Pub Date : 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1038/s42004-026-01926-7
Viktor Johánek, Mateusz Wróbel, Kateřina Knotková, Jan Blahut, Miroslav Rubeš, Ota Bludský, Roman Bulánek
Oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (ODHP) is a promising alternative route for producing light olefins, especially propene. Since the discovery of the exceptional activity of h-BN and other boron-based solids, their role in ODHP has attracted strong interest but remains insufficiently understood. Here, we provide the first direct experimental evidence of volatile boron oxide (BOₓ) species under ODHP conditions, revealed by TPD-MS and supported by XPS and solid-state NMR analyses. Advanced MAS ssNMR showed preferential coordination of BOₓ to Al in SiO₂-Al₂O₃ supports. BOₓ dispersion and stability were found to be strongly support-dependent: silica-supported BOₓ facilitates sublimation of boron oxides and propane activation at lower temperatures compared to γ-Al₂O₃ or SiO₂-Al₂O₃. Despite this, all systems follow identical selectivity-conversion trends. These results highlight a mechanistic pathway where volatile boron intermediates influence catalytic performance, advancing fundamental understanding and suggesting new strategies for designing selective, energy-efficient catalysts.
{"title":"Exploring the stability of BO<sub>x</sub> at various inorganic supports.","authors":"Viktor Johánek, Mateusz Wróbel, Kateřina Knotková, Jan Blahut, Miroslav Rubeš, Ota Bludský, Roman Bulánek","doi":"10.1038/s42004-026-01926-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-026-01926-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (ODHP) is a promising alternative route for producing light olefins, especially propene. Since the discovery of the exceptional activity of h-BN and other boron-based solids, their role in ODHP has attracted strong interest but remains insufficiently understood. Here, we provide the first direct experimental evidence of volatile boron oxide (BOₓ) species under ODHP conditions, revealed by TPD-MS and supported by XPS and solid-state NMR analyses. Advanced MAS ssNMR showed preferential coordination of BOₓ to Al in SiO₂-Al₂O₃ supports. BOₓ dispersion and stability were found to be strongly support-dependent: silica-supported BOₓ facilitates sublimation of boron oxides and propane activation at lower temperatures compared to γ-Al₂O₃ or SiO₂-Al₂O₃. Despite this, all systems follow identical selectivity-conversion trends. These results highlight a mechanistic pathway where volatile boron intermediates influence catalytic performance, advancing fundamental understanding and suggesting new strategies for designing selective, energy-efficient catalysts.</p>","PeriodicalId":10529,"journal":{"name":"Communications Chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146111961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1038/s42004-026-01921-y
Jianting Han, Qin Cao
RegIIIα is an antibacterial protein primarily operating in the digestive tract to defend against bacterial infection through direct bactericidal activity. A previous study proposed that RegIIIα forms hexameric pores on the membrane of Gram-positive bacteria, leading to cell lysis. These RegIIIα hexamers can further assemble into filaments, diminishing RegIIIα activity. However, the high-resolution structure of RegIIIα assembly remains elusive, impeding the comprehension of the molecular mechanisms underlying RegIIIα function. In this study, we determined the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of RegIIIα filaments formed in vitro at a resolution of 2.2 Å. Our structure reveals a similar subunit arrangement but a distinct subunit orientation compared to the previously reported low-resolution model of RegIIIα filaments. Through structural analysis and biochemical assays, we identified two essential interfaces for RegIIIα assembly, offered a potential explanation for the necessity of lipids in RegIIIα assembly, and elucidated the inhibitory mechanism of the pro-segment of RegIIIα. Collectively, our study presents the first near-atomic structure of filaments formed by C-tyle lectin containing proteins, providing structural insights into RegIIIα assembly that are closely related to its physiological functions and regulations.
