Featured
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Article
| Open AccessPhotocatalytic doping of organic semiconductors
A previously undescribed photocatalytic approach enables the effective p-type and n-type doping of organic semiconductors at room temperature using only widely available weak dopants such as oxygen and triethylamine.
- Wenlong Jin
- , Chi-Yuan Yang
- & Simone Fabiano
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Article
| Open AccessA renewably sourced, circular photopolymer resin for additive manufacturing
A photopolymer platform derived from renewable lipoates can be 3D-printed into high-resolution parts, which possess properties comparable to some commercial acrylic resins, and then recycled to produce a re-printable resin.
- Thiago O. Machado
- , Connor J. Stubbs
- & Andrew P. Dove
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Editorial |
Reinvent oil refineries for a net-zero future
From petrol to plastics, oil-derived products define modern life. A bold plan to change that comes with huge costs — but researchers and policymakers should take it seriously.
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Article |
Elastic films of single-crystal two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks
- Yonghang Yang
- , Baokun Liang
- & Zhikun Zheng
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Perspective |
The refinery of the future
Efforts to find renewable alternatives to fossil fuels that might enable a carbon-neutral society by 2050 are described, as well as outlining a possible roadmap towards a refinery of the future and evaluating its requirements.
- Eelco T. C. Vogt
- & Bert M. Weckhuysen
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Article |
Boron catalysis in a designer enzyme
A completely genetically encoded boronic-acid-containing designer enzyme was created and characterized using X-ray crystallography, high-resolution mass spectrometry and 11B NMR spectroscopy, allowing chemistry that is unknown in nature and currently not possible with small-molecule catalysts.
- Lars Longwitz
- , Reuben B. Leveson-Gower
- & Gerard Roelfes
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Article |
Chemical short-range disorder in lithium oxide cathodes
The introduction of chemical short-range disorder substantially affects the crystal structure of layered lithium oxide cathodes, leading to improved charge transfer and structural stability.
- Qidi Wang
- , Zhenpeng Yao
- & Chenglong Zhao
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Article
| Open AccessComplete biosynthesis of QS-21 in engineered yeast
QS-21—an FDA-approved vaccine adjuvant—and several structural analogues of QS-21 can be synthesized in engineered yeast strains, and this process is much less laborious compared with the conventional mode of extraction from the Chilean soapbark tree.
- Yuzhong Liu
- , Xixi Zhao
- & Jay D. Keasling
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Research Highlight |
Old electric-vehicle batteries can find new purpose — on the grid
An algorithm can monitor the health of retired vehicle batteries used to store surplus power fed into the electrical grid.
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Nature Careers Podcast |
How artificial intelligence is helping Ghana plan for a renewable energy future
The technology is helping the West African nation to invest wisely in infrastructure, prioritising energy and food security, but also human health.
- Dom Byrne
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News |
Argentina’s pioneering nuclear research threatened by huge budget cuts
President Javier Milei is making moves to partially privatize the sector, but in the meantime, projects have paused.
- Martín De Ambrosio
- & Fermín Koop
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Article |
A deconstruction-reconstruction strategy for pyrimidine diversification
- Benjamin J. H. Uhlenbruck
- , Celena M. Josephitis
- & Andrew McNally
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Obituary |
Allen J. Bard obituary: electrochemist whose techniques underpin clinical diagnostics, materials discovery and more
Innovator who pioneered scanning electrochemical microscopy, bioassays and solar fuels.
- Michael Rose
- & Henry S. White
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Article |
Stereoselective amino acid synthesis by photobiocatalytic oxidative coupling
We report on the oxidative cross-coupling of organoboron reagents and amino acids via pyridoxal biocatalysis to produce non-canonical amino acids, uncovering stereoselective, intermolecular free-radical transformations.
- Tian-Ci Wang
- , Binh Khanh Mai
- & Yang Yang
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Editorial |
Retractions are part of science, but misconduct isn’t — lessons from a superconductivity lab
Journals, funders and institutions that employ researchers all want to produce or disseminate rigorous scientific knowledge — and all can learn lessons from misconduct cases.
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Article |
Regioselective hydroformylation of propene catalysed by rhodium-zeolite
Rhodium catalysts confined in zeolite pores exhibit high regioselectivity in the hydroformylation process of propene to high-value n-butanal, surpassing the performance of all heterogeneous and most homogeneous catalysts developed so far.
