Uranium extraction from seawater (UES) is critical for the sustainable development of nuclear energy but faces tremendous scientific and technical challenges. In this issue of Chem, Zhu and colleagues propose an advanced UES strategy incorporating an extended electric field that can facilitate the migration of uranium species in the channels of sorption materials, leading to record-breaking kinetics

In this issue of Chem, Veenstra et al. combine an advanced catalyst fabrication and computational simulations to reveal how the local reaction environment affects the selectivity of CO2 electroreduction on Cu. The model microstructured catalyst with a well-defined architecture provides an ideal platform for fundamental investigation of the structure-property correlation.

In this issue of Chem, Fors and co-workers describe an exciting approach to block copolymer synthesis by using electricity and light to mediate orthogonal polymerizations with temporal control. Through repeated cycling of each stimulus, multi-block copolymers with up to six blocks that were previously inaccessible by other methods are synthesized.

In this issue of Chem, Lu and co-workers report the critical role of gem-dimethyl substituents to modulate the reversibility of thiolactone polymerization. Penicillamine-derived monomers lead to a highly versatile polymer platform that enables progress toward the development of new materials for establishing a circular monomer economy.

Fenton reactions that activate H2O2 by using Fe2+ have emerged as a hot topic in environmental remediation. The sluggish regeneration of the active Fe2+ from Fe3+ remains the key limitation. As recently reported in Angewandte Chemie, Xing and co-workers have developed a MoS2-based heterogeneous co-catalyst that can significantly overcome this limitation and improve the overall efficiency.

In a recent issue of Nature Chemistry, Jishan Wu and co-workers reported the hexacation species of a 3D conjugated molecular cage whose 50 π-electrons follow Hirsch’s rule of 3D aromaticity. We show how Hirsch’s rule connects hydrogenoid atoms, the (unprepared) decacation of the C60 fullerene, and the Wu group’s hexacation.

A recent work published in Science by Cramer and co-workers demonstrates chiral cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes can selectively catalyze the hydrogenation of carbon-nitrogen double bond of oximes with the aid of acid. Various oximes can be hydrogenated to the corresponding N-alkoxy amines in good to excellent yields with good enantioselectivity.

The respiratory complex I transduces redox energy into an electrochemical proton gradient in aerobic respiratory chains, powering energy-requiring processes in the cell. However, despite recently resolved molecular structures, the mechanism of this gigantic enzyme remains poorly understood. By combining large-scale quantum and classical simulations with site-directed mutagenesis and biophysical experiments

The incorporation of nanoscale pores into a sheet of graphene allows it to switch from an impermeable semimetal to a semiconducting nano-sieve. Nanoporous graphenes are desirable for applications ranging from high-performance semiconductor device channels to atomically-thin molecular sieve membranes, and their performance is highly dependent on the periodicity and reproducibility of pores at the atomic

High-valent FeIV=O intermediates with a terminal metal-oxo moiety are key oxidants in many enzymatic and synthetic C−H bond oxidation reactions. While generating stable metal-oxo species for late transition metals remains synthetically challenging, notably, a number of high-valent non-oxo-metal species of late transition metals have been recently described as strong oxidants that activate C−H bonds

ABSTRACT: We utilize quantum mechanics to evaluate a variety of plausible mechanistic pathways for the entirety of the catalytic cycle for asymmetric decarboxylative allylic alkylation of allyl -ketoesters. We present a mechanistic picture that unites all current experimental observations, including enantioinduction, reaction rate, catalyst resting state, enolate cross-over experiments, water tolerance

Tuning the twist angle in bilayer transitional metal dichalcogenides yields ordered structural phases with mesoscopically modulated electronic properties revealed by the combination of electron and scanning probe microscopies.

In reviewing a recent book, Chris Toumey reflects on the impact that social networks can have on the development of a number of technologies.

Data-centric computation and the scalability limits of current computing systems call for the developments of alternative to von Neumann architecture.

Rapid digital technology advancement has resulted in a tremendous increase in computing tasks imposing stringent energy efficiency and area efficiency requirements on next-generation computing. To meet the growing data-driven demand, in-memory computing and transistor-based computing have emerged as potent technologies for the implementation of matrix and logic computing. However, to fulfil the future

This autonomous mobile robot is designed to work alongside humans.

A theoretical form of carbon called pentadiamond becomes thicker when stretched.

Unable to afford medicines, utilities and housing, some students expect to suspend their doctoral programmes or drop out.

