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Electricity can be produced by the oxidation of hydrogen in fuel cells, but the best catalyst for this is platinum, a precious metal of low abundance. Now a molecular complex of iron, a very abundant, inexpensive metal, has been rationally designed for the oxidation of H2 at room temperature.
Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is crucial for a range of diverse cellular processes, from wound healing to bone regeneration, yet is inherently unstable. This important biologic has now been covalently linked to a polymer that mimics the polysaccharide heparin to produce a conjugate that shows remarkable stability to a wide range of therapeutically and environmentally relevant stressors.
A molecular tweezer has been shown to bind to the surface of a 14-3-3 protein through a particular lysine residue. This interaction — characterized in detail by protein crystallography and computational modelling — disrupts the protein's binding with partner proteins. These findings ascertain supramolecular chemistry as an enticing tool in chemical biology, here towards modulating protein functions.
Substituted allenes with axial chirality are of great utility in organic chemistry owing to their unique structure and reactivity, but synthetic methods to access them are limited. Here, a catalytic asymmetric synthesis of tetrasubstituted allenes is described that builds on the use of phase-transfer-catalysed asymmetric functionalization of 1-alkylallene-1,3-dicarboxylates.
Metal–organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles and their assembly into three-dimensional superstructures are attracting attention in various fields. Now, a general spray-drying method has been developed to create more complex hollow spherical MOF superstructures and entrap guest species within them, thereby providing new routes to capsules, reactors and composite materials.
Time-resolved X-ray crystallography on photoactive yellow protein shows the existence of a short-lived, highly distorted intermediate whose reaction trajectory bifurcates along ‘bicycle-pedal’ and ‘hula-twist’ pathways. The bifurcating reaction pathways can be controlled by weakening the hydrogen bond between the chromophore and an adjacent residue, which switches off the bicycle-pedal pathway.
Conformational changes are known to occur during binding of the anti-AIDS drug rilpivirine to HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, an essential enzyme for the replication of HIV. Vibrational spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography and simulations now show that water molecules play an essential role in this binding process, which may help it retain potency despite mutations within the binding pocket.
Katharina M. Fromm relates how barium and its ores went from a magical, glowing species that attracted witches and alchemists to components in a variety of compounds that are key parts of modern life.
A new biocompatible near-infrared fluorescent probe enables super-resolution imaging of cellular proteins in live cells using a range of different labelling techniques.
Creating useful feedstocks from methane is impeded by over-oxidation when O2 is used as the oxidant. Now, gaseous sulfur has been shown to be a promising 'soft' oxidant for the selective conversion of methane to ethylene.
No longer held in Bürgenstock or the preserve of stereochemists, the Bürgenstock conference on stereochemistry is much more than its name suggests. The diverse range of subjects discussed at the meeting highlights the fundamental importance of chemistry in other scientific disciplines ranging from molecular biology to materials science.
It is well known that donation of electron density from a metal atom back into an empty orbital on a coordinating ligand, such as an alkene, weakens the π bond. Now, it has been shown that in a metal–diborene complex, π-backdonation involves bonding π-orbitals on the ligand and leads to B–B bond strengthening.
The ability of the water surface to donate or accept protons critically influences vital processes in chemistry and biology, but intense disagreement persists regarding this property. Researchers show new evidence that the air side of the air/water interface is more basic than the aqueous one.
Selective gas uptake in zeolites often relies on size — hosts accommodate guests that are small enough to fit into their pores. Now, a zeolite containing cations that function as molecular trapdoors allows guest-selective, size-inverse separations that could help with carbon capture and hydrogen purification.
