A natural bond orbital analysis of the distonic bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2-ene-5-yl-7-ylium radical cation interprets its structure and radical character by a three-center two-electron bond between C2, C3, and C7 (a bishomoaromatic stabilization) and a singly...
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Smart phones and tablets have revolutionized how we communicate, access and use information, work, travel, play and learn. Chemistry education and the field of chemistry have not surprisingly been positively impacted by this technology…
A classic calcium aluminate has been modified to create an inorganic electride that can be used as a promoter of the catalytic synthesis of ammonia.
Iron–sulfur clusters are common cofactors in biological systems and are involved in a range of functions, including electron transfer, substrate binding and activation. These clusters are usually ligated by the cysteine residues of a protein, but there are a...
There has been only one example reported so far of a terminal phosphorus monoxide complex. The chemistry of this functional group, therefore, is unexplored compared with others containing main-group elements.
The interaction between a viral capsid and its genome governs crucial steps in the life cycle of a virus, such as assembly and genome uncoating. Tuning cargo–capsid interactions is also essential for successful design and cargo delivery in engineered viral...
N,N′,N″-trialkylbenzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamides (BTAs) self-assemble by means of strong, threefold α-helix-type intermolecular hydrogen bonding into well-defined, helical, one-dimensional columnar aggregates. When a stereogenic centre is introduced into the...
Nature 505, 199–203 (2014) Making complex and highly functionalized molecules from simple, relatively unreactive substrates is a goal of many modern synthetic techniques. The development of protocols that activate C–H bonds for reaction have in recent years...
Science 345, 909–912 (2014) For many molecules, organic and inorganic alike, X-ray crystallography is arguably the most reliable way to obtain detailed information on the positioning of atoms within the structure. However, crystallography, by definition,...
Interest in saturated N-heterocycles as scaffolds for the synthesis of bioactive molecules is increasing. Reliable and predictable synthetic methods for the preparation of these compounds, especially medium-sized rings, are limited. We describe the...
Proteins are most at home in water, although it has been known for some time that they can remain functional in non-aqueous environments. Researchers have now shown that in solvent-free melts, the oxygen-binding protein myoglobin adopts a near-native...
Water is very different from liquids of similar molecular weight, and one of its unique properties is the very efficient transfer of vibrational energy between molecules, which arises as a result of strong dipole–dipole interactions between the O–H...
The effective utilization of solar energy requires photocatalytic reactions with high quantum efficiency. Water is the most abundant reactant that can be used as an oxygen source in efficient photocatalytic reactions, just as nature uses water in an oxygenic...
Changing the tune on chemistry's bad rap Chemophobia has led manufacturers and proprietors to advertise 'chemical-free' goods and services; it pops up in literature by activist groups like Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families — and has even infected popular...
Although the outer surface of single-walled carbon nanotubes (atomically thin cylinders of carbon) can be involved in a wide range of chemical reactions, it is generally thought that the interior surface of nanotubes is unreactive. In this study, we show that...
Diagnostic technologies that can provide the simultaneous detection of nucleic acids for gene expression, proteins for host response and small molecules for profiling the human metabolome will have a significant advantage in providing comprehensive patient...