{"title":"Structural basis for human RegⅢα filament formation.","authors":"Jianting Han, Qin Cao","doi":"10.1038/s42004-026-01921-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-026-01921-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>RegIIIα is an antibacterial protein primarily operating in the digestive tract to defend against bacterial infection through direct bactericidal activity. A previous study proposed that RegIIIα forms hexameric pores on the membrane of Gram-positive bacteria, leading to cell lysis. These RegIIIα hexamers can further assemble into filaments, diminishing RegIIIα activity. However, the high-resolution structure of RegIIIα assembly remains elusive, impeding the comprehension of the molecular mechanisms underlying RegIIIα function. In this study, we determined the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of RegIIIα filaments formed in vitro at a resolution of 2.2 Å. Our structure reveals a similar subunit arrangement but a distinct subunit orientation compared to the previously reported low-resolution model of RegIIIα filaments. Through structural analysis and biochemical assays, we identified two essential interfaces for RegIIIα assembly, offered a potential explanation for the necessity of lipids in RegIIIα assembly, and elucidated the inhibitory mechanism of the pro-segment of RegIIIα. Collectively, our study presents the first near-atomic structure of filaments formed by C-tyle lectin containing proteins, providing structural insights into RegIIIα assembly that are closely related to its physiological functions and regulations.</p>","PeriodicalId":10529,"journal":{"name":"Communications Chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146111978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Understanding how electrolyte-catalyst interactions govern reaction kinetics is crucial for advancing electrocatalytic hydrogen production. Here, we elucidate the atomic-scale synergy between alkali cations and platinum surface structure in accelerating the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) through combined constant-potential density functional theory and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Our simulations demonstrate that stepped Pt(311) surfaces uniquely stabilize Na+ cations through formation of a Pt-H2O-Na+(H2O)ₓ adduct at step edges, positioning cations 2.3 Å closer to the surface than on Pt(111) terraces. This proximity creates a stronger interfacial electric field that polarizes adjacent water molecules, inducing partial O-H bond dissociation and lowering the Volmer step activation energy by 0.14 eV - threefold greater than the reduction observed on Pt(111). The stark facet dependence arises from fundamental differences in ion-surface coordination, with Pt(111) maintaining distant cation solvation that minimally perturbs HER kinetics. These findings establish cation-facet cooperativity as a key design principle, showing how atomic-scale control of both surface geometry and the electrochemical double layer can overcome intrinsic kinetic limitations of alkaline HER catalysis.
{"title":"Synergistic cation-facet effects boost alkaline hydrogen evolution kinetics on stepped Pt surfaces.","authors":"Qingqing Zhang, Pengfei Sun, Haobo Li, Zhiyao Duan","doi":"10.1038/s42004-026-01924-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-026-01924-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding how electrolyte-catalyst interactions govern reaction kinetics is crucial for advancing electrocatalytic hydrogen production. Here, we elucidate the atomic-scale synergy between alkali cations and platinum surface structure in accelerating the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) through combined constant-potential density functional theory and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Our simulations demonstrate that stepped Pt(311) surfaces uniquely stabilize Na<sup>+</sup> cations through formation of a Pt-H<sub>2</sub>O-Na<sup>+</sup>(H<sub>2</sub>O)ₓ adduct at step edges, positioning cations 2.3 Å closer to the surface than on Pt(111) terraces. This proximity creates a stronger interfacial electric field that polarizes adjacent water molecules, inducing partial O-H bond dissociation and lowering the Volmer step activation energy by 0.14 eV - threefold greater than the reduction observed on Pt(111). The stark facet dependence arises from fundamental differences in ion-surface coordination, with Pt(111) maintaining distant cation solvation that minimally perturbs HER kinetics. These findings establish cation-facet cooperativity as a key design principle, showing how atomic-scale control of both surface geometry and the electrochemical double layer can overcome intrinsic kinetic limitations of alkaline HER catalysis.</p>","PeriodicalId":10529,"journal":{"name":"Communications Chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146104132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Author Correction: An open-source family of large encoder-decoder foundation models for chemistry.","authors":"Eduardo Soares, Emilio Vital Brazil, Victor Shirasuna, Dmitry Zubarev, Renato Cerqueira, Kristin Schmidt","doi":"10.1038/s42004-026-01905-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s42004-026-01905-y","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10529,"journal":{"name":"Communications Chemistry","volume":"9 1","pages":"64"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12865004/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146104208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-30DOI: 10.1038/s42004-026-01917-8
Ramesh Jarupula, Yuezhi Mao, Haiwang Yong
Ultrafast photoinduced excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) plays a crucial role in protecting biomolecules and functional materials from photodamage. However, the influence of solute-solvent interactions on ESPT dynamics remains under active investigation. Here, we present an ultrafast spectroscopic study of ESPT in the photobase 2-(2´-pyridyl)benzimidazole (PBI) in methanol. Ultrafast absorption spectroscopy, supported by quantum chemical calculations, reveals three distinct kinetic steps: (1) a 2.2 ps solvent-to-solute proton transfer, (2) subsequent nonradiative relaxation to the ground state within 31 ps, producing a vibrationally hot ensemble with substantial excess kinetic energy, and (3) equilibration as this energy dissipates into the surrounding solvent bath over 186 ps. Femtosecond-resolved dynamics exhibit oscillatory signals indicative of coherent wavepacket motion on the S1 potential energy surface. A phase flip in the excited-state absorption maximum confirms this assignment. Fourier analysis resolves two dominant periods (∼117 fs and ∼340 fs), corresponding to in-plane and out-of-plane vibrational modes coupled between PBI and the hydrogen-bonded methanol molecule. The rapid dephasing ( < 300 fs) suggests that the nuclear wavefunction evolves on an anharmonic potential energy surface while traversing the ESPT reaction coordinate.
