Chemistry articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Targeted manipulations of neural activity in the living brain remain a significant challenge. In this study the authors introduce a paramagnetic analog of the drug muscimol that enables targeted neural inactivation to be performed with feedback from magnetic resonance imaging

    • Sarah Bricault
    • , Ali Barandov
    •  & Alan Jasanoff

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Current research focus on the perovskites solar cells (PSCs) is mainly limited to the lead-based ones with bandgaps above 1.5 eV. Here Hu et al. report efficient and stable inorganic tin-containing PSCs, opening doors to exploring abundant perovskite materials with bandgaps lower than 1.4 eV.

    • Mingyu Hu
    • , Min Chen
    •  & Yuanyuan Zhou

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Synthesis of a polymer composed of a large discrete number of chemically distinct monomers in an absolutely defined aperiodic sequence remains a challenge in polymer chemistry. Here the authors show copolymers of α-hydroxy acids, poly(phenyllactic-co-lactic acid), built via a cross-convergent method of four dyads of monomers.

    • Jung Min Lee
    • , Mo Beom Koo
    •  & Kyoung Taek Kim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Host-guest solid state molecular motion is a critical but underexplored phenomenon which can be used to control molecular machines that function in the solid state. Here, the authors describe a solid state machine that shows solvent vapour- and mechanically-induced molecular motion that allows access to different crystalline and amorphous forms.

    • Yu-Dong Yang
    • , Xiaofan Ji
    •  & Han-Yuan Gong

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electrochemical CO2 reduction is a potential route to the sustainable production of valuable fuels and chemicals. In this joint experimental-theoretical work, the authors address the issue of the rate-limiting step on Gold and present insights from multi-scale simulations into the importance of the electric double layer on reaction kinetics and mass transport.

    • Stefan Ringe
    • , Carlos G. Morales-Guio
    •  & Karen Chan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Energy storage devices that can endure large and complex deformations are central to the development of wearable electronics. Here the authors present a cryopolymerization strategy for preparing an anisotropic polyvinyl alcohol/polyaniline hydrogel for flexible supercapacitor electrodes.

    • Le Li
    • , Yu Zhang
    •  & Tianxi Liu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Raman probes which operate in the cellular silent region are of interest for live cell imaging. Here, the authors report on the development of a water soluble polydiacetylene Raman probe with enhanced Raman signal in the silent region which can be functionalised for organelle targeting and demonstrate application.

    • Sidan Tian
    • , Haozheng Li
    •  & Liang Luo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The development of microscale materials with cell-like functions and collective behaviors is an important milestone in bottom-up synthetic biology. Here the authors employ a bio-inspired inorganic synzyme to construct a micro-compartment with multi-functional activity providing a step towards the development of protocell reaction networks.

    • Pierangelo Gobbo
    • , Liangfei Tian
    •  & Stephen Mann

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Long-chain alcohols synthesis from syngas conversion is a promising route for the production of high-value chemicals. Here the authors show that a heterogeneous Fe5C2/Cu catalyst derived from layered double hydroxides precursor exhibits excellent performance with a space time yield of 0.101 g gcat−1 h−1 at a low pressure of 1 MPa.

    • Yinwen Li
    • , Wa Gao
    •  & Ding Ma

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Transition metal dichalcogenides demonstrate fascinating capabilities for electrocatalytic H2 evolution, although the activities vary widely depending on nanomaterial sites available. Here, authors show the grain boundaries of atomically thin MoS2 to be especially active sites for H2 evolution.

    • Yongmin He
    • , Pengyi Tang
    •  & Zheng Liu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Although artificial Lieb lattices have been recently synthesized, the realization of a Lieb lattice in a real material is still challenging. Here the authors use tight-binding and first principle calculations to predict tunable topology and magnetism in recently discovered two-dimensional covalent-organic frameworks.

    • Bin Cui
    • , Xingwen Zheng
    •  & Bing Huang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Selective hydrogenolysis of biomass glycerol to propanediol is a promising route for the production of high-value chemicals but remains a challenge. Here, the authors find a PtCu single atom alloy catalyst exhibits remarkably boosted performance with a turnover frequency value of 2.6 × 103 molglycerol·molPtCu–SAA−1·h−1.

