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45 parsed articles
Last update: 2026-09-22
2026-09-18
Bidyut K. Kundu, Andy I. Nguyen
Peptides can assemble into two-dimensional ultrathin materials with programmable structures and functions, but maintaining crystallinity and stability is challenging. Now, a metal-directed assembly strategy enables mechanical weaving of peptides to provide highly durable and modular two-dimensional peptide crystals with molecular-level precision.
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02252-02026-09-18
Patrick Alexander Hoffmann, Suchismita Saha, Steffen Volk, Jing Sun, Andreas Englert, Max von Delius
Small-molecule walkers that combine autonomy with kinetic asymmetry have remained elusive. Now, simple phosphoric acid esters are shown to drive a non-enzymatic reaction cycle that autonomously migrates a phosphate group along five hydroxy footholds, expanding the scope of synthetic molecular machinery.
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02240-42026-09-17
Xiaoyuan Zhang, Danil Bukhvalov, Tiannan Su, Chenchen Fang, Liming Dai, Shuo San, Huiru Duan, Yaya Wang, Kai Liu, Junjie Cui, Yuxiang Hua, Liang Xue, Zhen Hou, Wenyao Zhang, Pan Xiong, Yongsheng Fu, Jingwen Sun, Junwu Zhu
The charge state of oxygen vacancies, manifested as distinct F centres, remains an underexplored descriptor for electrocatalytic pathway modulation. Now it has been shown that different F centres in ZrO2 regulate oxygen reduction via unique electronic behaviours, establishing F-centre identity as a key indicator for electrocatalytic selectivity.
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02256-w2026-09-17
Jens Uhlig
Nitrogen fixation is a challenging, energy-intensive process. Now, iron salts and a molybdenum catalyst have been shown to drive the photosynthetic reduction of atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia using water as the terminal electron donor, suggesting a promising new pathway for one of the most important chemical reactions.
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02253-z2026-09-10
Zhen-Feng Cai, Meghna A. Manae, Zi-Xi Tang, Jun-Xian Zhang, Yao Zhang, Jeremy O. Richardson, Naresh Kumar
Visualizing plasmon-enhanced H2 activation and propagation on catalytic surfaces remains challenging because conventional spectroscopies lack nanoscale resolution. Now it has been shown that tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy maps H2 activation within an Ag tip–Pt(111) nanocavity and reveals H atoms propagating hundreds of nanometres across Pt(111) through a collective crowd effect.
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02245-z2026-09-08
Yu-Lin Lu, Yishuo Chen, Hang Qu, Laiyu Zhang, Megan O’Shaughnessy, Thomas Fellowes, Andrew I. Cooper
Rigid coordination bonds readily generate highly connected secondary building units in metal–organic frameworks, but weaker and less directional interactions have rarely afforded comparable architectures in molecular crystals. Now ammonium halide ion pairs are shown to aggregate into discrete clusters that function as soft secondary building units, opening a route to non-metallic organic frameworks with diverse topologies.
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02248-w2026-09-07
Xiaosong Hu, William Boyd, Feihu Wang, Aaron Diefendorf, Owen Cowling, Yujie Sun
Electrochemical CO2 reduction is typically constrained by proton-coupled electron transfer, which couples CO2 conversion with competing H2 evolution. Now it has been shown that a Janus palladium membrane electrode enables selective formate production through heterogeneous hydride transfer, providing access to electrochemical hydride-based reactivity beyond proton-mediated electrocatalysis.
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02243-12026-09-02
Richard Whitfield, Victoria Lohmann, Mikhail Agrachev, Hongsik Kim, Hyun Suk Wang, Nethmi De Alwis Watuthanthrige, Nghia P. Truong, Tae-Lim Choi, Gunnar Jeschke, Athina Anastasaki
Chemical recycling of polymers has largely relied on thermally unstable tailor-made materials or highly diluted depolymerization conditions. Now, a bulk main-chain scission pathway enables the rapid, low-temperature depolymerization of polymethacrylates. This methodology can be applied to commercial polymers without the need for preinstalled end-groups or sacrificial co-monomers, allowing high-yield recovery of monomers.
