1755-4330
Thesis
Chemical abstractions -pp427 - 428
Michelle Francl
doi:10.1038/nchem.1359
Michelle Francl wonders what abstract objects might be lurking in our beakers.
Full Text- Chemical abstractions | PDF (272 KB)- Chemical abstractions
Subject term: General chemistry
Research Highlights
- Biomimetic synthesis: Flinderoles facilitated
- Liquid crystals: Inverted influences
- Molecular walkers: On the right track
- Organic synthesis: Catalytic compatibility
- Surface chemistry: Panning for gold
Blogroll
Blogroll: Space dinosaurs! -p431
doi:10.1038/nchem.1374
Full Text- Blogroll: Space dinosaurs! | PDF (172 KB)- Blogroll: Space dinosaurs!
Correction
Force microscopy takes charge -p431
doi:10.1038/nchem.1366
Full Text- Force microscopy takes charge | PDF (284 KB)- Force microscopy takes charge
News and Views
Proton conduction: Hopping along hydrogen bonds -pp432 - 433
Rodolphe Vuilleumier & Daniel Borgis
doi:10.1038/nchem.1365
Proton conduction in both water and other hydrogen-bonded liquids occurs through successive proton transfers along the hydrogen-bond network. But first-principles simulations have revealed that the mechanism by which this occurs in orthophosphoric acid has some unusual features.
Full Text- Proton conductionHopping along hydrogen bonds | PDF (194 KB)- Proton conductionHopping along hydrogen bonds
Subject terms: Physical chemistry | Theoretical chemistry
See also: Article by Vilčiauskas et al.
Flow chemistry: A light touch to a deadly problem -pp433 - 435
Kevin Booker-Milburn
doi:10.1038/nchem.1356
Flow chemistry has grown in stature as a technique with the potential to deliver synthetic complexity with assembly-line-like efficiency. Application of flow technology to the front-line antimalarial drug artemisinin promises to revolutionalize treatment.
Full Text- Flow chemistryA light touch to a deadly problem | PDF (167 KB)- Flow chemistryA light touch to a deadly problem
Subject terms: Organic chemistry | Synthesis
Self-repairing polymers: Materials that heal themselves -pp435 - 436
Howard M. Colquhoun
doi:10.1038/nchem.1357
Previous approaches to the development of self-repairing polymeric materials have required either the input of external energy or the use of a healing agent. Now, a new type of elastomer, in which hard/soft phase-separation occurs at the nanoscale, displays efficient and entirely autonomic self-repair through reversible hydrogen bonding.
Full Text- Self-repairing polymersMaterials that heal themselves | PDF (316 KB)- Self-repairing polymersMaterials that heal themselves
Subject terms: Materials chemistry | Polymer chemistry
See also: Article by Chen et al.
Enzyme mimics: Halogen and chalcogen team up -pp437 - 438
Pierangelo Metrangolo & Giuseppe Resnati
doi:10.1038/nchem.1355
The behaviour of di-selenol enzyme mimics indicates that a halogen bond between selenium and iodine, and a chalcogen interaction between the two selenium atoms, play an important role in the activation of thyroid hormones.
Full Text- Enzyme mimicsHalogen and chalcogen team up | PDF (223 KB)- Enzyme mimicsHalogen and chalcogen team up
Subject terms: Chemical biology | Supramolecular chemistry
Asymmetric catalysis: The power of pairing -pp438 - 439
Hajime Ito
doi:10.1038/nchem.1363
Supramolecular catalysts that combine an anionic chiral scaffold, a cationic coordinating structure and a metal centre have been shown to be highly effective for asymmetric synthesis. The success opens a new avenue for the design of new catalysts with a wide variety of chiral environments.
Full Text- Asymmetric catalysisThe power of pairing | PDF (186 KB)- Asymmetric catalysisThe power of pairing
Subject terms: Catalysis | Synthesis
See also: Article by Ohmatsu et al.
Fluorescent sensors: Bright ideas -pp440 - 441
A. Prasanna de Silva
doi:10.1038/nchem.1360
Sensing neuronal activity using fluorescence has many potential advantages over current methods. Now, by taking advantage of photoinduced electron transfer, fluorescent sensors have been developed that allow high-fidelity recording of neural signals in real time.
Full Text- Fluorescent sensorsBright ideas | PDF (203 KB)- Fluorescent sensorsBright ideas
Subject terms: Photochemistry | Chemical biology
Alkaloid synthesis: Indolizidines with ease -pp441 - 442
Peter Shapland
doi:10.1038/nchem.1364
A dihydroboration–amination sequence provides a step-economical route to indolizidine alkaloids — a common structure in bioactive natural products.
Full Text- Alkaloid synthesisIndolizidines with ease | PDF (146 KB)- Alkaloid synthesisIndolizidines with ease
Subject terms: Organic chemistry | Synthesis
Review
The gold–sulfur interface at the nanoscale -pp443 - 455
Hannu Häkkinen
doi:10.1038/nchem.1352
Thiolate-protected gold surfaces and interfaces are archetypal systems in various fields of current research in nanoscience, materials science, inorganic chemistry and surface science. Examples include self-assembled monolayers of organic molecules on gold, passivated gold nanoclusters and molecule–gold junctions. This Review discusses recent experimental and theoretical breakthroughs that highlight common features of gold-sulfur bonding in these systems.
