Artistic impression of the capture of sulfate ions in a molecular cage

Read our March issue

This month, a thesis on the importance of networking for pre-tenure faculty, and an In Your Element on the use of samarium diiodide as a highly atom-economical reducing agent.

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    The 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots. In recognition of this award, Nature Portfolio presents a collection of research, review and opinion articles that highlight the development of quantum dots over the past three decades.

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    The combination of techniques such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, robotics and automation can be used to accelerate chemical and materials synthesis. This Focus issue showcases developments in the automation and digitalization of synthesis, as well as highlights the challenges to be overcome in this area.

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    Nature Chemical Engineering is open for submissions. The journal will cover a broad range of systems and scales that significantly advance fundamental research, aid product and process development and explore new technological solutions, all in the context of core chemical engineering approaches. It will publish research, reviews and opinion articles.

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  • The spontaneous recombination of photogenerated radicals surrounded by solvent molecules is an important energy-wasting elementary step in photoredox reactions. Now the decisive role that cage escape plays in these reactions is shown in three benchmark photocatalytic reactions, with quantitative correlations observed between photoredox product formation rates and cage escape quantum yields.

    • Cui Wang
    • Han Li
    • Oliver S. Wenger
    ArticleOpen Access
  • High-throughput proteome-wide methods for identifying endogenous proteins that phase separate or partition into condensates during certain physiological events are needed but remain a challenge. Now, a high-throughput, unbiased and quantitative strategy can identify endogenous biomolecular condensates and screen proteins involved in phase separation on a proteome-wide scale.

    • Pengjie Li
    • Peng Chen
    • Yiwei Li
    Article
  • The underlying mechanism for how heterotypic protein–RNA interactions modulate the liquid to amyloid transition of hnRNPA1A, a protein involved in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, has so far remained elusive. Now characterization of hnRNPA1A condensate formation and aggregation in vitro reveals that the RNA/protein stoichiometry affects the molecular pathways leading to amyloid formation.

    • Chiara Morelli
    • Lenka Faltova
    • Paolo Arosio
    ArticleOpen Access
  • The insertion of metal atoms and heteroaromatic units provides a way to tune the optical, electronic and magnetic properties of graphene nanoribbons. Now the synthesis of a porphyrin-fused graphene nanoribbon with a narrow bandgap and high charge mobility has been achieved, and this material used to fabricate field-effect and single-electron transistors.

    • Qiang Chen
    • Alessandro Lodi
    • Harry L. Anderson
    ArticleOpen Access
  • Although hydrogels with complex, heterogeneous and reconfigurable structures are promising materials for use in intelligent systems, fabricating such hydrogels is challenging. Now it has been shown that they can be fabricated by reversibly gluing different hydrogel units using a photocontrolled metallopolymer adhesive. This method can be used to design hydrogels with customized functions.

    • Jiahui Liu
    • Yun-Shuai Huang
    • Si Wu
    ArticleOpen Access
  • Atomistic simulations have a broad range of applications from drug design to materials discovery. Machine learning interatomic potentials (MLIPs) have become an efficient alternative to computationally expensive ab initio simulations. Now a general reactive MLIP (called ANI-1xnr) has been developed and validated against a broad range of condensed-phase reactive systems.

    • Shuhao Zhang
    • Małgorzata Z. Makoś
    • Justin S. Smith
    ArticleOpen Access
  • Becoming an assistant professor brings with it several challenges, one of which is developing new relationships that can be professionally and personally beneficial. Shira Joudan reflects on getting to know people at a new institution, having different types of relationships, and how they help with happiness and success.

    • Shira Joudan
    Thesis
  • Ciro Romano, Jack I. Mansell, and David J. Procter have explored the versatility and selectivity of samarium diiodide, and its use as a radical relay catalyst.

    • Ciro Romano
    • Jack I. Mansell
    • David J. Procter
    In Your Element
  • Thomas Kruse and Søren Østergaard reflect on the development of the GLP-1 analogue, semaglutide, which is reshaping peptide therapeutics in type 2 diabetes, weight management, and beyond.

    • Thomas Kruse
    • Søren Østergaard
    In Your Element
  • As the search for new faculty begins across many chemistry departments, Bruce Gibb takes the opportunity to assess his potential biases — and discusses how to address them.

    • Bruce C. Gibb
    Thesis
  • Dewran Kocak and Bryan Roth discuss a psychedelic — 5-MeO-DMT — and what we might learn from its properties.

    • D. Dewran Kocak
    • Bryan L. Roth
    In Your Element

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