Abstract not available

Intrinsically disordered short peptides play an important role in protein function and assembly; however, their characterization and mechanism of assembly into more complicated superstructures remains a challenge. In this issue of Chem, Egelman, Wang, Xu, and co-workers employ, for the first time, cryo-electron microscopy to study the self-assembly of intrinsically disordered peptides.

Managing plastic waste is a challenging and pressing problem. In this issue of Chem, Soo and co-workers valorize commercial plastics and post-consumer plastic waste into isolable products, including formic acid, acetic acid, and benzoic acid, through vanadium-catalyzed tandem C–H oxidation and C–C cleavage photoreactions.

Prof. Xiyan Lu will always be remembered for his development of organic reactions under phosphine or palladium catalysis, especially for phosphine-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloadditions of electron-deficient allenes or alkynes with electrophiles such as electron-deficient alkenes and imines, known as Lu’s [3 + 2] reaction. In addition to contributing to science, Prof. Lu left his mark as an educator by training

In the August issue of Chem, Kumar and co-workers reported the development of oligourea foldamers as new artificial water channels (AWCs) that realize high permeability and selectivity of water molecules by imitating natural aquaporins. This strategy, which uses sequence-defined foldamers, would be a rational methodology for developing proteinomimetic water channels for desalination.

Woven materials, such as fabrics, are among the earliest inventions of humankind. Bridging the gap between macroscopic fabrics and molecular weaves, however, has remained elusive because of the geometric prerequisites and the synthetic complexity of potential precursors. In this issue of Chem, Yaghi and co-workers showcase how metal-templated synthesis can be exploited to afford 2D molecularly woven

Nature’s hydrogenases inspire catalyst development in pursuit of sustainable H2 production. However, features controlling the requisite 2H+ and 2e– transfers remain ambiguous. In this issue of Chem, Wu and co-workers describe H+ and e– transfer en route to H2 production by a new [NiFe] hydrogenase mimic [NiIIMnIH], providing evidence for both “protonation-first” and “reduction-first” mechanisms.

In this issue of Chem, Smith and co-workers describe the synthesis of a terminal iron-sulfide complex. FeS clusters are widespread cofactors in nature, and this complex enables the study of the fundamental building block of such clusters and its comparison with more widely known terminal iron-oxo species.

The activation of water is a highly desirable but challenging goal for chemists. Recently in Nature, Studer and co-workers reported a photocatalytic phosphine-mediated water-activation strategy that enables efficient radical hydrogenation of plentiful unsaturated compounds. Notably, both hydrogen atoms of H2O are incorporated through sequential heterolytic and homolytic cleavages of the key intermediate

Download : Download high-res image (331KB) Download : Download full-size imageDuleeka Chamini Wannipurage completed her BSc in chemistry from the University of Sri Jayawardenepura, Sri Lanka, where she worked on polymer chemistry research as an undergraduate with Profs. L.M.K. Thilakerathne and Renuka Nilmini. In 2016, she started her doctoral studies with Prof. Stanislav Groysman at Wayne State University

Abstract not available

Download : Download high-res image (121KB) Download : Download full-size imageChiranjit Dutta is currently working in Dr. Lee Andrew Solomon’s group as a postdoc at George Mason University. From 2018 to 2022, he worked on developing foldamer channels under Prof. Prakash Kumar and Prof. Kini R. Manjunatha at the National University of Singapore. Before moving to Singapore, he received his PhD under

Quantitative relationships linking molecular reactivity to dynamic hydrogel properties remain elusive despite their importance to biomedical and sustainability applications. In this issue of Chem, Kalow and co-workers parameterize the associative exchange of dithioalkylidene acceptors and thiols, leading to predictable cross-link exchange rates and targeted stress-relaxation times in hydrogels.

Creating artificial molecular machines that perform well-defined unidirectional movement in response to stimuli is a challenging task. In this issue of Chem, Crespi, Feringa, and co-workers report a new bis(benzoxazole) ligand-based molecular motor that enables a high degree of external control over motor function through complexation with metal ions.

In this preview, we highlight Lin and co-workers’ recent findings published in Nature on the non-directed functionalization of chemically inert aliphatic C‒H bonds through the use of the hexamethyldisilazide anion (HMDS–, a reductant) and N-oxoammonium cation (TEMPO+, an oxidant) as a new class of frustrated radical pair.

This Backstory outlines the author’s view on why it took over 2,000 years between the discoveries of the first helical machine, known as the Archimedes screw, used even today as an irrigation pump and energy generator, and the molecular helix. Between 1950 and 1953, the α-helix of proteins and the double helix of DNA were discovered. Scientific failures leading to success via competition between worldwide

High-performance H2O2 electrosynthesis devices replacing the anthraquinone process have been actively pursued. In the July issue of Chem Catalysis, Wang et al. reported an efficient anodic H2O2 production electrocatalyst and a full cell that achieves practical-scale H2O2 production, enabled by paired H2O2 synthesis via water oxidation and oxygen reduction.

Halide perovskite light emitting diodes (PeLEDs) are enticing candidates for displays and lighting. However, most reported PeLEDs are limited for practical applications at high current densities due to decreased efficiency and rapid degradation. Recently, in Nature, Greenham and co-workers developed PeLEDs with exceptional performance at a high current density above 1000 mA cm−2, achieved by the introduction

Abstract not available

Proteins are the building blocks of life, and the secondary structures of proteins are the keystones for protein functioning. In this issue of Chem, Buehler and co-workers develop deep learning models to generate de novo proteins with specified secondary structure constraints, similar to automatically constructing a functional house with given desired keystones.

Carboxylic acids and alcohols/amines are among the most used chemicals. Combining these abundant functional groups orthogonally in organic synthesis harnesses the vast collection of commercial chemical repositories to rapidly expand chemical space. In this issue of Chem, Gutierrez, Scheidt, and co-workers present an approach utilizing carboxylic acids and alcohol/amine-derived phosphorous reagents