IMAGE: Grigorii Skorupskii, MIT; COVER DESIGN: Tulsi Voralia

Conductive MOFs

A series of layered lanthanide-based MOFs exhibit charge transport perpendicular to their layers.

Latest Research

  • Article |

    Although methods exist for the construction of CF3-containing stereocentres, the utilization of α-trifluoromethyl carbanions remains challenging because of the propensity for fluoride elimination. A strategy has now been developed to stabilize these carbanions through a neighbouring cationic Pd complex and the corresponding Pd-stabilized zwitterions participate in asymmetric cycloadditions with a broad range of acceptors.

    • Barry M. Trost
    • , Youliang Wang
    •  & Chao-I (Joey) Hung
  • Perspective |

    The structures of biologically active natural products have long served as inspiration in drug discovery. This Perspective outlines design principles and connectivity patterns for the de novo combination of natural product-derived fragments. The resulting ‘pseudo-natural products’ retain biological relevance yet exhibit structures and bioactivities not found in the natural products and their derivatives.

    • George Karageorgis
    • , Daniel J. Foley
    • , Luca Laraia
    •  & Herbert Waldmann
  • Review Article |

    Growing polymers directly on surfaces has emerged as a powerful tool because it can provide a route to otherwise inaccessible structures such as defect-free linear chains, graphene nanoribbons and two-dimensional networks. This Review Article describes general principles and key aspects of this method from the perspectives of surface science and polymer chemistry.

    • Leonhard Grill
    •  & Stefan Hecht
  • Article |

    A conjugated diradicaloid cage has been synthesized and its aromaticity was investigated. The neutral compound and the dication have dominant monocyclic conjugation pathways and both are aromatic (the former following Hückel’s rule and the latter Baird’s rule). The tetracation ([6n + 4] π-electrons) exhibits global 3D antiaromaticity whereas the hexacation ([6n + 2] π-electrons) exhibits global 3D aromaticity and has high D3 symmetry.

    • Yong Ni
    • , Tullimilli Y. Gopalakrishna
    • , Hoa Phan
    • , Taeyeon Kim
    • , Tun Seng Herng
    • , Yi Han
    • , Tao Tao
    • , Jun Ding
    • , Dongho Kim
    •  & Jishan Wu
  • Article |

    Meroterpenoids are mixed terpenoid–polyketide natural products that exhibit a range of biological activities. A hybrid synthetic strategy that combines biocatalytic and radical-based methods has now been developed and it enables eight different oxidized meroterpenoids to be made in just 7–12 steps from commercially available materials.

    • Jian Li
    • , Fuzhuo Li
    • , Emma King-Smith
    •  & Hans Renata
  • Article |

    Homogeneous photocatalysts for the conversion and storage of solar energy typically feature separate sensitizer–catalyst assemblies, whereas previous examples of single-chromophore single-molecule photocatalysts are inefficient and do not use significant portions of the visible spectrum. Now a dirhodium single-chromophore single-molecule catalyst has been developed that generates hydrogen using low-energy light through a previously unobserved mechanism.

    • T. J. Whittemore
    • , C. Xue
    • , J. Huang
    • , J. C. Gallucci
    •  & C. Turro

News & Comment

  • Comment |

    Academic labs can be difficult places to work — but why is that the case and what can be done to address the issues that lead to harmful working environments?

    • David K. Smith
  • News & Views |

    It is crucial to replace fossil fuel-based plastics with biodegradable ones that are made from renewable sources. Now, a new generation of bioplastics has been prepared through the stereoselective polymerization of diastereomeric monomers — a synthetic approach that allows tuning of the materials’ toughness, ductility and melting point.

    • Sonja Herres-Pawlis
  • Thesis |

    Bruce C. Gibb takes a look at the dark side of academia and considers a multitude of sins.

    • Bruce C. Gibb
  • News & Views |

    Monoclonal antibodies have shown tremendous success in cancer treatment; however, humanization for clinical applications is expensive and not straightforward. Now, molecularly imprinted polymer nanogels have been developed that can block cell-surface proteins and disrupt tumour spheroids.

    • Alessandra Maria Bossi
  • Meeting Report |

    Synthetic organic chemistry is increasingly automated, data rich and intelligent. At the Automated Synthesis Forum, industry and academia showcased their recent progress towards this augmented future.

    • David M. Heard
    •  & Alastair J. J. Lennox
  • News & Views |

    Meroterpenoids are mixed terpenoid–polyketide natural products with a variety of biological activities. Now, a synthetic approach that combines biocatalytic oxidation with a range of other radical-based reactions enables the divergent synthesis of eight oxidized meroterpenoid natural products and one analogue.

    • Andrew Gomm
    •  & Adam Nelson

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