Abstract- The gold-sulfur interface at the nanoscale | Full Text- The gold–sulfur interface at the nanoscale | PDF (3,309 KB)- The gold–sulfur interface at the nanoscale
Subject terms: Nanotechnology | Surface chemistry
Articles
Metal–organic frameworks with dynamic interlocked components -pp456 - 460
V. Nicholas Vukotic, Kristopher J. Harris, Kelong Zhu, Robert W. Schurko & Stephen J. Loeb
doi:10.1038/nchem.1354
The dynamics of mechanically interlocked molecules such as catenanes and rotaxanes have been studied in solution as examples of rudimentary molecular switches and machines. A metal–organic framework with a [2]rotaxane as a building block demonstrates that such dynamic processes can also operate inside a solid-state material.
Abstract- Metal–organic frameworks with dynamic interlocked components | Full Text- Metal–organic frameworks with dynamic interlocked components | PDF (2,873 KB)- Metal–organic frameworks with dynamic interlocked components | Supplementary information | Chemical compounds
Subject terms: Materials chemistry | Supramolecular chemistry
The mechanism of proton conduction in phosphoric acid -pp461 - 466
Linas Vilčiauskas, Mark E. Tuckerman, Gabriel Bester, Stephen J. Paddison & Klaus-Dieter Kreuer
doi:10.1038/nchem.1329
Proton transport in phosphate-based systems is important in biology and clean energy technologies, and phosphoric acid, being the best known intrinsic proton conductor, represents an important model. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations now reveal that the interplay between extended, polarized, hydrogen-bonded chains and a frustrated hydrogen-bond network gives rise to the high conductivity in liquid phosphoric acid.
Abstract- The mechanism of proton conduction in phosphoric acid | Full Text- The mechanism of proton conduction in phosphoric acid | PDF (872 KB)- The mechanism of proton conduction in phosphoric acid
Subject terms: Physical chemistry | Theoretical chemistry
See also: News and Views by Vuilleumier & Borgis
Multiphase design of autonomic self-healing thermoplastic elastomers -pp467 - 472
Yulin Chen, Aaron M. Kushner, Gregory A. Williams & Zhibin Guan
doi:10.1038/nchem.1314
Polymer materials that could spontaneously heal like tissues in living systems would significantly improve the safety, lifetime, energy efficiency and environmental impact of man-made materials. Now, a general multiphase design of autonomous self-healing elastomeric materials that do not require the input of external energy or healing agents is reported.
Abstract- Multiphase design of autonomic self-healing thermoplastic elastomers | Full Text- Multiphase design of autonomic self-healing thermoplastic elastomers | PDF (1,258 KB)- Multiphase design of autonomic self-healing thermoplastic elastomers | Supplementary information | Chemical compounds
Subject terms: Materials chemistry | Polymer chemistry
See also: News and Views by Colquhoun
Ion-paired chiral ligands for asymmetric palladium catalysis -pp473 - 477
Kohsuke Ohmatsu, Mitsunori Ito, Tomoatsu Kunieda & Takashi Ooi
doi:10.1038/nchem.1311
Rather than create a chiral catalyst by combining a chiral ligand with a metal, here an achiral phosphine ligand endowed with a cationic ammonium group is ion-paired with a chiral binaphtholate. A palladium catalyst based on this strategy is shown to be effective for highly enantioselective allylic alkylation of α-nitrocarboxylates.
Abstract- Ion-paired chiral ligands for asymmetric palladium catalysis | Full Text- Ion-paired chiral ligands for asymmetric palladium catalysis | PDF (679 KB)- Ion-paired chiral ligands for asymmetric palladium catalysis | Supplementary information | Chemical compounds
Subject terms: Catalysis | Synthesis
See also: News and Views by Ito
Engineering methylaspartate ammonia lyase for the asymmetric synthesis of unnatural amino acids -pp478 - 484
Hans Raj, Wiktor Szymański, Jandré de Villiers, Henriëtte J. Rozeboom, Vinod Puthan Veetil, Carlos R. Reis, Marianne de Villiers, Frank J. Dekker, Stefaan de Wildeman, Wim J. Quax, Andy-Mark W. H. Thunnissen, Ben L. Feringa, Dick B. Janssen & Gerrit J. Poelarends
doi:10.1038/nchem.1338
Substituted aspartic acids are highly valuable as tools for biological research and as chiral building blocks for pharmaceuticals. Here, engineering of the enzyme methylaspartate ammonia lyase to accept a large variety of substituted amines and fumarates and catalyse the asymmetric synthesis of aspartic acid derivatives is described.
