Themed collection 2018 ChemSci Pick of the Week Collection

Total synthesis of two thiopeptide antibiotics, micrococcin P1 and thiocillin I, is described featuring new molybdenum catalyst.

MOF gels with intrinsic emission color are prepared with 5-boronoisophthalic acid and Eu³⁺, Tb³⁺, and/or Dy³⁺. Single-metal gels exhibit trichromatic fluorescence, so full color emissions are readily obtained by tuning the type and/or ratio of Ln³⁺ ions to prepare mixed-metal gels. Nano-ribbons form from the precursors and then entangle together to generate the gels.

Translation between semantically equivalent but syntactically different line notations of molecular structures compresses meaningful information into a continuous molecular descriptor.

Stimuli-responsive polyacrylamide hydrogels crosslinked by glucosamine–boronate/G-quadruplexes or azobenzene-functionalized DNA reveal controlled stiffness using chemical or photochemical triggers.

We describe an enzyme-regulated liberation strategy to in situ generate AIEgen nanoaggregates for on-site sensing and long-term tracking of β-galactosidase in ovarian cancer cells.

A highly thermostable carbonatoperoxovanadate, Cs₃VO(O₂)₂CO₃, exhibits a remarkably strong SHG response of approximately 23.0 times that of KDP, which is the largest among those of the reported NLO carbonate materials.

Overall molecular shape, rather than any specific noncovalent interactions, controls the preferential crystallisation of shapeshifting barbaralane isomers from dynamic mixtures.

A highly compact and self-sustained in vitro “diagnosis-therapy-evaluation” platform is developed by integrating a glucose/O₂ fuel cell-based biosensor with a drug delivery system.

A fast NMR data acquisition strategy is explored to detect and characterize carbocations on solid zeolites.

FRET and rolling circle amplification outperform RT-qPCR for microRNA diagnostics in clinical samples.

A series of rare earth complexes of the form Ln(L^R)₃ supported by bidentate ortho-aryloxide–NHC ligands are reported (L^R = O(o-C₆H₂–^tBu₂-2,6-CN(C₂H₂)NR); R = ⁱPr, ^tBu, Mes; Ln = Ce, Sm, Eu).

Quantum mechanical simulations unequivocally explain experimental IR spectra of protonated supramolecular systems.

Microscale uniformity and long-range cohesion in multi-functional films assembled through drop-casting is realized by in situ gelation of monodisperse building blocks.

Synthetic biology techniques coupled with heterologous secondary metabolite production offer opportunities for the discovery and optimisation of natural products.

Tikitericin, a novel lanthipeptide was isolated and characterised together with its first total synthesis.

The simplest way to produce large graphene sheets starting from simple molecules (benzene or n-hexane) under ambient conditions (temperature and pressure).

A series of chiral fluorescent macrocycles display a remarkable combination of both +/– ECD and strong on/off CPL reversible switching upon cation binding and displacement.

A synergistic system was established involving activating nucleotides with nitriles using Cu(II) and protecting RNA degradation by byproducts of alpha-aminonitriles.

The formation of a metastable supercooled alkyl-π molecular liquid was prohibited by subtle alteration of the molecular structure.

U-shaped bisporphyrin molecules are clipped around SWCNTs using ring-closing metathesis yielding rotaxane-type derivatives, in which porphyrins and SWCNTs are connected through mechanical links.

Assemblies of lantern-type metal–organic polyhedra are found to show gate-opening gas adsorption depending on how they are treated with solvents.

In this contribution, we propose natural resources as a new source to acquire biocompatible AIEgens.

A sense-of-logic dual-channel nanoprobe is operated via a sequence-activated AND logic gate by responding ultra-sensitively to pH changes and being subsequently triggered with biothiol for the controllable release of anti-cancer drugs.

A cosolvent that is used to guide the self-assembly of amphiphiles in water causes abrupt structural changes, as well as non-linear behavior in the molecular dynamics of the amphiphiles.

A multifunctional SERS sticky note is designed for real-time tracing of quorum sensing and inhibiting bacterial growth of live biofilms.

Quantum mechanical bond orders are obtained from integration of the exchange–correlation density between topological atoms.

The diffusion of vital components of gel nanofibres across a gel–gel interface is quantified – highly dynamic, self-assembled, two-component gels can adapt and reorganise over time.

Genetically encoded tags (MoTags) to assess protein oligomeric states, probe protein structure and monitor protein–target interactions under physiological conditions in cellulo.

Amorphous and bifunctional water splitting catalysts are probed with a novel spectroelectrochemical quartz crystal microbalance cell, then subsequently enhanced.

A rare tin–cobalt bond dissociates homolytically with accurately measured energetics, reversibly releasing a four-coordinate tin radical that catalyzes alkyne trimerization.

Unknown designer drugs can be recognized by self-organized nanoparticle receptors and identified by magnetization transfer NMR.

Thermodynamic phase boundaries for three molecular crystal polymorphs are mapped out with ∼0.5 kJ mol⁻¹ accuracy.

Ultrathin two-dimensional palladium nanosheets with selectively exposed surface facets were controllably synthesized by designed functional surfactants.

Realization of a hitherto elusive unsupported η⁶ binding mode of benzene to a copper(I) cation employing silylene as a ligand. The back-donation from Cu to Si(II) diminishes the repulsion between d-electrons and the benzene ring and enforces the η⁶ binding mode.

The surface charge and chemistry of a protein determines its ability to facilitate biomimetic mineralisation.

Heterogeneous nucleation of ice from supercooled liquid water by some atmospherically relevant nucleators is enhanced by ammonium salts and suppressed by alkali halides.

Nickel-modified covalent triazine frameworks effectively reduced CO₂ to CO because adsorbed COOH was stabilized on the coordinatively-unsaturated Ni atoms in CTF.