As three nations prepare to send spacecraft to Mars, a planetary scientist offers her personal tour of those who led the way. By Alexandra Witze

Why do garden plants suddenly become invasive? One scientist couple turned their balcony into a lab to find out.

Researchers flocked to join Skype a Scientist after COVID-19 closed their labs. The squid biologist who founded it explains how the science-communication platform has adapted.

People from Polynesia and South America mingled around 800 years ago — though it’s not certain who visited whom. Plus: mounting evidence suggests coronavirus is airborne, and precise gene edits made to mitochondrial DNA for the first time.

Two‐dimensional (2D) materials host great potential for environmental gaseous molecules detection in the age of emerging Internet of things owing to their fascinating electronic properties, large surface‐to‐volume ratio and feasibility to high integration. However, it remains a challenge to develop trace oxygen sensing 2D materials and devices with low detection limit at sub‐ppm range. Here, we exploit

The direct, nonoxidative conversion of methane on silica‐confined single‐atom iron catalyst (Fe 1 ©SiO 2 ) by Bao et al . ( Science , 2014, 344 , 616) is a landmark discovery in catalysis science. However, the initially proposed gas‐phase reaction mechanism has been much debated. Here, we report a surface reaction mechanism by comprehensive computational modelling and simulations. It is demonstrated

Virus and virus‐like particles (VLPs) are very attractive biological subjects for self‐assembly manipulation and templated synthesis of nanomaterials. However, the fundamental studies and applications are often constrained by problems associated with their structural weakness. Here we present a strategy of interfacially bridging covalent network within tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) VLPs to bring outstanding

As an emerging member of the graphene family, structurally defined graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) have shown promising applications in various fields. The evaluation of the degradability of GNRs is particularly important for assessing the persistence level and risk of these materials in living organisms and the environment. However, there is a void in the study of the degradation of GNRs. Here, we report

(Oxo)Nitridophosphates have recently been identified as a promising compound class for application in the field of solid‐state lighting. Especially, the latest medium‐pressure syntheses under ammonothermal conditions draw attention of the semi‐conductor and lighting industry on nitridophosphates. In this contribution, we introduce hot isostatic presses as a new type of medium‐pressure synthetic tool

O‐Sulfation is an important chemical code widely existing in bioactive molecules, but the scalable and facile synthesis of complex bioactive molecules carrying O‐sulfation remains challenging. Herein, we report a general approach to O‐sulfation via the Sulfur (VI) Fluoride Exchange (SuFEx) reaction between aryl fluorosulfates and silylated hydroxyl groups. Efficient sulfate diester formation was achieved

Electrolyte modulation has been reported to simultaneously suppress polysulfide shuttle effect and lithium dendrite formation of lithium‐sulfur (Li‐S) batteries. However, the sluggish S redox kinetics, especially under high S loading and lean electrolyte operation, has been intensively ignored, which dramatically limits the cycle life and energy density of practical Li‐S pouch cells. Herein, we demonstrate

Serious diffusional limitations are frequently observed for the conversion of bulky molecules over conventional zeolite Beta crystals, which invoke for hierarchical structure to improve the mass transportation property and the accessibility to reactive sites. Zeolite single crystals with intracrystalline hierarchical porosity at macro‐, meso‐ and micro‐length scales is of great significance and provides

Combinatorial antitumor therapies using different chemodrug combo or chemo/gene agent combo emerge as promising ways to overcome the drug resistance, a major cause for the failure of cancer treatment. However, dramatic pharmacokinetic differences of adopted drugs greatly impede the combinatorial antitumor practices, raising the great demand of developing appropriate drug delivery systems (DDSs) for

2‐Pyrroline and 2‐azetine are useful synthons for the synthesis of pyrrolidines and azetidines that widely exist in natural products, pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals. But efficient methods for dicarbofuntionalization of these cyclic alkenes are limited. Particularly, the dicarbofunctionalization of endocyclic enecarbamates to achieve fluorinated compounds remains an unsolved issue, despite of the

Luminescent Eu(II) complexes with characteristic 5d‐4f transition have potential applications in many fields. However, their instability in ambient conditions impedes further exploration and application. Herein, we report two new Eu(II) complexes, bis[hydrotris(3‐trifluoromethylpyrazolyl)borate]europium(II) ( Eu‐1 ) and bis[hydrotris(3‐methylpyrazolyl)borate]europium(II) ( Eu‐2 ). Intriguingly, the