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The first synthesis of the all-cis isomer of 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexafluorocyclohexane, a molecule with one hydrocarbon face and one fluorocarbon face, is a tour de force of organofluorine chemistry and opens up new possibilities for molecular design.
Membranes are key components for the removal of greenhouse gases during fuel generation processes, such as hydrogen production, but simultaneous permeability and selectivity is difficult to obtain. This has now been achieved in ultrathin membranes that use the size-selective porosity of metal–organic frameworks to separate CO2 from H2.
Building on our understanding of the chemical bond, advances in synthetic chemistry, and large-scale computation, materials design has now become a reality. From a pool of 400 unknown compositions, 15 new compounds have been realized that adopt the predicted structures and properties.
Identifying the contribution of different surface sites to the overall kinetics of molecular desorption from solid surfaces is difficult even when using single crystals. A new technique that combines molecular beams with UV−UV double resonance spectroscopy resolves this problem for the case of carbon monoxide on Pt(111).
The spontaneous syntheses of some of life's building blocks from simple precursors have previously been demonstrated in isolation. Now it has been shown that they might all emerge from just one set of ingredients.
A supramolecular polymer comprising stacked artificial chromophores to which zinc(II) complexes are appended is able to respond to enzymatic hydrolysis in aqueous solution. The assembly of molecules can twist reversibly and quickly in response to changes in the type of adenosine phosphate present.
Supramolecular assembly has been used to design and create new proteins capable of performing biomimetic functions in complex environments such as membranes and inside living cells.
The ability of enzymes to direct the synthesis of complex natural products from simple starting materials is epitomized by terpene biosynthesis. Now, a supramolecular catalyst has been shown to mimic some of the reactivity of this process.
The structure of liquid water is intensely studied, but it is not clear what happens to it when a surface is introduced. Now with the aid of X-ray spectroscopy it has been found that water molecules at the interface with a gold electrode have a different structure than in the bulk.
Nanoporous carbon is attractive for separation purposes, but its use for low-pressure water capture has remained a challenge. Carbon cuboids have now been prepared that combine high hydrophilicity with a microporous architecture suitable for efficient trapping of atmospheric water vapour.
Replication of long nucleic acid sequences was required for the evolution of biological complexity during the origin of life; however, short sequences are normally better replicators than long ones. A common physical environment now provides a simple mechanism to reverse this trend and enables long sequences to flourish.
In their natural environment, membrane proteins are surrounded by lipids, but the effect that the lipids have on the proteins is not easy to assess. Now, controlling the extent of delipidation has enabled the study of these interactions.
Previously conspicuous by its absence, a syn-selective dichlorination reaction of alkenes has now been reported, bringing together decades-old stoichiometric chemistry in a useful catalytic process.
An extracellular ejection of zinc, known as a zinc spark, is triggered by the fertilization of a mammalian egg; however, the origin of this zinc was not clear. Now, a combination of four complementary techniques has revealed the source and provided an unprecedented quantification of the distribution of zinc in a maturing mammalian oocyte.
The synchronous movement of protons and electrons orchestrated by enzymes gives rise to highly efficient catalytic processes in nature, such as photosynthesis. Now, researchers have choreographed similar reactivity for a metal hydride complex, setting the stage for efficient solar fuel production in artificial systems.
Attempts to create a porous molecular crystal by removing solvent molecules from a solvate usually lead the host to reorganize into a non-porous close-packed structure. The 'virtual porosity' of such an organic cage crystal has now been trapped by introducing a judiciously chosen co-crystal former that prevents rearrangement of the host lattice.
Mutated enzymes are useful tools for the investigation of the biosynthetic routes to natural products. Now, they are used in a new approach to carry functionalized substrates through the synthesis and produce simplified or modified unnatural compounds with useful properties.