The porous domains and host structures of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been widely investigated for potential applications in gas storage and catalysis, but their guest-induced properties have been much less studied. Shown on the cover of this issue is the structure of a MOF assembled from sodium ions and sulfonated ligands by Shimizu and co-workers. With a specific amount of triazole molecules in its pores, the material becomes both proton conducting and gas tight, showing promise for hydrogen fuel-cell membranes.

Cover design by Alex Wing/Nature Chemistry.

Article p705; News & Views p689

An amphiphile based on a perylene bisimide (a fluorescence acceptor) self-assembles in water to form vesicular nanocapsules that can trap a bispyrene compound (a fluorescence donor) inside their hollow cores, as shown on the cover of this issue. The donor molecules adopt one of two different conformations, depending on the pH of the solution, and each emits a different colour of light (either green or blue) when exposed to UV irradiation. In each conformation, the donors transfer some energy to the shell of the vesicle, which ultimately emits red light. The combination of emissions at pH 9 results in white fluorescence.

Cover design by Alex Wing/Nature Chemistry.

Article p623; News & Views p599

Different approaches to the total synthesis of 6-deoxyerythronolide B have been reported, with some notable contributions shown on the cover of this issue. Now, Christina White and Erik Stang show that a late-stage C-H oxidation reaction can be used to close the 14-membered macrocyclic core of the molecule with high levels of regio-, chemo- and diastereoselectivity. This strategy reduces the 'oxygen load' during the synthesis and also offers a more stereochemically versatile route to the target structure.

Article p547; News & Views p519

Sensors that use a chemical nose/tongue strategy to detect analytes generally comprise an array of receptors that generate a fingerprint-like diagnostic pattern and remove the need for specific analyte–receptor interactions. Rotello and colleagues have now developed a system for detecting proteins in human serum that takes advantage of the competitive binding of green fluorescent protein and analyte proteins with an array of functionalized gold nanoparticles (illustrated on the cover).

Article p371; News & Views p351

The infinite-layer oxide SrFe(II)O2 exhibits a transition from a high-spin state - represented by the antiparallel arrows in the background of the image shown on the cover - to an intermediate-spin state (parallel arrows in the foreground of the cover image), the first observed in a four-coordinate metal centre. A transition from an antiferromagnetic insulator to a ferromagnetic metal (a so-called half-metal) takes place at the same time.

Article p371; News & Views p351

Metal-organic framework (MOF) materials off er a range of attractive properties, including gas storage and structural fl exibility. A sulfoisophthalate linker ligand has now been incorporated into a copper-based material that enables a dramatic change in connectivity without aff ecting the crystallinity of the compound. The structural changes occur on absorption and loss of water and pyridine. The cover image shows the structure of the hydrated form of the copper sulfoisophthalate MOF.

Article p289

Graphene is a promising material for the construction of nanoelectronic devices. For it to realize its full technological potential, however, ways must be found of integrating it with other components. One approach is to form stable monolayers of organic molecules on its surface. As shown on the cover of this issue, Hersam and Wang have now demonstrated that 3,4,9,10-perylene tetracarboxylic dianhydride self-assembles into robust herringbone arrays - with long-range order - on epitaxial graphene grown on a SiC(0001) surface.

Cover design by Kalindi Suri/Nature Chemistry.

Article p206; News & Views p175

Ordered mesoporous materials have many applications in catalysis, separation and drug delivery. A tricontinuous mesoporous silica, with three identical interpenetrating channels, is the first to go beyond bicontinuous systems. The channels have a diameter of about 3 nm, and are separated by silica walls. The cover image represents a projection of the channels reconstructed from transmission electron microscopy images.

Cover design by Kalindi Suri/Nature Chemistry, based on an original image from Daliang Zhang and Tom Willhammar/Stockholm University (SU), Yu Han and Leng Leng Chng/Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), Junliang Sun/SU, Lan Zhao/IBN, Xiaodong Zou/SU, and Jackie Y. Ying/IBN.

Article p123; News & Views p105

The addition of aromatic organic cations to a dispersion of polyoxometalate crystals in water results in the real-time growth of hollow tubes with diameters ranging from one micrometre to just over a tenth of a millimetre. The direction in which a given tube grows can be controlled by placing a physical object in its path, or by applying a voltage to the solution. The cover image shows a schematic representation of a growing microtube with a single polyoxometalate ion visible at the open end of the tube.

Cover design by Kalindi Suri

Article p47; News & Views p22