- Xiangjie Zhang
- , Tao Yan
- & Zhi Cao
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Article |
High-performance fibre battery with polymer gel electrolyte
A fibre lithium-ion battery that can potentially be woven into textiles shows enhanced battery performance and safety compared with liquid electrolytes.
- Chenhao Lu
- , Haibo Jiang
- & Huisheng Peng
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Article |
Growth of diamond in liquid metal at 1 atm pressure
Diamond crystals and polycrystalline diamond films can be grown using liquid metal at standard pressure and high temperature instead of conventional high pressure and high temperature.
- Yan Gong
- , Da Luo
- & Rodney S. Ruoff
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News |
Meet ‘goldene’: this gilded cousin of graphene is also one atom thick
Sheets of gold might find use as catalysts, or in light-sensing devices.
- Mark Peplow
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News & Views |
Nanoparticle fix opens up tricky technique to forensic applications
A technique called surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy can detect tiny quantities of compounds in solution, but has been difficult to use for quantitative analysis. A digital approach involving nanoparticles suggests a way forward.
- Peter J. Vikesland
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Editorial |
UN plastics treaty: don’t let lobbyists drown out researchers
Tackling plastic pollution needs scientists to be in the negotiating room at upcoming talks.
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World View |
We must protect the global plastics treaty from corporate interference
A United Nations-backed agreement to end plastic pollution is within reach — but only if scientists, civil society and businesses unite against powerful vested interests.
- Martin Wagner
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Article |
Digital colloid-enhanced Raman spectroscopy by single-molecule counting
Research published in Nature shows that surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy carried out with colloids can quantify a range of molecules down to concentrations at the femtomolar level.
- Xinyuan Bi
- , Daniel M. Czajkowsky
- & Jian Ye
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Correspondence |
It’s time to talk about the hidden human cost of the green transition
- Manuel Prieto
- & Nicolás C. Zanetta-Colombo
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Research Briefing |
Scalable, high-quality 2D telluride nanosheets for energy and catalysis applications
An innovative solid-state lithiation strategy allows the exfoliation of layered transition-metal tellurides into nanosheets in an unprecedentedly short time, without sacrificing their quality. The observation of physical phenomena typically seen in highly crystalline TMT nanosheets opens the way to their use in applications such as batteries and micro-supercapacitors.
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Article
| Open AccessForce-controlled release of small molecules with a rotaxane actuator
A rotaxane-based mechanochemical system enables force-controlled release of multiple cargo molecules that are appended to its molecular axle.
- Lei Chen
- , Robert Nixon
- & Guillaume De Bo
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News & Views |
Nanoscale scythe cuts molecular tethers using mechanical forces
Nanoscale systems that release small molecules have potential therapeutic and industrial uses, but can result in low numbers of molecules reaching their target. A release system triggered by mechanical force offers a fresh approach.
- Iwona Nierengarten
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News & Views |
Trio of radicals choreographed for versatile chemical reaction
The idea that three different free radicals could be used together to carry out specific steps in a chemical reaction has long been implausible. A ‘radical sorting’ strategy now achieves this feat to make organic molecules.
- Kenneth F. Clark
- & John A. Murphy
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Article
| Open AccessHeat flows enrich prebiotic building blocks and enhance their reactivity
Heat flows through thin, crack-like geo-compartments are shown to purify previously mixed compounds and enhance their reactivity, providing a selective mechanism for separating molecules relevant to the chemical origins of life.
- Thomas Matreux
- , Paula Aikkila
- & Christof B. Mast
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Technology Feature |
How synthetic biologists are building better biofactories
Artificial electron donors and acceptors expand researchers’ metabolic engineering options — if only cells would cooperate.
- Sara Reardon
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Article |
Copper-catalysed dehydrogenation or lactonization of C(sp3)–H bonds
Use of N-methoxyamides as oxidants enables controllable, redox-neutral, green catalysis of bimodal dehydrogenation/lactonization reactions with methanol as the only by-product.
- Shupeng Zhou
- , Zi-Jun Zhang
- & Jin-Quan Yu
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Article |
Interchain-expanded extra-large-pore zeolites
We report a strategy that yields thermally and hydrothermally stable silicates by expansion of a one-dimensional silicate chain with an intercalated silylating agent that separates and connects the chains.
