Review Articles in 2018

Ion mobility–mass spectrometry (IM-MS) is a gas-phase method for structural characterization — a tool prevalent in biology but only recently finding applications in supramolecular chemistry. This Perspective describes how IM-MS techniques give us information about the structures of molecular self-assemblies, host–guest complexes and metallosupramolecular systems.

Low-valent early transition metals are experiencing a renaissance in synthesis and catalysis, finding applications in unusual C–C bond forming reactions, oxidative group-transfer catalysis, proton-coupled electron transfer, photoredox catalysis and more.

Energy exchange between an excited photosensitizer and an annihilator can result in the upconversion of low-energy to high-energy light. Limiting the oxygen sensitivity of this process is essential for many biological applications. This Review discusses approaches to suppressing or alleviating such sensitivity.

3D printing is becoming a mainstream technology with considerable increase in access to affordable desktop printers. However, specific design principles and material considerations need to be weighed when printing functional devices that integrate catalytic and/or analytical functionalities, as well as when printing common laboratory hardware.

Engineered biocatalysts are increasingly being used for both the identification and manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Here, the authors review key developments that are expanding the use of biocatalysis in the pharmaceutical industry.

Noyori-type catalysts perform (de)hydrogenation and transfer (de)hydrogenation reactions at a metal centre coordinated to a N–H moiety. Understanding how these metal–ligand bifunctional catalysts operate enables us to design better catalysts for these reactions and for related conversions such as alcohol dehydrogenations, ester or carboxamide hydrogenations and dehydrogenative coupling of primary alcohols with other alcohols or amines.

Large increases in the amount of information produced year on year motivate the development of new storage media. This Review addresses the current status of data storage at the level of single polymer chains: in DNA, proteins and synthetic polymers.

One promising technology for modern energy and chemical conversions is chemical looping, central to which are redox cycles of metal oxides. This Review describes chemical looping schemes and the mechanisms by which metal oxide particles enable these technologies.

The modification of DNA at cytosine and thymine, such as methylation, hydroxylation and formylation, might have epigenetic roles. In this Review, the authors discuss established and newer methods for the detection of these modifications in genomic DNA.

Aqueous media containing homogeneously distributed soft dynamic structures can promote a wide range of synthetic and degradative chemical reactions. This promotion is illustrated by selected examples from academia and industry, as well as from the field of prebiotic chemistry.

Multivariate linear regression methods have become useful predictive tools that can complement potentially computationally expensive and complex transition state calculations. This Review compares these methods, highlights the advantages of each and identifies challenges for the future.

Nitrification and denitrification are responsible for the processing of ammonia fertilizer, ultimately leading to the generation of environmental pollutants that accumulate in waterways and the atmosphere. This Review describes the enzymes involved in these processes, which fascinate with their unusual active sites and the surprising reactions that they catalyse.

Non-viral vehicles for the delivery of nucleic acids have potential applications for the treatment of diseases by, for example, restoring, correcting or silencing the expression of genes. In this Review, the authors discuss the latest developments in synthetic materials used for gene delivery and the challenges that must be overcome to transfer these innovations into the clinic.

Surface plasmons can redistribute photoenergy over different time, space and energy scales and have been exploited in new spectroscopic techniques. This Review reports on how surface plasmons can also drive chemical reactions by localizing photon, electronic and/or thermal energies.

Click chemistry enables efficient chemical labelling of small molecules in cells, providing a powerful method to visualize almost any biologically active compound. This versatile methodology can provide valuable information about the mechanisms of action of small molecules in various biological settings.

Semiconducting quantum dots (QDs) can serve as light-absorbing components in efficient artificial photosynthetic systems for H₂ evolution. This Review describes how we can optimize QDs for H₂ evolution using sacrificial reductants, before moving on to sustainable strategies for the photolysis of biomass or H₂O.

Traditional approaches for studying glycans can lack the precision required to uncover their roles in biomolecular processes. Progress has been made in the use of single molecule techniques for examining individual events in glycobiology — such as the molecular interactions of sugars and their roles in biological processes — within challenging mixtures.

Proteins, DNA and RNA can be used to build functional nanostructures. This Review compares protein and DNA/RNA in terms of biochemical properties and ease of engineering in three major areas of application: biomolecular recognition, biocatalysis and structural support.

This Review describes excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer (ESIPT) reactions with amines as proton donors. Systematic variation of N−H bond strength, acidity and reaction rate enables ESIPT kinetics and thermodynamics to be correlated and new molecules to be designed for sensing and optoelectronics applications.

The union of theory in chemical ecology with modern methods in chemistry has enhanced our understanding of phytochemical variation among and within plants. This Review outlines these theoretical frameworks and approaches for hypothesis testing, with a focus on chemically mediated plant–insect interactions.