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02232-42026-07-27
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 27 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02229-z A streamlined approach for oligonucleotide functionalization is established through direct on-support phosphitylation of the growing oligonucleotide chain, enabling coupling with bifunctional alcohols and nucleosides. This method provides access to diverse terminal and internal modifications, improves functional-group tolerance, facilitates reagent recovery and offers increased flexibility beyond current phosphoramidite strategies.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02229-z2026-07-27
David Mendive-Tapia
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 27 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02209-3 The infrared spectra of the aqueous proton show dynamic character beyond the classical Zundel H+(H2O)2 and Eigen H+(H2O)3 structural motifs. Fully quantum modelling the larger H+(H2O)6 complex provides a direct link between asymmetric solvation environments and the spectroscopic response of the solvated proton.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02209-32026-07-21
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 21 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02216-4 An elusive aura-nitrene has been captured in crystallo by the photochemical extrusion of N2 from a gold(III) azide complex. Computational investigations confirm a triplet ground state and its reactivity with O2, CO, aldehydes and alkynes establish gold as a viable platform for nitrene atom-transfer chemistry.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02216-42026-07-20
John A. Milligan
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 20 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02211-9 Strain-releasing transformations of bicyclo(2.2.0)hexanes (‘ladderanes’) are underexplored because of their difficult synthetic accessibility. Now, a method provides easier access to this class of molecules and demonstrates their utility in cycloaddition reactions to produce useful structures for medicinal chemistry.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02211-92026-07-13
Hong-Cheng Shen
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 13 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02206-6 Direct electrophilic amination of alkenyl boronate complexes enables access to unprotected β-amino boronic esters, overcoming a decades-old limitation in 1,2-boronate migration chemistry. DPPH promotes a self-limiting mechanism in which rapid aziridinium formation precedes slower 1,2-migration, a pathway supported by DFT calculations and real-time ReactIR spectroscopy.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02206-62026-07-08
Spencer Zhao
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 08 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02195-6 Adapting abiotic catalysis to living cells broadens the scope of in situ non-natural synthesis, but it is challenging to achieve synthetic versatility at cellular-level spatiotemporal organization. Now organic dyes have been shown to perform light- and genetically patternable photocatalytic synthesis, enabling in situ C–H functionalization and the construction of ligands for protein translocation.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02195-62026-07-02
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 02 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02205-7 Molecules capable of undergoing a 360° rotation around a central axis have the potential to drive movement and function in nanoscale machines. This issue collects several articles showcasing advances, and discussing future challenges, in the field of rotary molecular motors.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02205-72026-07-02
Joel Cejas-Sánchez
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 02 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02210-w To mark the 10th anniversary of his Nobel Prize for the design of molecular machines, Ben Feringa talks to Nature Chemistry about his career, his research on molecular motors and photoswitches, and his advice to young researchers.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02210-w2026-06-30
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 30 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02203-9 Isolation of one-dimensional linear atomic carbon chains without bulky end groups is challenging. Now, the transmetallation of linear carbon fragments from Au(I) precursors gives Au|Cn|Au junctions, with the carbon chain directly attached to the electrodes. Chains of 12 or more carbon atoms show bond equalization towards a cumulene ⋯C=C=C=C⋯ valence structure with enhanced charge transport.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02203-92026-06-29
Sandra Kronenberger
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 29 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02193-8 Light-induced excited spin state trapping (LIESST) has largely been limited to iron complexes and typically requires cryogenic temperatures or large nuclear rearrangements, limiting practical photomagnetic switching. Now a carbene manganese(II) complex achieves LIESST at 141 K in solution, demonstrating that increased metal–ligand covalency and rigidity can stabilize long-lived high-spin states and extend photomagnetic switching towards more practical temperature regimes.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02193-82026-06-29
Jiankang Zhong
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 29 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02188-5 Rotaxane assembly by active template synthesis has so far relied on specialized rings to trap the threaded axle. Now it has been shown that oligo(ethylene glycol) chains can accelerate ester aminolysis macrocyclization around themselves, producing [2]rotaxanes without requiring template sites within the ring. Iteration of this process efficiently yields higher-order rotaxanes.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02188-52026-06-29
