Antibodies have often been regarded as the pinnacle of biomolecular target recognition and specificity, binding only to one intended target and with the interaction often being compared to that of a lock and key. In fact, a lack of specificity is regarded as a major obstacle in antibody-derived drugs making it past approval and onto the market – with only around 100 antibody drugs having been approved by the FDA thus far. The physicochemical origins of this sticky problem are examined in a Review by Ausserwöger et al.

The design of magnetic molecules for applications in, for example, data storage, quantum information or spintronics, requires the preservation and control of spins. This calls for a deep understanding of how molecules interact with their environment — electromagnetic fields, molecular vibrations, other magnetic molecules. The problem concerns many degrees of freedom, but state-of-the-art ab initio computations combined with data driven approaches to materials modelling can be integrated into multiscale strategies in order to define design rules for magnetic molecules. See Lunghi and Sanvito

Molecular junctions – building blocks for constructing future nano-electronic devices – serve as a platform to both squeeze light at sub-diffraction dimensions and apply electric bias voltage between electrodes. The mutual conversion between photons and electrons in molecular junctions is critical. Electrical plasmon excitation results in photon emission while localized surface plasmon triggers novel electron transport behaviours, which are at heart of the investigation in plasmonic interplay within molecular junctions. See Wang et al.

Rocks such as basalts can react with CO2 to permanently store it as stable metal carbonate minerals. But as depicted, mineralization outcomes depend on the CO2-H2O fluid composition, temperature, and pressure via their influence over CO2 hydration, dissolution, passivation, ion transport, and product crystallization. Understanding these processes in the continuum of CO2-rich fluids where limited water availability plays a system defining role is important to enable progression. See Qomi et al.

A transition to renewable energy — such as wind and solar power — will require technology to store energy for use when the wind does not blow and when the sun doesn’t shine. While lithium-ion batteries have proven useful for relatively small scale operations, from laptops to single vehicles, they are unlikely to be useful or yet practical for large scale grid-level operations. Redox flow batteries have the potential to fill that niche, but there is much to do to realize that potential. See Zhang et al.

Snake venoms represent a unique source of bioactive compounds that can serve as a basis for developing new drugs. The cover image illustrates a snake venom protein from the three-finger toxin family, whose neurotoxicity might be converted into a powerful therapy. An example is mambalgin-1, a three-finger toxin extracted from black mamba venom that binds to acid-sensing ion channels and elicits a potent analgesic effect. The blue and yellow background is inspired by van Gogh’s The Starry Night and is intended to represent the kaleidoscope of physical and mental sensations that might result from injection with a venom or a component of it. The sensorial turmoil might be positive or negative, depending on if the person received a neurotoxic venom or a neuroactive drug. See Oliveira et al.

Artificial molecular systems provide minimalistic platforms to uncover how purposeful movement can emerge in water out of the rules of molecular chemistry. In lipid water, gradients of interfacial tension can sustain the chemotactic movement of droplets. Such droplets can adapt their motile behavior to environmental cues such as chemicals and light, and in the presence of chemical reactivity. The cover image highlights the generation of such a droplet and its movement. See D. Babu, N. Katsonis, F. Lancia, R. Plamont & A. Ryabchun

C–N bonds are ubiquitous in societally important commodity and fine chemicals, but the thermochemical routes used to manufacture these compounds are a major contributor to global carbon emissions. Heterogeneous electrocatalysis could potentially drive the formation of these important products using renewable electricity and abundant starting materials, thus reducing the carbon footprint of their production. The cover image shows CO2 and NH3 reactants coupling on the surface of a copper nanoparticle catalyst to form amide products. See Li, Zhang, Kuruvinashetti and Kornienko

In photocatalytic hydrogen production, solar radiation produces electrons and holes in a photocatalyst. The rate determining step in the reaction though is the hole-mediated oxidation of water and many holes are wasted. Avoiding this waste — and the associated chemical effects — is the key to optimizing this important reaction and boosting solar hydrogen production rates. See Rahman, Edvinsson, and Gascon.

Attempts to dissect the biological origins of secondary metabolites and develop biomimetic natural product syntheses frequently result in anticipated natural product structures – compounds that, when first envisaged, are unknown but are later isolated from natural sources. The cover image draws an analogy between such natural product anticipation and the famous prediction, by Dmitri Mendeleev, of the existence of gallium and germanium and their isolation nearly two decades later. See Hetzler et al.

The active site of a heterogeneous catalyst is a nebulous concept. Traditionally, there are two major schools of thought in understanding active sites: the Langmuir approach which considers a monolayer of reacting molecules on a 2D surface with active sites like a chequerboard. The Taylor approach considers that there are a variety of sites and not all will be equally active. A review of catalysis research since their lifetimes leads to the 3D chess analogy. See Vogt and Weckhuysen.

A large majority of studies on metal–organic framework (MOF) materials focus on their equilibrium or steady state properties. Studying the changes that occur over time during MOF formation, guest motion, electron motion and framework motion is essential if many of the proposed applications of MOFs are to be realized. See Cerasale et al.