    • Xi Zhang
    • , Guoqing Cui
    •  & Min Wei

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The use of machine learning for identifying small molecules through their retention time’s predictions has been challenging so far. Here the authors combine a large database of liquid chromatography retention time with a deep learning approach to enable accurate metabolites’s identification.

    • Xavier Domingo-Almenara
    • , Carlos Guijas
    •  & Gary Siuzdak

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photoactive biomolecules rely on chromophores whose photochemistry depends on the environment. Here, the excited state dynamics of a model for the anionic biochromophore in photoactive yellow protein is investigated by time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy showing involvement of a non-valence state, and lack of E-Z isomerisation in the gas phase.

    • James N. Bull
    • , Cate S. Anstöter
    •  & Jan R. R. Verlet

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In retroviruses, the capsid protein (CA) forms a shell surrounding the viral core. Here the authors combine cryo-electron microscopy with NMR and X-ray crystallography to examine the CA structure from the human endogenous retrovirus HML2 (HERV-K) and determine the structures of four Fullerene CA closed shells that reveal the molecular basis of capsid assembly.

    • Oliver Acton
    • , Tim Grant
    •  & Peter B. Rosenthal

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Design of materials which allow for simultaneous detection and removal of water pollutants is challenging. Here the authors develop a guanidinocalix[5]arene that selectively binds perfluorinated alkyl substances and allows for fluorescence detection as well as removal of the pollutants in contaminated water.

    • Zhe Zheng
    • , Huijuan Yu
    •  & Dong-Sheng Guo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Conversion of CO2 into value-added chemicals by use of renewable energy is promising to achieve a carbon-neutral energy cycle. Here, the authors show that AgP2 is a stable, selective and efficient syngas catalyst for solar-to-fuel conversion with a 3-fold lower overpotential compared to the benchmark Ag catalyst.

    • Hui Li
    • , Peng Wen
    •  & Scott M. Geyer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In analogy to the coupling of atoms into molecules, the authors fuse colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals into quantum dot dimers. These nanocrystal ‘molecules’ exhibit significant quantum coupling effects, making them promising for applications in devices and potential quantum technologies.

    • Jiabin Cui
    • , Yossef E. Panfil
    •  & Uri Banin

  • Perspective
    | Open Access

    Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and conversion provide an alternative approach to synthesis of useful fuels and chemicals. Here, Ye et al. give a comprehensive perspective on the current state of the art and outlook of CO2 catalytic hydrogenation to the synthesis of light olefins, dimethyl ether, liquid fuels, and alcohols.

    • Run-Ping Ye
    • , Jie Ding
    •  & Yuan-Gen Yao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Alternative carbene precursors for metal-catalyzed cross coupling may expand the portfolio of methods for C-C bond construction. Here, the authors report a Suzuki−Miyaura coupling of Pd−carbene complexes formed by desulfurization of thioureas or thioamides and affording a broad array of amidinium salts and diaryl ketones.

    • Shaoyu Mai
    • , Wendong Li
    •  & Qiuling Song

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Identifying reacting species locally with nanometer precision is a major challenge in electrochemical surface science. Using operando Raman nanoscopy, authors image the reversible, concurrent formation of nanometer-spatially separated Au2O3 and Au2O species during Au nanodefect oxidation.

    • Jonas H. K. Pfisterer
    • , Masoud Baghernejad
    •  & Katrin F. Domke

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Constructing molecular cages from entangled molecules is a complex task requiring precise topological control. Here, the authors thread together six metal-peptide rings into a giant cubic molecular capsule with a defined cavity and 24 crossover points.

    • Tomohisa Sawada
    • , Yuuki Inomata
    •  & Makoto Fujita

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Elctrochemical water splitting is of vital significance for energy conversion and storage. Here the authors show an electrocatalyst based on amorphous ruthenium-tellurium porous nanorods which exhibit significantly improved OER performance than its crystalline counterparts

    • Juan Wang
    • , Lili Han
    •  & Xiaoqing Huang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Structural diversity of organic fluorophores is of importance for several applications (fluorescent markers, photosensitizers, etc.). Here the authors report a method to merge radical chemistry with C–H activation to construct a brand-new class of flavylium fluorophores starting from (hetero)aryl ketones and alkynes.

