Pub Date : 2025-10-08DOI: 10.1038/s41570-025-00763-x
Tristan Kovačič, Heinrich Haas, Lior Stotsky-Oterin, Aleš Štrancar, Urban Bren, Dan Peer
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are the most established platform for delivery of mRNA payloads. Their tunability and streamlined manufacturing facilitated an unprecedentedly rapid scale-up during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, being multicomponent, complex systems also poses a challenge of controlling their quality and safety. Analytical checkpoints need to be established to characterize LNPs on multiple levels during development and commercialization. This Perspective centres on the chemical reactivity and purity of mRNA–LNP components, which need to be addressed as raw materials, drug substance, excipients, and the fully formed and stored product. Herein, we describe such appropriate orthogonal analytics to design and analyse LNP formulations. For such novel biopharmaceuticals, better controls that go beyond the current analytical workflow and address the nuanced chemical stability, which helps ensure reproducibility, stability and safety, need to be established. Lipid nanoparticle-based delivery vehicles for mRNA are assembled from several different components. This Perspective discusses how these components react with each other and pose a particular analytical challenge that must be addressed to ensure the reproducibility, stability and safety of such drug formulations.
{"title":"The impact of chemical reactivity on the quality and stability of RNA–LNP pharmaceuticals","authors":"Tristan Kovačič, Heinrich Haas, Lior Stotsky-Oterin, Aleš Štrancar, Urban Bren, Dan Peer","doi":"10.1038/s41570-025-00763-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41570-025-00763-x","url":null,"abstract":"Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are the most established platform for delivery of mRNA payloads. Their tunability and streamlined manufacturing facilitated an unprecedentedly rapid scale-up during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, being multicomponent, complex systems also poses a challenge of controlling their quality and safety. Analytical checkpoints need to be established to characterize LNPs on multiple levels during development and commercialization. This Perspective centres on the chemical reactivity and purity of mRNA–LNP components, which need to be addressed as raw materials, drug substance, excipients, and the fully formed and stored product. Herein, we describe such appropriate orthogonal analytics to design and analyse LNP formulations. For such novel biopharmaceuticals, better controls that go beyond the current analytical workflow and address the nuanced chemical stability, which helps ensure reproducibility, stability and safety, need to be established. Lipid nanoparticle-based delivery vehicles for mRNA are assembled from several different components. This Perspective discusses how these components react with each other and pose a particular analytical challenge that must be addressed to ensure the reproducibility, stability and safety of such drug formulations.","PeriodicalId":18849,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews. Chemistry","volume":"9 11","pages":"790-802"},"PeriodicalIF":51.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145251920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-26DOI: 10.1038/s41570-025-00761-z
Muhammad Fernadi Lukman, Pranjit Das, Hrittik Karmakar
Molecular-level insight into hydrogen isotope separation processes with triazole-based metal–organic frameworks [Mn(ta)2] have recently been studied through in situ neutron diffraction and cryogenic thermal desorption spectroscopy. By fine-tuning the ligands of the framework, remarkable separation efficiencies are observed.
{"title":"Separating light from lighter","authors":"Muhammad Fernadi Lukman, Pranjit Das, Hrittik Karmakar","doi":"10.1038/s41570-025-00761-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41570-025-00761-z","url":null,"abstract":"Molecular-level insight into hydrogen isotope separation processes with triazole-based metal–organic frameworks [Mn(ta)2] have recently been studied through in situ neutron diffraction and cryogenic thermal desorption spectroscopy. By fine-tuning the ligands of the framework, remarkable separation efficiencies are observed.","PeriodicalId":18849,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews. Chemistry","volume":"9 11","pages":"732-732"},"PeriodicalIF":51.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145176964","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-26DOI: 10.1038/s41570-025-00762-y
Daan Noort, Peter J. Hotchkiss
The Chemical Weapons Convention is underpinned by science. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Designated Laboratory network provides confidence to states parties that any misuse of chemicals as weapons can be properly investigated.
