News & Views in 2023

A nanodroplet sequential fusion strategy is presented that can be used to precisely synthesize branched silica nanotrees, creating complex and functional inorganic superstructures.

By removing water from crystalline molecular complexes, microporous metal–organic framework glasses are formed. The glasses can be obtained in monolithic shapes by melt-quenching.

Triaryloxonium salts are used as aryne precursors under mild and operationally simple conditions, allowing high functional-group tolerance, and cycloaddition reactions are used to trap the arynes generated.

A macroscale scaffolding strategy for building arches and curved surfaces is translated to the molecular level for the face-selective design of zeolitic metal–organic frameworks (ZMOFs).

Direct conversion of air to nitric acid occurs under ambient conditions using a cathodic hetero-homogeneous electrocatalysis strategy.

Palladium-catalysed dicarbonylation using two different nucleophiles enables the selective synthesis of unsymmetrical diamides and amido esters in a single step.

Combined N-heterocyclic carbene and photoredox-catalysed strategies for the acylation of arenes offer regiocontrol that is complementary to Lewis-acid-mediated Friedel–Crafts approaches.

An intercalation strategy has been developed to produce bulk-monolayer MoS₂ which retains single-layer semiconductor properties.

A kinetically controlled solution-phase synthesis produces nanoparticles of defined shape and multimetallic surface composition for catalytic applications.

A hybrid carbon nanotube/molecular catalyst achieves highly selective electrochemical conversion of CO to methanol via mechanistic-guided optimizations.

The combination of photocatalysis and nickel catalysis enables the multicomponent synthesis of N-alkyl anilines through tandem C–N transposition and C–H alkylation of alkylamines.

Enantioselective electrocatalysis is emerging as an increasingly versatile tool in organic synthesis. Now, by applying asymmetric Lewis acid catalysis with an elaborated ligand design, radical electrochemical amination is accomplished with full selectivity control.

Catalytic multi-component transformations often require a delicate balance between the reactivities of the starting materials and catalyst. Now, chromium catalysis enables consecutive C–O and C–H functionalization to form tertiary alkane centres.

A hydrogen-bonded organic framework reversibly forms crystalline and amorphous phases in solid and liquid states, enabling solution processability for the polymer-based framework.

The activation of a Si–Si bond and its subsequent trans-addition across an alkyne substrate is a challenge. Now, a Pd-catalysed process for the trans-bis-silylation of terminal alkynes is reported, using a quinoline-substituted disilane reagent.

The synthesis of polyacene is hampered by low solubility and instability of the product as well as side reactions. Now, polyacene is synthesized by polymerizing monomers confined in a metal–organic framework.

Nearly all phosphorus-containing chemicals are prepared from phosphate ores via hazardous, energy-intensive, multi-step procedures that feature toxic, pyrophoric white phosphorus (P₄) as an intermediate. Using a different approach, many of these products can be prepared from phosphates in two simple steps free from P₄.

Supramolecular assemblies of peptides with differing morphologies and properties are formed by varying the synthetic route to the fibrous assemblies.

Cation exchange reactions convert ionic nanocrystals into new compositions through the substitution of cations. Now, a cation exchange reaction has been demonstrated on a Cu₂Se nanocluster with a uniform arrangement of atoms.