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  • d-cyclodextrins are naturally occurring macrocyclic oligosaccharides that act as hosts for hydrophobic guests and are produced on a multi-tonne scale. Now, using chemical synthesis, mirror-image cyclodextrins are produced from l- instead of d-glucose units.

    • Sophie R. Beeren
    News & Views
  • The making of mirror-image versions of naturally occurring cyclodextrins (CDs) is challenging and constitutes an untouched goal of the CD community. Now a concise approach is developed for the diastereoselective synthesis of three mirror-image CDs in an efficient and scalable manner.

    • Yong Wu
    • Saba Aslani
    • J. Fraser Stoddart
    Article
  • Methods for enzymatic C–F bond formation are rare. Now an enzymatic method for enantioselective C(sp3)–F bond formation is reported, through reprogramming non-haem iron enzyme (S)-2-hydroxypropylphosphonate epoxidase. Mechanistic studies reveal that the process proceeds through an iron-mediated radical fluorine transfer process.

    • Qun Zhao
    • Zhenhong Chen
    • Xiongyi Huang
    Article
  • Non-canonical amino acids are important building blocks in the synthesis of natural products, peptides and drugs. Now, a one-pot chemoenzymatic approach to synthesize branched azacyclic non-canonical amino acids is reported. This method combines enzymatic transamination of 2,n-diketoacids and stereocontrolled chemical reduction to provide the desired products with high stereoselectivity.

    • Tsung-Han Chao
    • Xiangyu Wu
    • Hans Renata
    Article
  • A series of molecular rare-earth telluride clusters incorporating a three-centre, four-electron, tri-tellurido ligand (Te34−) are reported. These atomically precise clusters, possessing ultralow band gaps comparable to those of monocrystalline silicon and gallium arsenide, are potentially applicable as quantum materials and for optoelectronic applications.

    • You-Song Ding
    • Xue-Lian Jiang
    • Zhiping Zheng
    Article
  • Coupling an exergonic process with an orthogonal, endergonic one has opened the door to drive artificial systems away from equilibrium. Now, this concept is used to bias the outcome of an uphill chemical reaction.

    • Michele Stasi
    • Héctor Soria-Carrera
    • Job Boekhoven
    News & Views
  • By systematically exploring a large chemical space using automated experimentation, a high-performing organic photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution is discovered.

    • Seonghwan Kim
    • Charles M. Schroeder
    News & Views
  • Artificial intelligence is used to automate the synthesis of single molecules using the tip of a scanning probe microscope, as well as to extract chemical information from these reactions.

    • Zilin Ruan
    • J. Michael Gottfried
    News & Views
  • Spontaneous reactions proceed thermodynamically downhill, limiting transformations to those that are exergonic. Now a chemically fuelled endergonic synthesis is reported in which a Diels–Alder reaction is driven uphill by a ratchet mechanism.

    • Enzo Olivieri
    • James M. Gallagher
    • David A. Leigh
    ArticleOpen Access
  • Metal–organic framework (MOF) materials are promising photocatalysts for solar-driven fuel production from CO2. Here, built on a literature survey and data macroanalysis, we examine the development of MOFs as photocatalysts for CO2 conversion, while assessing pitfalls and opportunities.

    • P. M. Stanley
    • V. Ramm
    • J. Warnan
    Perspective
  • Control of atoms with single-atom precision is a key challenge in nanoscience. Now an electron beam approach to engineer shielded metal atoms in transition metal dichalcogenides is proposed. This method can create diverse atomic vacancies, leading to interesting magnetic and electronic properties.

    • Xiaocang Han
    • Mengmeng Niu
    • Xiaoxu Zhao
    Article
  • Metal–organic frameworks are important catalysts for photocatalytic CO2 reduction but if the field is to continue to advance, then reporting of photocatalytic metrics and practices must be standardized.

    Editorial