Chemical synthesis articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Methods for the asymmetric introduction of organofluorine groups are often limited by the lack of variability in the starting materials. Here the authors report an asymmetric radical process for the introduction of fluoroalkyl groups using readily available fluoroalkylated sulfonyl chlorides.

    • Jin-Shun Lin
    • , Fu-Li Wang
    •  & Xin-Yuan Liu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Benzothiophenes are common motifs in bioactive compounds, but selective functionalization at C3 is challenging. Here the authors report a method starting from benzothiophene S-oxides via an interrupted Pummerer reaction, giving access to a range of C3-alkylated and -arylated products.

    • Harry J. Shrives
    • , José A. Fernández-Salas
    •  & David J. Procter

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Due to the vast number of potential isomers, the chemical synthesis of large carbohydrates is challenging. Here the authors report the synthesis of mycobacterial arabinogalactan, a biologically important natural product composed of 92 monosaccharide units, the largest synthetic polysaccharide to date.

    • Yong Wu
    • , De-Cai Xiong
    •  & Xin-Shan Ye

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Arisandilactone A is a natural product with a complex oxa-bridged tricyclic carbon core, making it a challenging target in total synthesis. Here the authors report an asymmetric total synthesis of its 19-dehydroxy derivative, with homo-Michael and tandem retro-Michael/Michael reactions as key steps.

    • Yi-Xin Han
    • , Yan-Long Jiang
    •  & Zhen Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The stereoselective addition of Grignard reagents to ketimines is potentially a straightforward route to α-chiral amines. Here the authors report a catalytic, asymmetric Grignard addition to silyl ketimines, givingN-sulfonyl protected α-chiral silyl amines with tetrasubstituted stereocentres.

    • Jiawei Rong
    • , Juan F. Collados
    •  & Syuzanna R. Harutyunyan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Understanding bimetallic alloy oxidation is key to design of hollow-structured binary oxides and their optimization for applications, e.g., as catalysts. Here the authors combine real-time imaging and chemically-sensitive electron tomography to uncover unexpected complexity in possible morphological outcomes of bimetallic oxidation.

    • Lili Han
    • , Qingping Meng
    •  & Huolin L. Xin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It has been proposed that stacking antiaromatic molecules can build three-dimensional aromaticity, but this claim has lacked experimental validation. Here the authors report that π–π stacked antiaromatic porphyrins display significantly reduced antiaromaticity in solid state and in solution.

    • Ryo Nozawa
    • , Hiroko Tanaka
    •  & Hiroshi Shinokubo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Strecker reaction is a power method for the synthesis of cyano-substituted compounds. Here the authors report a dual-reagent system for asymmetric Strecker reactions, where an in situformed organocatalyst/methyl acrylate zwitterionic adduct activates both the cyanide source and the electrophile.

    • Hong-Yu Wang
    • , Chang-Wu Zheng
    •  & Gang Zhao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Oxide nanosheets are of interest for a range of applications. Here the authors demonstrate a simple route combining gas evolution and exfoliation of hydrated chloride precursors for making large quantities of oxide nanosheets of various compositions.

    • Chunsong Zhao
    • , Haitian Zhang
    •  & Hui Wu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Automated glycan assembly has proven a powerful method to rapidly synthesize large oligosaccharides, though stereoselective cis-glycosylation remains a challenge. Here, the authors demonstrate a system to selectively incorporate multiple cis-glycosidic linkages by use of remote participating groups.

    • Heung Sik Hahm
    • , Mattan Hurevich
    •  & Peter H Seeberger

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Formation of vicinal, quaternary stereocentres is challenging, but such products are commonly encountered in nature. Here, the authors report a palladium catalysed process to form vicinal quaternary carbons via propargylation, including in enantiopure form when optically active starting materials are employed.

    • Xin Huang
    • , Shangze Wu
    •  & Shengming Ma

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Protein subunits on the capsids of icosahedral viruses can form patterns with rotational symmetry, which are difficult to recreate in the laboratory. Here the authors report a strategy to construct 3D chiral polyhedra with rotational faces from 2D chiral truxene-based units through dynamic covalent chemistry.

    • Xinchang Wang
    • , Yu Wang
    •  & Xiaoyu Cao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Direct synthesis of aryl amines from nitroarenes avoids the waste and potential functional group incompatibility of first reducing to anilines. Here, the authors report an iron catalysed reductive coupling of nitroarenes with alkyl halides to form a wide range of (hetero)aromatic amines.

    • Chi Wai Cheung
    •  & Xile Hu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Teixobactin is a recently identified antibiotic that shows activity against drug resistant strains of bacteria. Here, the authors report a highly convergent total synthesis of this natural product, with sufficient flexibility to also allow the synthesis of a number of analogues.

    • Kang Jin
    • , Iek Hou Sam
    •  & Xuechen Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Industrial routes to acetic acid use carbon monoxide for the carbonylation of methanol. Here, the authors report a hydrocarboxylation method that instead uses carbon dioxide and hydrogen for the conversion of methanol into acetic acid.

    • Qingli Qian
    • , Jingjing Zhang
    •  & Buxing Han

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cyclophanes—consisting of aromatic rings formed into a macrocycle—can display interesting properties but are challenging targets for synthesis. Here, the authors report a route to form cyclophanes by dynamic covalent chemistry, forming disulfides that can be subsequently converted to stable thioethers.

