The biosynthesis of bioorthogonal chemical handles for precise protein labeling remains a significant challenge. In this issue of Chem, Thomas Huber and colleagues report the successful biosynthesis of nitrile-containing amino acids and their site-specific incorporation into proteins, enabling efficient protein conjugation and fluorogenic labeling.

In Science, Ma and co-workers report a zero-CO2-emission reaction strategy involving the thermal catalytic ethanol reforming over a 3Pt3Ir/α-MoC catalyst to realize an unprecedented hydrogen production rate of 331.3 mmol H2 gcat−1 h−1 with 84.5% selectivity for value-added acetic acid at a low temperature of 270°C. This breakthrough could become a milestone in sustainable energy technologies and beyond

In heterogeneous hydrogenation catalytic reactions, it is challenging to only hydrogenate the target functional group while preserving all other unsaturated bonds. In this issue of Chem, Shen and coworkers reported a Pt-Fe-Pt heterotrimer with densely populated and precisely arranged Pt atoms, which achieved an increased reaction rate and preferential hydrogenation of the C═O bond in crotonaldehyde

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In this issue of Chem, Harel and co-workers report a chemical-space-property descriptor model capable of predicting chemical compositions of metal halide perovskites by using fast optical analyses. This model is designed to enable facile monitoring of chemical composition and assessment of material properties in industrial-scale syntheses.

Site-selective C–H oxidation in substrates devoid of functional groups is a standing chemical problem. In the March issue of Chem, Tiefenbacher and co-workers combine solvophobic interactions and substrate recognition via dispersion interactions between a supramolecular catalyst and methyl groups of the substrate to implement unprecedented selectivity control in aliphatic C–H oxidation.

As the recycling of polymer materials becomes a topic of growing societal importance, there is a need to develop robust methods for dealing with plastic waste. In a recent article in Science, Anastasaki and co-workers report a route for the efficient chemical recycling of commercial polymethacrylates via low-temperature depolymerization using visible light.

In this issue of Chem, Strasser and co-workers introduce an electrolyte design that leverages the alkali-metal enhancement effect for the sustainable electrosynthesis of H2O2 from oxygen. This little electrolyte alteration, combined with a cost-effective commercial carbon-based gas-diffusion electrode, represents a significant advancement toward the green production of H2O2.

The valorization of renewable materials is critical to improving the circularity of the chemical industry. This Synergy article describes how lignin waste streams can be upgraded to valuable resources through reductive catalytic depolymerization. The article presents the challenges linked to the upscaling of this process and offers guidelines for performing the process in a successful and economic

Houk, Garg, and colleagues report in Nature a new and intriguing synthetic method for coupling strained cyclic allenes and bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes through σ-bond insertion along a diradical pathway under mild conditions and ambient temperature. Geometric distortion induces diradical behavior, driving the reaction. This study enables the direct synthesis of functionalized bicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes, opening

Disrupting redox homeostasis in cancer cells represents a promising strategy for minimizing toxicity and improving chemotherapy outcomes. In Cell Biomaterials, Chen, Ma, and colleagues describe an approach that employs a selenium electrophilic center with rapid electron-shuttle properties to boost mitochondrial electron leakage and thus convert antioxidants into pro-oxidants for cancer therapy.

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In this preview, we showcase Peters, Agapie, Atwater, and co-workers’ recent findings published in Device. The team developed a versatile and scalable selective-absorber-based photothermocatalytic reactor for sunlight-driven sustainable fuel synthesis. Ethylene oligomerization reactions using homogeneous and heterogeneous Ni catalysts were efficiently carried out in both batch and flow configurations

Using C–H substrates as limiting reagents to achieve non-directed C–H activation with high selectivity has been a long-standing challenge in organic synthesis. Recently in Nature Catalysis, Liu et al. introduce a biomimetic catalytic system that employs Cu(II)-bound tert-butoxy radicals for site-selective C–H abstraction, enabling highly efficient asymmetric C(sp3)–H oxidation.

In this issue of Chem, Jiang and colleagues utilized a spiro-fluorene unit as a π-bridge to construct a series of π-stacked multi-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitters. By introducing different heavy atoms through chemical bonding, they revealed the impact of the intramolecular through-space heavy-atom effect on the optoelectronic properties of the molecules.

Precisely navigating stem cells is crucial for enhancing the therapeutic outcomes in treating spinal cord injury (SCI). In a recent study published in Matter, Shen et al. introduced a breakthrough strategy that uses computed tomography (CT)-guided magnetic-driven soft microrobots for long-distance, precise stem cell delivery. This innovative approach offers great potential to accelerate the clinical

Selenium (Se) nanoparticles have emerged as promising nanotherapeutic candidates because they demonstrate transformative potential across biomedical domains. Over decades, we have devoted significant effort to their structural engineering, scalable manufacturing, and clinical application. Here, we highlight recent advances in Se nanomedicine for clinical translation and industrial production.

Advances in artificial intelligence are revolutionizing protein design, and new methods are emerging rapidly. In this issue of Chem, Yeh and co-workers leverage recent deep-learning-based tools to create a series of improved de novo luciferases and color variants that successfully address the limitations of native luciferases.