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New economic and environmentally benign methods for achieving carbon–carbon bond formation are in constant demand. Here, a remarkably efficient and functional-group-tolerant, metal-free reductive cross-coupling of carbonyl compounds with boronic acids is described.

Carbon-nanotube networks have been used to study the sensitivity to molecular oxygen of a dendrimer complexed with europium ions. Optically transparent devices made by coating nanotubes with the metal-containing dendrimer show a linear and reversible electrical response to O₂, and may prove useful for oxygen-sensing applications.

Irradiation of super-saturated agarose gels with low-powered lasers causes the nucleation of crystals with both spatial and temporal control

A microfluidic technique has been used to create a source of unilamellar, uniformly sized vesicles

A covalent organic nanocapsule has been prepared by linking together the ligands of a metallocapsule and subsequently removing its metal centres

An otherwise undesired by-product acts as a ligand for the reaction catalyst, resulting in improved reactivity and selectivity in the oxidation of dienes

Chiral isotropic fluids and helical nanofilaments based on achiral, bent-core molecules have been observed

Nanoparticles have been designed to act as AND logic gates — requiring both light and pH changes before releasing cargo from their nanopores

Small anions can be used to modulate the physical properties of supramolecular gels by interacting with the low-molecular-weight gelators from which such materials are composed. A better understanding of this anion-tuning effect will aid in the rational design of responsive gels that may prove useful for a number of practical applications.

Another 'superheavy' element is officially welcomed to the table.

Why Nature Chemistry spells sulfur with an 'f'.

Chemists have stretched the meaning of topology to cover situations never imagined by their mathematical colleagues. Michelle Francl wonders if we have reached breaking point?

Small sugar molecules produced by an autocatalytic reaction cycle confined inside vesicle-based 'artificial cells' can trigger a response in living bacterial cells.

Scientists have long been intrigued by a mechanism first predicted by Alan Turing that leads to self-organizing chemical patterns. Now they have a guide to creating them experimentally.

The field of spin transition has been dominated by six-coordinate octahedral metal ions, but now an unusual spin transition has been found for an oxide containing a square-planar coordinate iron(II).

Biopolymers, ingeniously designed by nature, can combine different mechanical properties and even adapt to changes in their environment. By imitating the structure of a protein, chemists have now made a strong, tough polymer that also exhibits elastic properties.

At arguably one of the prettiest locations in England, the Nineteenth Lakeland Symposium brought together an international group of delegates from academia and industry to discuss a breadth of topics at the cutting edge of synthetic and heterocyclic organic chemistry.