{"title":"Scientific collaboration to rid the world of chemical weapons","authors":"Daan Noort, Peter J. Hotchkiss","doi":"10.1038/s41570-025-00762-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41570-025-00762-y","url":null,"abstract":"The Chemical Weapons Convention is underpinned by science. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Designated Laboratory network provides confidence to states parties that any misuse of chemicals as weapons can be properly investigated.","PeriodicalId":18849,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews. Chemistry","volume":"9 11","pages":"728-729"},"PeriodicalIF":51.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145176948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-17DOI: 10.1038/s41570-025-00751-1
Shounak Hinge, Sohom Kundu, Jochen Niemeyer
Organocatalysis has emerged as a powerful tool in homogeneous catalysis, and especially in enantioselective catalysis. Importantly, the functional groups that are key to the reactivity of organocatalysts also allow for noncovalent interactions between catalyst molecules, both in the absence and in the presence of the reaction substrates. Such noncovalent interactions can lead to catalyst self-association, which can affect the catalytic behaviour of the respective organocatalyst, in terms of both reaction rates and enantioselectivities. In this Review, we present examples of such catalyst self-association in various organocatalysts, including ureas, thioureas, squaramides, peptides, silanediols and phosphoric acids. We analyse the known solid-state and solution-phase structures and discuss the influence of self-association in catalysis. We hope to illustrate the importance of catalyst self-association, which should be taken into account by practitioners of organocatalysis and catalyst designers. Non-covalent interactions between organocatalyst molecules can change catalytic behaviour, leading to changes in reaction rates and selectivities. This Review discusses how to identify such interactions, measure their effect on catalysis and ultimately how to avoid or exploit them in synthesis.
{"title":"The impact of supramolecular self-association of organocatalysts on catalytic performance","authors":"Shounak Hinge, Sohom Kundu, Jochen Niemeyer","doi":"10.1038/s41570-025-00751-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41570-025-00751-1","url":null,"abstract":"Organocatalysis has emerged as a powerful tool in homogeneous catalysis, and especially in enantioselective catalysis. Importantly, the functional groups that are key to the reactivity of organocatalysts also allow for noncovalent interactions between catalyst molecules, both in the absence and in the presence of the reaction substrates. Such noncovalent interactions can lead to catalyst self-association, which can affect the catalytic behaviour of the respective organocatalyst, in terms of both reaction rates and enantioselectivities. In this Review, we present examples of such catalyst self-association in various organocatalysts, including ureas, thioureas, squaramides, peptides, silanediols and phosphoric acids. We analyse the known solid-state and solution-phase structures and discuss the influence of self-association in catalysis. We hope to illustrate the importance of catalyst self-association, which should be taken into account by practitioners of organocatalysis and catalyst designers. Non-covalent interactions between organocatalyst molecules can change catalytic behaviour, leading to changes in reaction rates and selectivities. This Review discusses how to identify such interactions, measure their effect on catalysis and ultimately how to avoid or exploit them in synthesis.","PeriodicalId":18849,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews. Chemistry","volume":"9 10","pages":"688-706"},"PeriodicalIF":51.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145081096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-17DOI: 10.1038/s41570-025-00759-7
Alexander M. Brown
The isolation of critical materials from minerals is challenging due to their comparable chemical properties and tendency to co-exist with one another. Instead of driving lanthanide separation by chemical extraction, a study leverages solubility differences between adjacent lanthanides to isolate Nd from used NdFeB magnets.
{"title":"Reclaiming rare earths","authors":"Alexander M. Brown","doi":"10.1038/s41570-025-00759-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41570-025-00759-7","url":null,"abstract":"The isolation of critical materials from minerals is challenging due to their comparable chemical properties and tendency to co-exist with one another. Instead of driving lanthanide separation by chemical extraction, a study leverages solubility differences between adjacent lanthanides to isolate Nd from used NdFeB magnets.","PeriodicalId":18849,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews. Chemistry","volume":"9 10","pages":"654-654"},"PeriodicalIF":51.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145081072","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-16DOI: 10.1038/s41570-025-00760-0
Joseph Q. Nguyen, Haruko Tateyama
Electron counting and oxidation states are fundamental concepts used for understanding a molecule’s electronic structure. A recent study of PuO2 provides insights into how covalency can impact our assessment of the electronic structures of f-element materials.