    • Jiangliang Yin
    • , Yuming Zhang
    •  & Jingsong You

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In Suzuki coupling reactions, excellent catalytic performance require negatively charged Pd species and the avoidance of metal leaching or clustering. Here the authors implanted Pd sites into an intermetallic electride, Y3Pd2, which serves as an efficient and stable catalyst for Suzuki coupling reactions.

    • Tian-Nan Ye
    • , Yangfan Lu
    •  & Hideo Hosono

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Hyperconjugative aromaticity combines the concepts of hyperconjugation and aromaticity and explains cyclopentadiene stability. Here, the authors demonstrate extended hyperconjugative aromaticity in a metallated indole ring, which shows extended electron conjugation due to the dual hyperconjugation.

    • Kui Xiao
    • , Yu Zhao
    •  & Liang Zhao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Energy transfer in light harvesting complexes involves electronic, vibrational, and vibronic couplings which are challenging to resolve. Here the authors observe the time-evolution of vibronic coherences driving charge transfer in a photoexcited solvated transition metal complex by two- and three-dimensional electronic-vibrational spectroscopy.

    • James D. Gaynor
    • , Jason Sandwisch
    •  & Munira Khalil

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Current methods to measure extracellular pH are often limited in resolution and response times. Here the authors present a label-free nanoprobe, consisting of a zwitterionic nanomembrane at the tip of a nanopipette, which enables high spatiotemporal resolution pH measurements and topography-pH 3D mapping in live cancer cells.

    • Yanjun Zhang
    • , Yasufumi Takahashi
    •  & Yuri Korchev

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Quantum interference can be used to control electronic transport with high sensitivity at the nanoscale. Pal et al. show that without the need for magnetic materials, quantum interference can also filter spin transport approaching the limit of ideal spin-polarized ballistic transport in molecular junctions.

    • Atindra Nath Pal
    • , Dongzhe Li
    •  & Oren Tal

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Addition of small nanoparticles into polymer melt can lead to decrease in viscosity but the underlying mechanism for such viscosity reduction remains unclear. Here, the authors investigate the reduction in viscosity by large-scale molecular dynamics simulation and experimental rheology measurements for an all-polymer nanocomposite formed by linear polystyrene chains and PS single-chain nanoparticle.

    • Tao Chen
    • , Huan-Yu Zhao
    •  & Zhao-Yan Sun

  • Article
    | Open Access

    CO2 conversion into value-added chemicals is a promising strategy to exploit renewable feedstocks. Here, the authors report the iridium-catalysed synthesis of higher carboxylic acids from ethers, CO2 and H2.

    • Ying Wang
    • , Qingli Qian
    •  & Buxing Han

  • Article
    | Open Access

    DNA composite materials have potential for biomedical sciences; however, control over the materials can be an issue. Here, the authors report on a carbon-nanotube reinforced DNA-silica gel with controllable mechanical properties to steer the attachment, proliferation, migration and release of cells.

    • Yong Hu
    • , Carmen M. Domínguez
    •  & Christof M. Niemeyer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Polymer brushes are often used to functionalise surfaces. Here, the authors report on the creation of high-density, regenerating hyaluronan brushes using hyaluronan synthase enzymes which can be patterned by photo-deactivation and demonstrate biocompatibility and resistance to biofilm formation.

    • Wenbin Wei
    • , Jessica L. Faubel
    •  & Jennifer E. Curtis

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) are characterized by the pathological accumulation of α-synuclein. Here the authors employ fluorescent probes, electron microscopy and NMR spectroscopy to study the properties of α-synuclein aggregates that were amplified from patient brain extracts and observe a greater structural diversity among PD patients compared to MSA patients.

    • Timo Strohäker
    • , Byung Chul Jung
    •  & Markus Zweckstetter

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Chemical looping methane partial oxidation is an effective technology to produce syngas with a minimal energy penalty. Here, the authors design and develop a mesoporous silica supported nanoparticle oxygen carrier that enables a near 100% CO generation with high recyclability and substantially lower operating temperature.

    • Yan Liu
    • , Lang Qin
    •  & Liang-Shih Fan

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