Reviews & Analysis

Using liquid gallium as an atomically smooth substrate enables the deposition of single-crystal layers of conducting two-dimensional metal–organic frameworks.

Monolayer gold could exhibit properties of benefit to various applications, but has been challenging to synthesize. Now, the exfoliation of two-dimensional single-atom-thick gold layers — termed goldene — is achieved through wet-chemically etching away Ti₃C₂ from Ti₃AuC₂, a nanolaminated MAX-phase. Goldene shows lattice contraction and an increase in the gold 4f binding energy compared with the bulk.

Metal vacancies capable of generating magnetism can be created in 2D semiconductors by atomic-scale etching induced by electron-beam irradiation.

Selection principles for precursors are decoded from phase diagrams and applied to the synthesis of inorganic oxide materials.

d-cyclodextrins are naturally occurring macrocyclic oligosaccharides that act as hosts for hydrophobic guests and are produced on a multi-tonne scale. Now, using chemical synthesis, mirror-image cyclodextrins are produced from l- instead of d-glucose units.

Coupling an exergonic process with an orthogonal, endergonic one has opened the door to drive artificial systems away from equilibrium. Now, this concept is used to bias the outcome of an uphill chemical reaction.

Synthesis of fuels and chemicals from renewable biomass is an important way to achieve sustainable development. This Review summarizes catalyst design for steering interfacial charge transfer and radical intermediate reactions in photocatalytic biorefineries.

By systematically exploring a large chemical space using automated experimentation, a high-performing organic photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution is discovered.

Artificial intelligence is used to automate the synthesis of single molecules using the tip of a scanning probe microscope, as well as to extract chemical information from these reactions.

Metal–organic framework (MOF) materials are promising photocatalysts for solar-driven fuel production from CO₂. Here, built on a literature survey and data macroanalysis, we examine the development of MOFs as photocatalysts for CO₂ conversion, while assessing pitfalls and opportunities.

A strategy for the precise and scalable synthesis of a series of M₁M₂ (where M is a metal ion) heteronuclear dual-atom catalysts (DACs) is proposed. Photoinduced electron accumulation at the M₁ sites results in the capture and reduction of M₂ cations close to the M₁ sites to generate DACs with high purity.

The enantioselective synthesis of an inherently chiral molecular nanographene is demonstrated by precisely controlling the sequential generation of chiral elements in its structure. The final stereocontrolled graphitization step allows for the separate synthesis of both enantiomers, thus paving the way towards chirality controlled all-carbon nanographenes.

Chemical selenylation of sulfur carrier proteins enables enzymatic incorporation of selenium into small molecules, thereby advancing a biocatalytic method for C–Se bond formation and chemoenzymatic selenometabolite synthesis.

A homologative process that enables vinylene insertions into organoboronates stereoselectively forms alkenyl boronates.

Collaboration between synthesis laboratories requires procedures that are reproducible despite differences in equipment. Now, a digital standard for automated chemical synthesis reproduces results between distinct laboratory systems almost half a world apart.

Molecular knots and links retrofitted with iminopyrrole units make these assemblies intrinsically flexible, strengthening their potential application in molecular machinery.

A general strategy for synthesizing high-nuclearity Cu(i) alkynide nanoclusters is developed, involving a tripodal polydentate phosphoramide ligand to stabilize the nanoclusters and an alkynol ligand for the facile in situ generation of the ethynediide (C₂^2–) dianion to template nanocluster formation. The Cu(i) alkynide nanocluster Cu62 exhibits good stability and activity as a catalyst for photobleaching.

The direct carbonylation of alkanes with CO suffers from low conversion owing to equilibrium constraints. Now, a strategy is presented that combines reversible alkane carbonylation with an asymmetric transformation to overcome the equilibrium limitations, enabling the synthesis of chiral β- and α-amino ketones from alkanes, CO and anilines.

The visible-light-driven thiolate-catalysed carboxylation of C(sp²)–H bonds in azines using CO₂ is demonstrated. This procedure can be applied to various azine substrates to obtain a range of N-heteroaromatic carboxylic acids with different functionalities, including bioactive molecules and carboxylated N-ligands.

Acid triggers the formation of radicals by Flory autoinitiation of acrylic monomers and enhances polymerization rates.