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Catalytic asymmetric radical dearomatization has remained a daunting task due to the challenges in exerting stereocontrol over highly reactive radical intermediates. Now, using metalloredox biocatalysis, new-to-nature radical dearomatases P450_rad1–P450_rad5 have been engineered to facilitate asymmetric dearomatization of a broad spectrum of aromatic substrates, including indoles, pyrroles and phenols.

Going to conferences to share and learn about the latest science is a key part of being a researcher. Shira Joudan reflects on presenting their group’s research for the first time and guiding students through their first conference experiences.

Understanding the structural rearrangements of infinite-layer transition metal oxides at the atomic level remains challenging. Now in situ electron microscopy has been used to monitor the formation of infinite-layer SrFeO₂ through an oxygen deintercalation process; lattice flexibility of the FeO_x polyhedral layers facilitates the phase transformation.

Achieving robust and controllable conductance in single-molecule junctions is challenging due to the dynamic nature of molecular conformations that fluctuate over operational timescales. A strategy using shape-persistent molecules has now been developed that demonstrates nearly junction-displacement-independent conductance, providing a stable solution for single-molecule electronic properties.

The role of computers in the chemical sciences is changing. Previously the domain of the theoretical or computational chemist, advanced digital skills, including data analysis, automation and simulation, are becoming extremely relevant to all. Here, we discuss the importance of integrating digital skills into an undergraduate chemistry programme and highlight some work currently being carried out to achieve this.

Improving battery performance requires the careful design of electrolytes. Now, high-performing lithium battery electrolytes can be produced from non-solvating solvents by using a molecular-docking solvation strategy that takes advantage of intermolecular interactions between solvents to precisely control the solvation dynamics of lithium ions.

Living anionic polymerization is generally carried out using a metal-based initiator under stringent, and ideally water-free, conditions. Now, proton transfer anionic polymerization is developed using an organic compound with an acidic C–H bond as the initiator in the presence of a base catalyst. This method offers easy access to well-defined polymers under moderate conditions.

Chirality in extended 2D structures exhibits fundamental differences from molecular-level chirality. This Perspective discusses how local molecular chirality is transmitted and amplified to form distinctive global chirality within ultrathin, single-crystalline 2D materials; it also explores the future challenges and potential of this field.

The construction of synthetic cells holds great importance for exploring complex biological systems and could potentially provide insights into the origins of life. Now, synthetic gap junctional channels have been developed as a building block to construct synthetic cells that can mediate intercellular transport of ions and bioactive species.

The synthesis of model heterojunction interfaces allows for the study of interfacial photoinduced charge-transfer states as a function of molecular structure. This analysis provides molecular-level insight into the factors governing charge generation at organic heterointerfaces and, thus, the efficiency of organic solar cells and other optoelectronic devices.

The molecular interactions at an organic heterointerface govern the performance of many optoelectronic devices. Through a combination of synthesis, spectroscopy and modelling, it has now been shown that specific molecular interactions result in improved formation of the charge-transfer state.

Recent vibrational spectroscopy experiments suggested that excess proton transport in water is more complex than previously thought. Now the proton transport mechanism has been explored using neural-network-based simulations and related to experimental measurements through vibrational spectra calculations. It was observed to be a three-step process gated by two successive hydrogen-bond exchanges.

Drugs that target peptide hormone receptors are of great interest in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. In spite of limited data and vast design spaces, a bespoke computational pipeline has designed peptides that target two receptors with high potency.

The development of enantiospecific sulfone reactions has been hindered by the inherent acidity of sulfones, which result in deleterious racemization. Now, the synthesis of enantioenriched diarylalkanes has been reported via sufficiently fast cross-coupling that circumvents racemization of the chiral sulfone.

Photocatalytic overall water splitting (OWS) is highly desirable for hydrogen production but challenging owing to rapid charge recombination. We demonstrate a dynamic metal–organic framework (MOF) photocatalyst that achieves OWS via one-step photoexcitation. Upon excitation by light, the MOF undergoes a structural twist that suppresses charge recombination and achieves OWS.

Hydrogen bonds impact the chemical, physical and biological properties of molecular materials, but are rarely able to induce significant changes in electrical properties. Now a dynamic-to-static transition of hydrogen bonds in an organic–inorganic superlattice has been shown to yield a metal–insulator transition with an on–off ratio of 10⁷ in electrical resistivity.

Although biosynthetic pathways of selenium-containing macromolecules have been known for decades, pathways for specific incorporation of selenium into small molecules have only recently begun to be uncovered. Now the selenometabolome is expanded further through the discovery and biosynthetic elucidation of ovoselenol, a selenium-containing antioxidant found in marine microorganisms.

The ligandability of the human proteome can be expanded using covalent chemistry. A multi-tiered chemical proteomic strategy now provides in-depth maps of tryptoline acrylamide–protein interactions in cancer cells. This platform afforded the discovery of stereoselective covalent ligands for hundreds of human proteins, including compounds that disrupt protein–protein interactions regulating the cell cycle.