Reviews & Analysis

The controlled synthesis of two-dimensional carbon nanomaterials enables their properties to be tailored for potential device applications. Functionalized graphene-like nanosheets with controlled thickness have now been obtained by irradiating monolayers of carbon-rich molecular precursors at room temperature.

Nature assembles complex natural products using bifunctional building blocks and a mere handful of reaction types. Mimicry of this method seeks to revolutionize natural product and small-molecule synthesis.

Many of the rate parameters used in models of tropospheric chemistry are obtained through laboratory ozonolysis experiments. Now, results on the self-reaction of an important, but long-elusive, intermediate could alter many of those inferences.

Borinium ions are difficult to isolate due to the extreme electron deficiency of the boron atom. Now, a unique two-coordinate linear dimesitylborinium cation has been synthesized that impresses with extraordinary Lewis acidity and oxophilicity.

Anfinsen's principle tells us that the folded structure of a protein is determined solely by its sequence. Now, it has been shown that the rate at which a polypeptide chain is synthesized in the cell can affect which of two alternative folded structures it adopts.

The synthesis of [5]CPP, the smallest and by far the most strained member of the family of macrocycles known as cycloparaphenylenes, has been reported in quick succession by two different research groups. But how long will the new record holder retain its title?

Biological solar energy conversion requires the coordinated and rapid movement of protons and electrons through complex proteins, called reaction centres. Now, an artificial and structurally simple reaction centre has been synthesized that mimics an important, photosynthetic charge relay.

Force-induced covalent bond changes in mechanophore-linked polymers typically require large, irreversible material deformation, limiting successive activation cycles. Now, repeated force-induced reactions have been achieved by incorporating flex-activated mechanophores into elastomeric networks.

Nanoscopic templates functionalized with light-reactive chromophores could ultimately be used to store solar energy and later release it as heat. Now, it has been shown that packing the chromophores together increases both storage capacity and lifetime.

Labelling of proteins with pairs of fluorophores enables their conformations to be studied; however, complete incorporation of labels in multiple, pre-defined locations is very difficult. Now, a combination of double unnatural amino acid mutagenesis and selective chemical modification offers a general method to achieve this.

Kinetic isotope effects are widely used to elucidate reaction mechanisms and are generally interpreted in terms of simple kinetic models. Measurements of this effect for the Penning ionization reaction between helium and dihydrogen highlight the need for a quantum description of chemical reaction rates when sub-kelvin temperatures are approached.

A combination of catalytic asymmetric diboration of terminal alkenes and Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling has been exploited in the synthesis of a variety of important medicinal agents. The process overcomes a number of problems in the application of these important catalytic processes.

The development of methods for efficiently using carbon dioxide in synthesis would enable chemists to tap into this abundant resource. Now, an indirect route to the copolymerization of alkenes with carbon dioxide shows how this greenhouse gas may prove useful in the search for new 'green' materials.

Amyloid fibrils are formed from polypeptide chains assembled into an organized fibrillar structure. Now, it has been shown that such fibrillar structures can also bind metal ions and catalyse chemical reactions.

Separating carbon monoxide from chemically similar nitrogen gas is particularly challenging. Now, a flexible porous coordination polymer has been developed that recognizes carbon monoxide over nitrogen, with structural changes in the material leading to its accelerated adsorption.

Ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) is enhancing many areas of (bio)chemical analysis because it can separate ions both by their mass-to-charge ratio and differences in their cross-sectional area. IM-MS can be used for structural characterization, enhanced analysis of complex mixtures or to gain insights into conformational dynamics.

Pigment assemblies with high-efficiency electronic energy transfer have recently been observed to show unusual and persistent coherence, but its origin is not fully understood. Now, a combination of 2D electronic spectroscopy and theoretical modelling has allowed the excitonic coherence signal of a strongly coupled homodimer to be isolated.

ATP synthase is an important enzyme for the storage and release of energy in cells. Ion-mobility mass spectrometry has now been used to study its structure, revealing important mechanistic details about its operation and regulation.

Enzymes catalyse nearly all of the myriad chemical reactions that occur in every living organism. An easily understandable, visually appealing model has now been described that illustrates the fundamentals of how enzymes work.

The amount of uranium in seawater vastly exceeds that in land-based deposits; but separating it from other more abundant metal ions requires high affinity, selectivity — and the ability to deal with an enormous volume of water. Now, two complementary approaches have made considerable contributions to overcoming these challenges.