{"title":"Ultrafast solvent-to-solute proton transfer mediated by intermolecular coherent vibrations.","authors":"Ramesh Jarupula, Yuezhi Mao, Haiwang Yong","doi":"10.1038/s42004-026-01917-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-026-01917-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ultrafast photoinduced excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) plays a crucial role in protecting biomolecules and functional materials from photodamage. However, the influence of solute-solvent interactions on ESPT dynamics remains under active investigation. Here, we present an ultrafast spectroscopic study of ESPT in the photobase 2-(2´-pyridyl)benzimidazole (PBI) in methanol. Ultrafast absorption spectroscopy, supported by quantum chemical calculations, reveals three distinct kinetic steps: (1) a 2.2 ps solvent-to-solute proton transfer, (2) subsequent nonradiative relaxation to the ground state within 31 ps, producing a vibrationally hot ensemble with substantial excess kinetic energy, and (3) equilibration as this energy dissipates into the surrounding solvent bath over 186 ps. Femtosecond-resolved dynamics exhibit oscillatory signals indicative of coherent wavepacket motion on the S<sub>1</sub> potential energy surface. A phase flip in the excited-state absorption maximum confirms this assignment. Fourier analysis resolves two dominant periods (∼117 fs and ∼340 fs), corresponding to in-plane and out-of-plane vibrational modes coupled between PBI and the hydrogen-bonded methanol molecule. The rapid dephasing ( < 300 fs) suggests that the nuclear wavefunction evolves on an anharmonic potential energy surface while traversing the ESPT reaction coordinate.</p>","PeriodicalId":10529,"journal":{"name":"Communications Chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146092324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-30DOI: 10.1038/s42004-026-01919-6
Mi Zhang, Hua Hou, Baoshan Wang
Isocyanic acid (HNCO) is a toxic atmospheric constituent emitted by biomass burning and catalytic converters in car engines. The major sinks for HNCO were thought to be heterogeneous loss processes and dry deposition in the free troposphere. Based on the rigorous electronic structure calculations and kinetic simulations, here we show that HNCO is highly reactive to the stabilized Criegee intermediates (sCIs, e.g., CH2OO and syn-CH3CHOO) in the atmosphere. The energetically most preferable reaction route refers to a concerted mechanism by which the H atom is transferred from N of HNCO to the terminal O site of sCIs with simultaneous addition of N or O in HNCO to the other CH2 (resp. CHCH3) end, leading to the highly exothermic HOOCH2NCO and HOOCH2OCN (resp. HOOCH(CH3)NCO and HOOCH(CH3)OCN). The precursor complexes are stabilized via H-bond/p-π interactions and the barriers are submerged below reactants. The reaction of HNCO with CH2OO occurs with an average rate coefficient of 8×10-13 cm3molecule-1s-1 at 275 K and 760 Torr, which is a factor of 103 faster than the HNCO + OH reaction. The total rate coefficients exhibit negative temperature dependence under the tropospheric conditions. sCIs might be one of the potential sinks for the budget of HNCO in the atmosphere.
