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Today, Communications Chemistry launches a series of Comment articles discussing key open questions in specific fields of fundamental chemical research. Here we outline the aims of this series and highlight each contribution within.
Over the past decade, momentous progress has been made in the characterization of late actinide compounds. Here the authors highlight how advances in spectroscopic and computational tools have developed our understanding of fundamental transplutonium bonding interactions, and discuss whether covalency and heterogeneity changes in 5f-orbital bonding could be harnessed in environmentally and industrially relevant systems.
Mass spectrometry allows the pattern of glycosylation in proteins to be mapped, but can be limited by the lability of glycosidic bonds. Now, a method exploiting this lability allows for direct mapping of glycan moieties in glycoproteins.
Water can form a vast number of topological frameworks owing to its hydrogen-bonding ability, with 19 different forms of ice experimentally confirmed at present. Here, the authors comment on open questions and possible future discoveries, covering negative to ultrahigh pressures.
Glycans are ubiquitous in biology, but their complex structure and biosynthesis have challenged research of their wide-ranging roles. Here, the authors comment on current trends on the role of chemical methodologies in the field of glycobiology.
Airborne particles have significant impacts on health, visibility, and climate. Here, an overview of what is known about particle chemical composition is presented, along with open questions and challenges that are central to relating composition to life cycles and impacts.
Aerosols are highly dynamic, non-equilibrium systems exhibiting unique microphysical properties relative to bulk systems. Here the authors discuss the roles aerosols play in (bio)chemical transformations and identify open questions in aerosol-mediated reaction rate accelerations, aerosol optical properties, and microorganism survival.
Cloud droplets form in the atmosphere on aerosol particles, many of which result from nucleation of vapors. Here the authors comment on current knowledge and open questions regarding the condensational growth of nucleated particles to sizes where they influence cloud formation.
First-row transition metals play several roles in biological processes and in medicine, but can be toxic in high concentrations. Here the authors comment on the sensitive biochemistry and speciation chemistry of the first-row transition metals, and outline some of the remaining questions that have yet to be answered.
Isobe et al. recently introduced the phenine concept, whereby a 1,3,5-trisubstituted benzene system (a phenine unit) is used as a basic building block instead of an sp2-hybridized carbon atom. Now, they apply it in a concise synthesis of a nitrogen-doped phenine nanotube.
Science disengagement amongst school children remains a global challenge, leading to calls for more scientists to engage with the public. Here the authors discuss how a voluntary, flexible program can enhance graduate attributes in addition to addressing barriers to public engagement.
Organic polymers have demonstrated promise as photocatalysts, but their photocatalytic efficiencies remain relatively low. Now, borrowing principles from organic photovoltaics, heterojunctions of polymer photocatalysts and small molecule acceptors have been shown to have excellent solar hydrogen production efficiencies.
Organic 2D materials display valuable properties that are unique from their bulk counterparts, but creating covalent sheets with long-ranging order remains a formidable challenge. Now, reacting complementary monomers right below a surfactant monolayer on water proves to be a powerful method to create organic 2D materials with long-range order.
This month Communications Chemistry celebrates its first anniversary of publishing research, reviews and commentary in all areas of the chemical sciences. Here we look back at the past 12 months of the journal and think about the many things still to achieve.
The importance of collaboration and good working relationships is unquestionable in our field, and is vital for the effective publication of research articles. In this series of Q&A’s we talk to people involved in all aspects of the process and explore the relationships between them. Here we discuss interactions between authors and reviewers with Professor Jennifer Andexer (University of Freiburg) and Professor Wolfgang Kroutil (University of Graz).
The importance of collaboration and good working relationships is unquestionable in chemistry, and is vital for the effective publication of research articles. In this series of Q&A’s we talk to people involved in all aspects of the process and explore the relationships between them. Here we discuss the mentor-mentee relationship with Professor Gisbert Schneider and Dr Francesca Grisoni (both ETH Zurich).
This year Peer Review Week takes place between 10th–15th September. Here we acknowledge the contributions of the researchers who have reviewed for Communications Chemistry during our first 12 months and highlight some of our top reviewers.
Today we launch Communications Chemistry, an open access, multidisciplinary chemistry journal from Nature Research publishing articles, reviews and commentary across the chemical sciences.
