses possible approaches for the rational development of enantioselective catalysts.

Crystallization is observed in both nature and in the lab, and is critical to diverse areas of science and technology. Here, the author summarizes the theories that have been proposed to explain crystal growth from melts, and raises some open questions that remain.

Porous materials play a significant role in modern chemistry and materials science; despite recent scientific interest, they have a history dating back to antiquity. Here the authors provide a brief overview of the past that has contributed to their evolution.

Aimed to decipher the levels of metabolites, metabolomics can now advance to unraveling their functionalities in various contexts. Here, the authors present the metabolite medicine concept, integrating classical metabolomics methods with advanced computational and structural tools to facilitate functional studies.

Water adsorption in soft nanoporous materials can trigger large-scale structural transitions and introduce new properties in the confined water phase. Here, we look at some of the outstanding questions in this lively field of research.

The Hückel rule defines that monocyclic and planar conjugated systems containing [4n + 2] π electrons are aromatic. Here, the authors highlight boron species that feature a globally 4n π system, defying the Hückel rule, but nonetheless exhibit aromaticity.

The commercial use of natural methane hydrate is hampered by several open questions that remain regarding hydrate formation. Here the authors comment on past interpretations and aim to provide a roadmap for developing a predictive theory of methane hydrate nucleation.

The process of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) converts non-radiative triplet states into emissive singlet states. Herein we outline the fundamentals of TADF, some of the recent progress in understanding the key material properties responsible for promoting TADF and finally discuss some remaining challenges for the  potential applications of this phenomenon.

Superheavy elements are ideal for furthering our understanding of relativistic effects and how they affect physicochemical properties of heavy elements. In this comment, the author discusses the role of chemistry in the synthesis of new elements before addressing the future challenges concerning the chemical characterization of superheavy elements.

Ultrafast singlet fission has the potential to facilitate highly efficient photovoltaics through the multiplication of excitons in organic molecular architectures. Here, we consider the interplay of molecular structure and intermolecular coupling toward enabling ultrafast singlet fission and discuss open questions in the field.

Preorganization is an effective strategy for f-element separation, but the complexity of extractant synthesis hinders large-scale application. Here the authors discuss an alternative strategy induced by in situ self-assembly that borrows principles of multivalent cooperativity from Nature to separate f-elements.

Permanent magnets constructed from metal ions and organic linkers using molecular design principles could bring transformative advances in areas such as energy conversion, transportation, and information storage. This comment highlights the recent discovery of a metal–organic magnet ordering at 242 °C, and discusses future research directions and possible applications involving such materials.

Criegee intermediates are reactive intermediates formed in Earth’s atmosphere through ozonolysis of alkenes. Here the authors outline the fundamental chemistry that influences their highly conformer- and substituent-dependent unimolecular and bimolecular reactivity, and discuss open questions of fundamental and atmospheric interest.

Nanoscience has progressed tremendously in the exploration of new phenomena not seen in bulk materials, however, the transition between nanoscale and bulk properties is not yet fully understood. Here the authors identify and discuss remaining open questions that call for future efforts.

Carbon mineralization is a versatile and thermodynamically downhill process that can be harnessed for capturing, storing, and utilizing CO₂ to synthesize products with enhanced properties. Here the author discusses the advances in and challenges of carbon mineralization, and concludes that tuning the chemical interactions involved will allow us to unlock its potential for advancing low carbon energy and resource conversion pathways.

The chemical space of prebiotic chemistry is extremely large, while extant biochemistry uses only a few thousand interconnected molecules. Here we discuss how the connection between these two regimes can be investigated, and explore major outstanding questions in the origin of life.

Molecular knots are evolving from academic curiosities to a practically useful class of mechanically interlocked molecules, capable of performing unique tasks at the nanoscale. In this comment, the author discusses the properties of molecular knots, and highlights future challenges for chemical topology.

The chemistry of carbon monoxide (CO) as a ligand has evolved significantly and transition-metal carbonyl complexes have been widely used as catalysts in many important catalytic processes. Here the authors comment on the recent progress of main-group element carbonyl complexes along with their future prospects.