- Zihao Rei Gao
- , Huajian Yu
- & Miguel A. Camblor
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Nature Podcast |
How climate change is affecting global timekeeping
Melting polar ice could delay major time adjustment, and the strange connection between brain inflammation and memory.
- Elizabeth Gibney
- & Nick Petrić Howe
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Research Highlight |
A view of wind turbines drives down home values — but only briefly
House prices drop by 1% if wind turbines are close and visible, but they rebound quickly.
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News & Views |
From the archive: constantly quivering eyes, and chemistry troubles
Snippets from Nature’s past.
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Article |
Long-term continuous ammonia electrosynthesis
Use of a chain-ether-based solvent instead of tetrahydrofuran for lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction enables long-term continuous ammonia electrosynthesis with high efficiency and improved gas-phase ammonia distribution.
- Shaofeng Li
- , Yuanyuan Zhou
- & Ib Chorkendorff
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Research Briefing |
‘Bandit’ algorithms help chemists to discover generally applicable conditions for reactions
In organic chemistry, finding conditions that enable a broad range of compounds to undergo a particular type of reaction is highly desirable. However, conventional methods for doing so consume a lot of time and reagents. A machine-learning method has been developed that overcomes these problems.
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News |
More than 4,000 plastic chemicals are hazardous, report finds
Year-long effort compiles comprehensive database of chemicals in plastics.
- Nicola Jones
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Article |
Couple-close construction of polycyclic rings from diradicals
A couple-close approach used to build semisaturated ring systems from dual radical precursors allows sampling of regions of underexplored chemical space, leading to an annulation that can be used for late-stage functionalization of pharmaceutical scaffolds.
- Alice Long
- , Christian J. Oswood
- & David W. C. MacMillan
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Nature Podcast |
Killer whales have menopause. Now scientists think they know why
Data suggest menopause evolved to enable older female whales to help younger generations survive, and how researchers made a cellular map of the developing human heart.
- Benjamin Thompson
- & Nick Petrić Howe
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Article
| Open AccessRoll-to-roll, high-resolution 3D printing of shape-specific particles
We introduce a scalable, high-resolution, 3D printing technique for the fabrication of shape-specific particles based on roll-to-roll continuous liquid interface production, enabling direct integration within biomedical, analytical and advanced materials applications.
- Jason M. Kronenfeld
- , Lukas Rother
- & Joseph M. DeSimone
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Research Highlight |
A better way to charge a quantum battery
Batteries that store photons in atoms or molecules could retain their efficiency with wireless charging.
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News Feature |
Superconductivity scandal: the inside story of deception in a rising star’s physics lab
Ranga Dias claimed to have discovered the first room-temperature superconductors, but the work was later retracted. An investigation by Nature’s news team reveals new details about what happened — and how institutions missed red flags.
- Dan Garisto
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Comment |
The world must rethink plans for ageing oil and gas platforms
Earth’s oceans are awash with ageing energy infrastructure. A change in the law is needed to ensure that these structures are decommissioned in ways that maximize environmental and societal benefits.
- Antony Knights
- , Anaëlle Lemasson
- & Paul Somerfield
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Comment |
Big science in Latin America: accelerate particles and progress
An advanced light source for research would boost growth in the Greater Caribbean region — scientific, economic and societal.
- Victor M. Castaño
- , Pedro Fernández de Córdoba
- & Galileo Violini
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Article |
Symmetry breaking and chiral amplification in prebiotic ligation reactions
A study of a new route to proteinogenic peptides reveals how heterochiral preference can lead to homochiral peptides in a prebiotic world.
- Min Deng
- , Jinhan Yu
- & Donna G. Blackmond
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Article |
Site-specific reactivity of stepped Pt surfaces driven by stress release
Stress release at stepped platinum surfaces is shown to influence the strain experienced by atoms near the steps, resulting in effects on the catalytic activity of the whole surface.
- Guangdong Liu
- , Arthur J. Shih
- & Zhenhua Zeng
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News & Views |
Self-assembling synthetic polymer forms liquid-like droplets
The molecules of liquid crystals and proteins can form liquid-like condensates, but such a phenomenon had not been observed for supramolecular polymers, which are held together by non-covalent bonds — until now.
- Jennifer L. Ross
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