Reviews & Analysis

The active template approach to interlocked molecules uses metal ions to both pre-organize reaction components and catalyse the final covalent bond formation that captures the interlocked structure. This Review looks at the history of the method, its application in the synthesis of ever more complex interlocked molecules and future directions.

Bis(β-diketiminato)dimagnesium(I) complexes are low-valent reagents that can each deliver two electrons in a selective and stoichiometric manner. Easily handled and dissolved, these species effect reduction of many inorganic and unsaturated organic substrates. This Perspective covers the development of magnesium(I) dimers and the scope of their reactivity.

Transition metal catalysis is well established as an enabling tool in synthetic organic chemistry. Photoredox catalysis has recently emerged as a method to effect reactions that occur through single-electron-transfer pathways. Here we review the combination of the two to show how this provides access to highly reactive oxidation states of transition metals and distinct activation modes that further enable the synthetic chemist.

An untargeted mass spectrometry analysis of a biological sample will detect both biological molecules and compounds that are derived from, for example, diet and the environment. This Review examines the design of such experiments, how to process and interpret the vast amount of data that are produced, and how far we are from being able to use mass spectrometry to inventory the world around us.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have potential applications in, for example, gas storage and separation. The pore sizes in these materials are tunable by selection of the building blocks, and materials with multiple pore sizes are desirable. This Perspective considers synthetic approaches to 2D COFs that rely on tessellation to prepare such multiporous materials.

Enzymes that are optimized for low temperatures have characteristics that are distinct from those that operate under milder conditions. This Review examines cold-adapted enzymes and describes how computational studies have highlighted structural and energetic consequences that arise from adaptation to cold environments.

Many methods exist for the recycling of plastic solid waste. Chemical recycling, which can take many forms from high-temperature pyrolysis to mild, solution-based catalytic depolymerization, can afford enormous economic and environmental benefits. This Review covers the state of the art in chemical recycling and the design of high-performance polymers amenable to such processes.

Synaptic vesicles participate in neuronal communication by storing and releasing neurotransmitter molecules. The neurotransmitters can be detected using electrochemistry and mass spectrometry, and vesicle structural elements can be detected by super-resolution microscopy. This Review describes these analytical techniques and how they unravel the mechanisms of cell communication.

Although it is a fundamental property of many small molecules, chirality is not widely exploited in materials applications as its benefits are not widely recognized — indeed, the need for stereoselective synthesis may be seen as a disadvantage. In this Review, we highlight recent research in which chirality has had an enabling impact in technological applications.

Quadruplex DNA structures were first observed more than 50 years ago, but have only relatively recently attracted interest for their role in the development of cancer. This Perspective considers attempts to selectively bind and stabilize these structures using small molecules, with the aim of developing anticancer therapeutics.

Homogenous transition metal electrocatalysts are topical owing to their role in processing electrical energy and mediating the synthesis of chemical fuels. Mechanisms can be uncovered using electrochemical techniques and data analyses, along with complementary spectroscopic techniques. This Review presents case studies highlighting the utility of these methods in the context of electrocatalysis for chemical fuel production.

The disconnection of C–H and C–C bonds is an efficient approach to functionalize organic molecules. Particularly useful are transformations in which these two cleavage reactions operate in tandem. This Review describes this tandem strategy and provides examples of its application in synthetic chemistry.

The technological progress made since the industrial revolution has brought with it one of our greatest challenges: how to power our world while also minimizing environmental harm. This Perspective highlights the important role that quantum chemistry has in sustainable energy research.

The counterfeiting of goods has economic implications and is a threat to health and security. One promising solution for product authentication is the incorporation of physical unclonable functions. This Review delineates how stochastic chemical processes can afford unique anti-counterfeiting tags that cannot be reproduced.

The relative inertness of dinitrogen can be overcome by coordination to suitable organometallics. This Review explores the influence of coordination mode on the likelihood of functionalization and the nature of the products, which take the form of nitrogen-containing complexes and organics, as well as species such as NH₃ and N₂H₄.

Electrodes colonized by microbial electrocatalysts can serve as useful components in the electrosynthesis of valuable chemical products. This Review outlines the mechanisms by which electrons are transferred between microorganisms and electrodes, and describes the challenges involved in designing robust and efficient systems.

Laboratory studies of natural product biosynthesis often focus on a particular secondary metabolite that is produced by a single species. This Perspective article considers examples in which bacteria and hosts work in concert to produce hybrid natural products.

Elaborate molecules can be assembled in a relatively mild manner through organic cross-coupling reactions, with those mediated by group 10 metal complexes being particularly useful. This Review covers the development of nickel and palladium precatalysts, comparing state-of-the-art systems and offering design principles for future technologies.

Gold surfaces decorated with organosulfur ligands are of nanotechnological importance. Despite this, gold-sulfur interactions — to which van der Waals forces contribute significantly — have only recently been studied in depth. This Review covers these and other soft-soft interactions in which van der Waals forces determine bonding outcomes.

The primary goal of a process chemist is to develop a commercially viable synthetic route to a known drug candidate. The approaches to a synthetic challenge are consequently very different to those used in medicinal chemistry. This Review uses case studies to highlight important considerations, and the tactics used during the design and selection of an efficient drug synthesis.