{"title":"Potential role of stabilized criegee intermediates in the reactivity of isocyanic acid.","authors":"Mi Zhang, Hua Hou, Baoshan Wang","doi":"10.1038/s42004-026-01919-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-026-01919-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Isocyanic acid (HNCO) is a toxic atmospheric constituent emitted by biomass burning and catalytic converters in car engines. The major sinks for HNCO were thought to be heterogeneous loss processes and dry deposition in the free troposphere. Based on the rigorous electronic structure calculations and kinetic simulations, here we show that HNCO is highly reactive to the stabilized Criegee intermediates (sCIs, e.g., CH<sub>2</sub>OO and syn-CH<sub>3</sub>CHOO) in the atmosphere. The energetically most preferable reaction route refers to a concerted mechanism by which the H atom is transferred from N of HNCO to the terminal O site of sCIs with simultaneous addition of N or O in HNCO to the other CH<sub>2</sub> (resp. CHCH<sub>3</sub>) end, leading to the highly exothermic HOOCH<sub>2</sub>NCO and HOOCH<sub>2</sub>OCN (resp. HOOCH(CH<sub>3</sub>)NCO and HOOCH(CH<sub>3</sub>)OCN). The precursor complexes are stabilized via H-bond/p-π interactions and the barriers are submerged below reactants. The reaction of HNCO with CH<sub>2</sub>OO occurs with an average rate coefficient of 8×10<sup>-13</sup> cm<sup>3</sup>molecule<sup>-1</sup>s<sup>-1</sup> at 275 K and 760 Torr, which is a factor of 10<sup>3</sup> faster than the HNCO + OH reaction. The total rate coefficients exhibit negative temperature dependence under the tropospheric conditions. sCIs might be one of the potential sinks for the budget of HNCO in the atmosphere.</p>","PeriodicalId":10529,"journal":{"name":"Communications Chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146092271","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-30DOI: 10.1038/s42004-026-01900-3
Emel Kirbas Cilingir, Sajini D Hettiarachchi, Parth Rathee, Yiqun Zhou, Braulio Clb Ferreira, Lukun Wang, Annu Joji, Carlos M Gonzalez, Maria J Moreno Hollweg, Mehrdad Shiri, Kun Wang, Rajeev Prabhakar, Steven Vanni, Roger M Leblanc, Regina M Graham
High-grade gliomas are devastating cancers with dismal prognosis, largely because current chemotherapeutics fail to cross the blood-brain barrier and lack tumor-cell specificity. Nanotechnology aims to overcome these limitations through targeted drug delivery. Here, a quadruple-conjugated nanomodel was synthesized using carbon dots (C-dots) as biocompatible nanocarriers via a one-pot reaction that covalently links two targeting peptides and two anticancer agents. The short peptide (shPep-1) targets the tumor-restricted receptor IL13Rα2, whereas the long peptide (lnPep-1) contains a nuclear localization signal for enhanced intracellular trafficking. Therapeutic cargo consists of epirubicin and the temozolomide metabolite 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide. This nanomodel displays potent cytotoxicity in multiple high-grade glioma cell lines at 50 nM while remaining relatively non-toxic to normal cells (IC₅₀ > 2 µM). Despite a lower drug-loading capacity than single-peptide formulations, it induced greater glioma cell death, underscoring the enhanced therapeutic synergy of its dual-peptide, dual-drug design. Fluorescence studies confirm superior uptake and nuclear delivery, establishing C-dots as a stable, cost-effective, modular platform for next-generation personalized cancer nanotherapies.