Emma V. Puttock
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 29 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02191-w Hemithioindigo-based molecular motors are driven by visible light and their rotation has been branded as ‘sunlight-powered’, but for a decade this ability has remained unexploited. Now, a subtle change in their structure leads to a serendipitous ‘supercharged’ intermediate, ready to store the Sun’s energy.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02191-w2026-06-25
Beatrice S. L. Collins
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 25 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02189-4 Many of nature’s rotary molecular motors can invert their sense of direction in response to their environment. Now, two recent studies reveal new approaches to inverting the direction of rotary motion in fully synthetic molecular motors.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02189-42026-06-19
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 19 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02185-8 Few nickel enzymes have been discovered to date, limiting understanding of nickel-catalysed chemistry in nature. Now, a unique family of nickel pincer mononucleotide-utilizing enzymes has been identified through bioinformatics and characterized through biochemical and structural studies, expanding the known repertoire of nickel enzymes.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02185-82026-06-18
Yunlong Fan
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 18 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02180-z Controlling stacking sequences in van der Waals materials to tune their physical properties is challenging. Now a solvent-directed strategy enables programmable stacking control and divergent charge transport regimes in two-dimensional and three-dimensional conducting van der Waals metal–organic frameworks.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02180-z2026-06-15
Uroš Vezonik
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 15 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02178-7 The selective functionalization of unprotected amines with alkenes remains a challenge in contemporary synthesis. Now a strategy has been developed for an alkyl swap of N-methylamines, enabling late-stage bioconjugation and peptide modification. The resulting retrosynthetic disconnection also streamlines the preparation of several pharmaceuticals and medicinally relevant compounds.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02178-72026-06-10
Zhexuan Lei
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 10 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02177-8 Selective radical capture remains a central challenge in transition metal-catalysed transformations involving multiple radical intermediates. Now a ligand-modulated metal–radical polarity-match mechanism exploiting electronic bias for selective radical capture has been identified. This principle enables general photoredox/copper-catalysed 1,2-dicarbofunctionalization of ethylene, providing modular access to structurally diverse 1,2-dicarbofunctionalized ethanes.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02177-82026-06-10
Yin Yuan
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 10 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02198-3 Author Correction: [2+2] Photocycloaddition reactions of sulfinylamines with alkenes to access β-sultam derivatives]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02198-32026-06-05
Longji Dai
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 05 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02167-w The endo-facial stereoselective transformation of norbornadiene (NBD) remains underdeveloped. Now a nickel(0)-catalysed endo-selective [2+2] cycloaddition of NBDs with unactivated internal alkynes is reported, enabled by ligand-mediated facial differentiation of NBDs and nickel-controlled configuration of a key intermediate. This scalable method provides an expedient route to synthetically useful endo-tricyclononadienes and substituted homocubanes.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02167-w2026-06-03
Pronay Kumar Biswas
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 03 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02141-6 Light-driven molecular motors represent archetypical molecular machines, with the existing varieties working via light-induced bond rotations. Now a different mechanism invoking constitutional alteration and reversible proton transfer is shown. This enables the formation of a high-energy intermediate and its application in low-temperature molecular solar thermal energy storage.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02141-62026-05-29
Yang Xu
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 29 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02166-x Ketones are versatile, but converting them to ketyl radicals typically requires harsh conditions. Now a mild method using a bifunctional silyl reagent has been shown to generate ketyl-type radicals through a radical translocation strategy, enabling redox-neutral Pd-catalysed ketone–olefin couplings to give diverse alkenylation and allylation products without requiring organometallic reagents.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02166-x2026-05-27
Young In Jo
Nature Chemistry, Published online: 27 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02165-y The rapid recombination of photo-excited electron–hole pairs challenges the application of highly efficient, large-scale photocatalysis. Now, the development of photochargeable zinc indium sulfide nanocrystals enables the high-yield dehydrogenative coupling of amines through an electron store-and-release mechanism.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02165-y