    • Mary S. Collins
    • , Matthew E. Carnes
    •  & Darren W. Johnson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Scientists are increasingly realising the potential for natural materials in micro- and nanofabrication. Here, the authors employ silk-based resists for aqueous multiphoton lithography towards generating intricate structures by femtosecond direct writing.

    • Yun-Lu Sun
    • , Qi Li
    •  & Hong-Bo Sun

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Curved π-conjugated molecules have potentially interesting chemical and electronic properties but the harsh conditions required for their synthesis can make it difficult to incorporate heteroatoms. Here, the authors prepare a π-extended azacorannulene with nitrogen in its centre.

    • Hiroki Yokoi
    • , Yuya Hiraoka
    •  & Hiroshi Shinokubo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mechanically locked molecules provide interesting topological structures and can present challenging synthetic targets. Here the authors report the synthesis of mechanically self-locked molecules, including chiral endo-spirobicyclics containing multiply interlocked rings within a single molecule.

    • Sheng-Hua Li
    • , Heng-Yi Zhang
    •  & Yu Liu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    DNA and other biopolymers encode information based on a sequence of monomers. Here, the authors report a synthetic polymer capable of storing simple binary information which can subsequently be decoded by tandem mass spectroscopy, or permanently erased by heating.

    • Raj Kumar Roy
    • , Anna Meszynska
    •  & Jean-François Lutz

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cryptands and related molecules are macrocyclic polyethers capable of strongly binding cations. Here, the authors use orthoester exchange for the dynamic one-pot synthesis of crypates, which can bind cations and, given their constitutionally dynamic nature, can also be decomposed to release their guest.

    • René-Chris Brachvogel
    • , Frank Hampel
    •  & Max von Delius

  • Article
    | Open Access

    β-Peptoids are based on N-alkylated β-aminopropionic acid residues, which have been inspired by the more intensely studied peptoids and β-peptides. Here, the authors report X-ray crystal structures of oligomeric β-peptoids demonstrating secondary structures with this backbone.

    • Jonas S. Laursen
    • , Pernille Harris
    •  & Christian A. Olsen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Iminosugars are biologically and medicinally important compounds but methods for their synthesis are often laborious. Here, the authors report a simple, rapid route for the enantioselective synthesis of multiple biologically active iminosugars and C-nucleoside analogues.

    • Milan Bergeron-Brlek
    • , Michael Meanwell
    •  & Robert Britton

  • Article |

    Typically hydrogen transfer and borrowing-hydrogen reactions rely on metal catalysts, with few exceptions. Here, the authors show that carbon-based materials are capable of carrying out alcohol amination and transfer hydrogenation reactions in the absence of any metal species.

    • Huimin Yang
    • , Xinjiang Cui
    •  & Feng Shi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Development of catalysts that enhance dissociation of the nitrogen–nitrogen triple bond will reduce costs of ammonia production. Here, the authors study ammonia synthesis over a ruthenium loaded electride catalyst and show that the rate-determining step is shifted to nitrogen–hydrogen bond formation.

    • Masaaki Kitano
    • , Shinji Kanbara
    •  & Hideo Hosono

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Many insects supply secretion via small tubes or pores to the end of their legs to be able to attach to a surface. Here, inspired by nature, Xue et al.fabricate adhesive pads with porous nanorod structure for oil delivery, which give rise to a 100-fold increase in adhesivity under humid conditions.

    • Longjian Xue
    • , Alexander Kovalev
    •  & Stanislav N. Gorb

  • Article |

    Many layered composites exhibit a remarkable balance of strength, toughness and stiffness. Here, the authors construct a model to explain the synergy of key mechanical properties of layered composites by considering the elastic/plastic properties of the matrix and use 3D-printed samples to validate their predictions.

    • Navid Sakhavand
    •  & Rouzbeh Shahsavari

  • Review Article |

    Carbon dioxide is an abundant and easily available source of carbon, produced as a waste product in large quantities worldwide. Here, the authors review recent work on activating and reacting carbon dioxide for use as a building block in organic synthesis.

    • Qiang Liu
    • , Lipeng Wu
    •  & Matthias Beller

  • Article |

    Nacre-mimetics hold great promise as high-performance, functional materials. Here, the authors use synthetic nanoclays and demonstrate tuneable mechanical properties by varying the nanoclay aspect ratio, and suggest a transparent gas barrier application.

    • Paramita Das
    • , Jani-Markus Malho
    •  & Andreas Walther

  • Article |

    ε-Iron carbide is a promising catalyst for low-temperature Fischer–Tropsch synthesis but is difficult to synthesize. Here, the authors report a rapid-quenching process for the synthesis of nanocrystalline ε-iron carbide, and evaluate the catalytic activity and selectivity of the material.

    • Ke Xu
    • , Bo Sun
    •  & Baoning Zong

  • Article |

    Bicyclic rings with quaternary bridgehead positions are difficult targets, yet are frequently observed in nature. Here, the authors report a cycloaddition reaction giving access to these structures in a stereoselective manner and employ it as the key step in a natural product total synthesis.

    • Rong Long
    • , Jun Huang
    •  & Zhen Yang

  • Article |

    Scalable routes towards porous graphene are useful for developing materials for mass transfer applications. Here, the authors report the fabrication of porous graphene with controllable pore size and nitrogen content via the carbothermal reaction of graphene and (poly)oxometallates.

    • Ding Zhou
    • , Yi Cui
    •  & Bao-Hang Han

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