Abstract- Engineering methylaspartate ammonia lyase for the asymmetric synthesis of unnatural amino acids | Full Text- Engineering methylaspartate ammonia lyase for the asymmetric synthesis of unnatural amino acids | PDF (1,772 KB)- Engineering methylaspartate ammonia lyase for the asymmetric synthesis of unnatural amino acids | Supplementary information | Chemical compounds
Subject terms: Catalysis | Chemical biology | Synthesis
Light-triggered self-construction of supramolecular organic nanowires as metallic interconnects -pp485 - 490
Vina Faramarzi, Frédéric Niess, Emilie Moulin, Mounir Maaloum, Jean-François Dayen, Jean-Baptiste Beaufrand, Silvia Zanettini, Bernard Doudin & Nicolas Giuseppone
doi:10.1038/nchem.1332
Triarylamine derivatives in solution have been self-assembled into organic nanowires between two electrodes, under white-light irradiation and in the presence of a voltage. The resulting fibres possess a very high electric conductivity as well as a metallic behaviour when cooled down to a temperature of 1.5 K.
Abstract- Light-triggered self-construction of supramolecular organic nanowires as metallic interconnects | Full Text- Light-triggered self-construction of supramolecular organic nanowires as metallic interconnects | PDF (1,745 KB)- Light-triggered self-construction of supramolecular organic nanowires as metallic interconnects | Supplementary information | Chemical compounds
Subject terms: Materials chemistry | Supramolecular chemistry
Biomimetic radical polymerization via cooperative assembly of segregating templates -pp491 - 497
Ronan McHale, Joseph P. Patterson, Per B. Zetterlund & Rachel K. O'Reilly
doi:10.1038/nchem.1331
Nature synthesizes proteins and nucleic acids by polymerization methods that use well-regulated and segregated templates. Now, synthetic block-copolymer templates have been designed to assemble in a biomimetic fashion to segregate, and thus control, the synthetic radical polymerization of complementary nucleobase-containing vinyl monomers, to yield high-molecular-weight, low-polydispersity polymer chains.
Abstract- Biomimetic radical polymerization via cooperative assembly of segregating templates | Full Text- Biomimetic radical polymerization via cooperative assembly of segregating templates | PDF (1,278 KB)- Biomimetic radical polymerization via cooperative assembly of segregating templates | Supplementary information
Subject terms: Materials chemistry | Polymer chemistry
A soluble copper–bipyridine water-oxidation electrocatalyst -pp498 - 502
Shoshanna M. Barnett, Karen I. Goldberg & James M. Mayer
doi:10.1038/nchem.1350
Copper and bipyridine (bpy) self-assemble in aqueous solutions at high pH into an active electrocatalyst for the oxidation of water to O2, one of the great challenges in energy catalysis. These solutions contain primarily (bpy)Cu(OH)2, and are robust and active catalysts, albeit at high overpotentials.
Abstract- A soluble copper–bipyridine water-oxidation electrocatalyst | Full Text- A soluble copper–bipyridine water-oxidation electrocatalyst | PDF (483 KB)- A soluble copper–bipyridine water-oxidation electrocatalyst | Supplementary information
Subject terms: Catalysis | Inorganic chemistry | Electrochemistry
Acyclic cucurbit[n]uril molecular containers enhance the solubility and bioactivity of poorly soluble pharmaceuticals -pp503 - 510
Da Ma, Gaya Hettiarachchi, Duc Nguyen, Ben Zhang, James B. Wittenberg, Peter Y. Zavalij, Volker Briken & Lyle Isaacs
doi:10.1038/nchem.1326
Acyclic cucurbituril-type molecular containers have been found to increase the solubility of insoluble pharmaceutical agents in water by up to 2,750-fold. In vitro and in vivo toxicology studies suggest that the containers are well tolerated, and paclitaxel solubilized in this manner efficiently kills HeLa and SK-OV-3 cancer cells.
Abstract- Acyclic cucurbit[n]uril molecular containers enhance the solubility and bioactivity of poorly soluble pharmaceuticals | Full Text- Acyclic cucurbit[n]uril molecular containers enhance the solubility and bioactivity of poorly soluble pharmaceuticals | PDF (2,413 KB)- Acyclic cucurbit[n]uril molecular containers enhance the solubility and bioactivity of poorly soluble pharmaceuticals | Supplementary information | Chemical compounds
Subject terms: Medicinal chemistry | Supramolecular chemistry
Corrigendum
Exchange-enhanced reactivity in bond activation by metal–oxo enzymes and synthetic reagents -p511
Sason Shaik, Hui Chen & Deepa Janardanan
doi:10.1038/nchem.1353
Full Text- Exchange-enhanced reactivity in bond activation by metal–oxo enzymes and synthetic reagents | PDF (135 KB)- Exchange-enhanced reactivity in bond activation by metal–oxo enzymes and synthetic reagents
In Your Element
Ambiguous bromine -p512
Matt Rattley
doi:10.1038/nchem.1361
Many chemical elements behave quite differently depending on the compound they are found in, but Matt Rattley argues that bromine does so in a particularly striking manner.
Full Text- Ambiguous bromine | PDF (301 KB)