{"title":"A tale of two systems of electron counting","authors":"Joseph Q. Nguyen, Haruko Tateyama","doi":"10.1038/s41570-025-00760-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41570-025-00760-0","url":null,"abstract":"Electron counting and oxidation states are fundamental concepts used for understanding a molecule’s electronic structure. A recent study of PuO2 provides insights into how covalency can impact our assessment of the electronic structures of f-element materials.","PeriodicalId":18849,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews. Chemistry","volume":"9 10","pages":"655-655"},"PeriodicalIF":51.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145067715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-16DOI: 10.1038/s41570-025-00757-9
Audrey Moores, Vânia G. Zuin Zeidler
When generative artificial intelligence (AI) draws molecules, it doesn’t just get the science wrong — it risks reshaping how we see chemistry, spreading incorrect representations of our world that mislead learners, distort peer-reviewed reports, and erode trust in scientific work and rigour.
{"title":"Don’t let generative AI shape how we see chemistry","authors":"Audrey Moores, Vânia G. Zuin Zeidler","doi":"10.1038/s41570-025-00757-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41570-025-00757-9","url":null,"abstract":"When generative artificial intelligence (AI) draws molecules, it doesn’t just get the science wrong — it risks reshaping how we see chemistry, spreading incorrect representations of our world that mislead learners, distort peer-reviewed reports, and erode trust in scientific work and rigour.","PeriodicalId":18849,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews. Chemistry","volume":"9 10","pages":"649-650"},"PeriodicalIF":51.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145067714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-15DOI: 10.1038/s41570-025-00756-w
Katharine A. Hubert
Disabled scientists encounter many barriers in laboratory spaces, especially a lack of accessible lab equipment. #labdaptations is an ever-growing database of inclusive equipment created to improve the accessibility of laboratory work.
{"title":"#labdaptations for inclusive laboratory research","authors":"Katharine A. Hubert","doi":"10.1038/s41570-025-00756-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41570-025-00756-w","url":null,"abstract":"Disabled scientists encounter many barriers in laboratory spaces, especially a lack of accessible lab equipment. #labdaptations is an ever-growing database of inclusive equipment created to improve the accessibility of laboratory work.","PeriodicalId":18849,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews. Chemistry","volume":"9 10","pages":"647-648"},"PeriodicalIF":51.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145059527","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-10DOI: 10.1038/s41570-025-00758-8
Jane Clarke, Stephanie Greed
Ahead of her 75th birthday, Jane Clarke discussed her life in science, including her career change from school science teacher to protein folding researcher.
{"title":"Tales of teaching and teamwork","authors":"Jane Clarke, Stephanie Greed","doi":"10.1038/s41570-025-00758-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41570-025-00758-8","url":null,"abstract":"Ahead of her 75th birthday, Jane Clarke discussed her life in science, including her career change from school science teacher to protein folding researcher.","PeriodicalId":18849,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews. Chemistry","volume":"9 10","pages":"651-652"},"PeriodicalIF":51.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145026030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-07DOI: 10.1038/s41570-025-00754-y
Michele Parrinello, Stephanie Greed
Ahead of his 80th birthday, Michele Parrinello, Principal Investigator of Atomistic Simulations at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), discussed his career in science exploring chemical fundamentals and modelling molecular dynamics.
{"title":"Discussions with a dignitary of molecular dynamics","authors":"Michele Parrinello, Stephanie Greed","doi":"10.1038/s41570-025-00754-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41570-025-00754-y","url":null,"abstract":"Ahead of his 80th birthday, Michele Parrinello, Principal Investigator of Atomistic Simulations at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), discussed his career in science exploring chemical fundamentals and modelling molecular dynamics.","PeriodicalId":18849,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews. Chemistry","volume":"9 9","pages":"575-575"},"PeriodicalIF":51.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145007246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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