{"title":"Development of a quadruple-conjugated carbon dot nanomodel for targeted glioma therapy.","authors":"Emel Kirbas Cilingir, Sajini D Hettiarachchi, Parth Rathee, Yiqun Zhou, Braulio Clb Ferreira, Lukun Wang, Annu Joji, Carlos M Gonzalez, Maria J Moreno Hollweg, Mehrdad Shiri, Kun Wang, Rajeev Prabhakar, Steven Vanni, Roger M Leblanc, Regina M Graham","doi":"10.1038/s42004-026-01900-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-026-01900-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>High-grade gliomas are devastating cancers with dismal prognosis, largely because current chemotherapeutics fail to cross the blood-brain barrier and lack tumor-cell specificity. Nanotechnology aims to overcome these limitations through targeted drug delivery. Here, a quadruple-conjugated nanomodel was synthesized using carbon dots (C-dots) as biocompatible nanocarriers via a one-pot reaction that covalently links two targeting peptides and two anticancer agents. The short peptide (shPep-1) targets the tumor-restricted receptor IL13Rα2, whereas the long peptide (lnPep-1) contains a nuclear localization signal for enhanced intracellular trafficking. Therapeutic cargo consists of epirubicin and the temozolomide metabolite 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide. This nanomodel displays potent cytotoxicity in multiple high-grade glioma cell lines at 50 nM while remaining relatively non-toxic to normal cells (IC₅₀ > 2 µM). Despite a lower drug-loading capacity than single-peptide formulations, it induced greater glioma cell death, underscoring the enhanced therapeutic synergy of its dual-peptide, dual-drug design. Fluorescence studies confirm superior uptake and nuclear delivery, establishing C-dots as a stable, cost-effective, modular platform for next-generation personalized cancer nanotherapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":10529,"journal":{"name":"Communications Chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146092198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Two carbazole-based donor-acceptor dyes, CBZ-Gly and CBZ-EG, featuring glycerol- and ethylene glycol-like side chains, were designed and synthesized to achieve synergistic compatibility with DES-based electrolytes, and systematically investigate their impact on DSSCs performance. These dyes were tested in DSSCs employing two neat deep eutectic solvent (DES) electrolytes (choline chloride/ethylene glycol and choline chloride/glycerol) under both simulated sunlight (AM 1.5G) and indoor lighting (1000 lux). By combining molecular-level dye design with a tailored DES-based electrolyte, we achieved an improvement in long-term device stability over several months and demonstrated a record indoor power conversion efficiency of 9.4%, thereby establishing a new benchmark for fully sustainable, DES-based DSSCs under low-light conditions.
{"title":"Advancing dye-DES synergies in dye-sensitized solar cells for improved indoor efficiency and long-term stability under sustainable conditions.","authors":"Giorgia Salerno, Chiara Liliana Boldrini, Norberto Manfredi, Vito Capriati, Ottavia Bettucci, Alessandro Abbotto","doi":"10.1038/s42004-025-01821-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s42004-025-01821-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Two carbazole-based donor-acceptor dyes, CBZ-Gly and CBZ-EG, featuring glycerol- and ethylene glycol-like side chains, were designed and synthesized to achieve synergistic compatibility with DES-based electrolytes, and systematically investigate their impact on DSSCs performance. These dyes were tested in DSSCs employing two neat deep eutectic solvent (DES) electrolytes (choline chloride/ethylene glycol and choline chloride/glycerol) under both simulated sunlight (AM 1.5G) and indoor lighting (1000 lux). By combining molecular-level dye design with a tailored DES-based electrolyte, we achieved an improvement in long-term device stability over several months and demonstrated a record indoor power conversion efficiency of 9.4%, thereby establishing a new benchmark for fully sustainable, DES-based DSSCs under low-light conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":10529,"journal":{"name":"Communications Chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"70"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12876935/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146092172","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-30DOI: 10.1038/s42004-026-01911-0
Dominik Spahr, Lkhamsuren Bayarjargal, Elena Bykova, Maxim Bykov, Gabriel L Murphy, Philip Kegler, Victor Milman, Nico Giordano, Björn Winkler
It is well established that a significant amount of heat produced in the Earth's mantle is due to the decay of uranium. However, uranium cannot be incorporated in large amounts into the most common mantle minerals. Here, we suggest that carbonates could be host phases for uranium in carbon-rich mantle lithologies. Two anhydrous uranium carbonates, U2[CO3]3 and U[CO3]2, were simultaneously synthesized by a reaction of UO2 with CO2 in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell at 20(1) GPa and 1800(200) K. Their crystal structures were obtained from synchrotron-based single crystal diffraction data and reproduced by density functional theory-based calculations. In U2[CO3]3 trivalent uranium cations are present, while uranium is four-valent in U[CO3]2. The synthesis of U2[CO3]3 and U[CO3]2 is a significant extension of the chemistry of uranium compounds and we provide a straightforward synthesis route for a UIII-containing compound.
