Volume 4 Issue 2, February 2020

Covalent bond formation has been observed in real time in the dicyanoaurate anion trimer using a Raman spectroscopy technique. Studying the molecular vibrations in the terahertz region has enabled the proposal of a new reaction mechanism.

Real-space imaging reveals how thin layers of ice grow. Although the basal structure of bulk ice is still observed in 2D ice, the edges exhibit different molecular arrangements.

Many present and emerging electronic devices make use of organic semiconductors in view of their readily tuneable molecular and electronic structures. This Review describes the importance of analytical and computational tools in studying the molecules as well as their hierarchical self-assemblies, in which the motion of charges and excited states govern device properties.

The water-gas shift reaction converts CO and H₂O into H₂ and CO₂, and reactive separation of the latter optimizes H₂ production. This Review describes how alkaline Ca and Mg compounds trap CO₂ to afford carbonates as part of carbon mineralization.

Macrocyclic peptides have great potential in drug discovery because they occupy unique chemical space between small molecules and biologics and could, thus, be useful against previously undruggable targets. This Review describes the methods for generating libraries of genetically encoded cyclic peptides and highlights how each is suited to different screening approaches.

The rules of biological reproduction and evolution may seem to, at first glance, conflict with simple physico-chemical principles. This Perspective identifies the constraints that must be placed on chemical processes in order for them to mimic natural selection seen in biology.