Reviews & Analysis

The catalytically active form of an iridium complex changes reversibly in the presence or absence of hydrogen. Such catalysts may be essential for the adoption of organic hydrogen-storage materials as an alternative to petroleum-derived fuels.

Chemical methods of achieving asymmetric protonation are classified according to reaction mechanism, with a view to developing a greater understanding of this most fundamental of asymmetric processes, and thus improving the potential for its application in synthesis.

Molecular dynamics simulations have been used to verify and understand recent experimental results that show that Woodward–Hoffmann rules can be circumvented by applying a force across the breaking bond.

Complete control over the composition, structure, scale and bulk properties of crystalline materials remains a generally elusive but worthwhile dream. The reversible stepwise assembly of a new porous, crystalline metal–organic material with large chambers now takes us closer to this goal.

Clusters of atoms are generally only stable enough to form superatoms when they have filled electron shells, so how can they have magnetic properties?

The covalent bonding behaviour of carbon is the mainstay of organic chemistry, but in some compounds carbon seems to behave more like a metal.

Reducing the manual labour associated with chemical synthesis by using continuous-flow reactors that not only make compounds, but also purify them, opens up new avenues to reaction automation and rapid scale-up.

Chemists are able to synthesize, and deduce the structure of, ever more complex molecules produced by nature, but what does the future hold for this venerable field, and what are the new challenges?

The direct transfer of molecules onto surfaces to form specific patterns has had a significant impact in a number of areas of science and technology, ranging from biomedical diagnostics to nanoelectronics. This Perspective compares and contrasts different lithographic approaches to molecular printing and considers future directions for this field.

The 1,2-diamine motif is found in a number of bioactive natural products, pharmaceuticals, and ligands for organometallic chemistry. Here, the recent advances in the synthesis of such structures by direct metal-catalysed diamination of alkenes are considered, and opportunities for future research in the area identified.

The simplicity and broad applicabilty of atom transfer radical polymerization make it a rapidly developing area of synthetic polymer chemistry. Here, the fundamentals of the technique are discussed, along with how it can be used to synthesize macromolecules with controlled molecular architecture, and how their self-assembly can create nanostructured functional materials.

The size and shape of amyloid-β protein assemblies have been studied using electrospray-ionization ion-mobility mass spectrometry, and the protein tetramers and dodecamers have been identified as an important oligomerization state in the development of neurodegenerative disease.

Progress in NMR spectroscopy has been held back by sensitivity issues inherent to the way the measurements are taken. Now, two separate studies show how simple chemical processes can be used to unveil NMR's sensitive side

Exceptional catalysts will be required to produce hydrogen and oxygen from water. Copying multinuclear metal complexes in enzymes is promising, but not the only route. A mononuclear ruthenium complex has been developed that both makes hydrogen and forms oxygen–oxygen bonds through a mechanism different to those in nature.

Cyclic molecules have fascinated chemists for many years and researchers have now made nanoscale macromolecular 'doughnuts' that are large enough to be imaged with an atomic force microscope — providing direct visual proof of their cyclic topologies.

Using the protein of interest as a template, weakly binding ligands can be chemically linked to produce protein-binding agents that can compete with nature's own.

Enhancing the solubility of single-walled carbon nanotubes through non-covalent bonds has led to an improvement in our ability to probe and understand their interactions with electron donors and acceptors.

Fragment-based drug discovery is an approach that relies on the ability to identify weakly binding drug fragments using sophisticated screening techniques. Binding can be optimized while maintaining favourable physical properties of the drug, which should have a positive impact on the attrition rates of new drug candidates.