{"title":"High-pressure synthesis of U<sub>2</sub>[CO<sub>3</sub>]<sub>3</sub> and U[CO<sub>3</sub>]<sub>2</sub> as potential host phases for uranium in the Earth's mantle.","authors":"Dominik Spahr, Lkhamsuren Bayarjargal, Elena Bykova, Maxim Bykov, Gabriel L Murphy, Philip Kegler, Victor Milman, Nico Giordano, Björn Winkler","doi":"10.1038/s42004-026-01911-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-026-01911-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>It is well established that a significant amount of heat produced in the Earth's mantle is due to the decay of uranium. However, uranium cannot be incorporated in large amounts into the most common mantle minerals. Here, we suggest that carbonates could be host phases for uranium in carbon-rich mantle lithologies. Two anhydrous uranium carbonates, U<sub>2</sub>[CO<sub>3</sub>]<sub>3</sub> and U[CO<sub>3</sub>]<sub>2</sub>, were simultaneously synthesized by a reaction of UO<sub>2</sub> with CO<sub>2</sub> in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell at 20(1) GPa and 1800(200) K. Their crystal structures were obtained from synchrotron-based single crystal diffraction data and reproduced by density functional theory-based calculations. In U<sub>2</sub>[CO<sub>3</sub>]<sub>3</sub> trivalent uranium cations are present, while uranium is four-valent in U[CO<sub>3</sub>]<sub>2</sub>. The synthesis of U<sub>2</sub>[CO<sub>3</sub>]<sub>3</sub> and U[CO<sub>3</sub>]<sub>2</sub> is a significant extension of the chemistry of uranium compounds and we provide a straightforward synthesis route for a U<sup>III</sup>-containing compound.</p>","PeriodicalId":10529,"journal":{"name":"Communications Chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146092296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-30DOI: 10.1038/s42004-026-01913-y
Brainy Happy Ana Tasiman, Rizky Aflaha, Wiyogo Prio Wicaksono, Ganjar Fadillah, Yuliyan Dwi Prabowo, Joan Daniel Prades, Erwin Peiner, Kuwat Triyana, Hutomo Suryo Wasisto
Polydiacetylene (PDA)-based colorimetric sensors offer a promising platform for rapid and visual detection, through a chromatic transition from blue to red. However, their broader applications are hindered by challenges in sensitivity, selectivity, and stability. This review comprehensively overviews functionalization strategies to overcome existing limitations, including chemical modification with reactive groups, conjugation with specific ligands or receptors, and integration with nanomaterials. Alternative approaches are also discussed. The interplay between base materials, deposition methods, and functionalization efficiencies is emphasized. Furthermore, this review addresses remaining challenges, proposes feasible solutions, and offers insights into future strategic directions for creating more advanced PDA-based colorimetric sensors.
{"title":"Surface functionalization strategies for polydiacetylene-based colorimetric sensors.","authors":"Brainy Happy Ana Tasiman, Rizky Aflaha, Wiyogo Prio Wicaksono, Ganjar Fadillah, Yuliyan Dwi Prabowo, Joan Daniel Prades, Erwin Peiner, Kuwat Triyana, Hutomo Suryo Wasisto","doi":"10.1038/s42004-026-01913-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s42004-026-01913-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Polydiacetylene (PDA)-based colorimetric sensors offer a promising platform for rapid and visual detection, through a chromatic transition from blue to red. However, their broader applications are hindered by challenges in sensitivity, selectivity, and stability. This review comprehensively overviews functionalization strategies to overcome existing limitations, including chemical modification with reactive groups, conjugation with specific ligands or receptors, and integration with nanomaterials. Alternative approaches are also discussed. The interplay between base materials, deposition methods, and functionalization efficiencies is emphasized. Furthermore, this review addresses remaining challenges, proposes feasible solutions, and offers insights into future strategic directions for creating more advanced PDA-based colorimetric sensors.</p>","PeriodicalId":10529,"journal":{"name":"Communications Chemistry","volume":"9 1","pages":"60"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12859138/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146092305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}