Pub Date : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02028-y
Michelle Francl
It is 100 years since the initial development of quantum mechanics, and not only did it bring with it a greater understanding of the world around us, it also introduced a new lexicon. Now, Michelle Francl wonders how the language of quantum mechanics has been flipped to the dark side and appropriated by pseudoscience.
{"title":"Quantum quacks","authors":"Michelle Francl","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-02028-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41557-025-02028-y","url":null,"abstract":"It is 100 years since the initial development of quantum mechanics, and not only did it bring with it a greater understanding of the world around us, it also introduced a new lexicon. Now, Michelle Francl wonders how the language of quantum mechanics has been flipped to the dark side and appropriated by pseudoscience.","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":"18 1","pages":"4-5"},"PeriodicalIF":20.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145905275","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 : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02023-3
Tao Gao, Yunan Qin
Lithium nucleation at the metal anode surface dictates the morphologies of lithium deposits, which impact battery stability and performances. Now, a physics-based framework decouples substrate- and solid-electrolyte interphase-controlled nucleation pathways by examining the interplay of short-range transport and reaction.
{"title":"Two roads to lithium nucleation","authors":"Tao Gao, Yunan Qin","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-02023-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41557-025-02023-3","url":null,"abstract":"Lithium nucleation at the metal anode surface dictates the morphologies of lithium deposits, which impact battery stability and performances. Now, a physics-based framework decouples substrate- and solid-electrolyte interphase-controlled nucleation pathways by examining the interplay of short-range transport and reaction.","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":"18 1","pages":"8-9"},"PeriodicalIF":20.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145905277","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 : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02033-1
Sophie R. Beeren
Sophie Beeren discusses the development of cyclodextrins, moving from laboratory curiosities to common ingredients in daily products, active pharmaceutical ingredients and building blocks for supramolecular chemistry.
Sophie Beeren讨论了环糊精的发展,从实验室的好奇心到日常用品中的常见成分,活性药物成分和超分子化学的构建模块。
{"title":"Sweet molecular containers","authors":"Sophie R. Beeren","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-02033-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41557-025-02033-1","url":null,"abstract":"Sophie Beeren discusses the development of cyclodextrins, moving from laboratory curiosities to common ingredients in daily products, active pharmaceutical ingredients and building blocks for supramolecular chemistry.","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":"18 1","pages":"212-212"},"PeriodicalIF":20.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145905273","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 : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02022-4
Tengfei Kang, Justin O’Yang, Kevin Kasten, Samuel S. Allsop, Toby Lewis-Atwell, Elliot H. E. Farrar, Martin Juhl, David B. Cordes, Aidan P. McKay, Matthew N. Grayson, Andrew D. Smith
The catalytic enantioselective [1,2]-Wittig rearrangement of allylic ethers constitutes a recognized synthetic challenge as it is traditionally considered to arise from a non-concerted reaction pathway via formation and recombination of radical pairs. Here we show a catalytic enantioselective solution to this challenge, demonstrating that [1,2]-Wittig products are generated via an alternative reaction cascade to traditional dogma. The developed process employs a chiral bifunctional iminophosphorane catalyst to promote an initial enantioselective [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement. A subsequent base-promoted, stereoconvergent, fragmentation–recombination process that proceeds with high enantiospecificity and retention of configuration, formally equivalent to a Woodward–Hoffmann forbidden thermal [1,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement, generates [1,2]-Wittig products in up to 97:3 enantiomeric ratio. Supported by extensive quantum chemistry calculations, this chirality transfer process will have broad implications for fundamental stereocontrol in organic transformations.
{"title":"The catalytic enantioselective [1,2]-Wittig rearrangement cascade of allylic ethers","authors":"Tengfei Kang, Justin O’Yang, Kevin Kasten, Samuel S. Allsop, Toby Lewis-Atwell, Elliot H. E. Farrar, Martin Juhl, David B. Cordes, Aidan P. McKay, Matthew N. Grayson, Andrew D. Smith","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-02022-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-025-02022-4","url":null,"abstract":"The catalytic enantioselective [1,2]-Wittig rearrangement of allylic ethers constitutes a recognized synthetic challenge as it is traditionally considered to arise from a non-concerted reaction pathway via formation and recombination of radical pairs. Here we show a catalytic enantioselective solution to this challenge, demonstrating that [1,2]-Wittig products are generated via an alternative reaction cascade to traditional dogma. The developed process employs a chiral bifunctional iminophosphorane catalyst to promote an initial enantioselective [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement. A subsequent base-promoted, stereoconvergent, fragmentation–recombination process that proceeds with high enantiospecificity and retention of configuration, formally equivalent to a Woodward–Hoffmann forbidden thermal [1,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement, generates [1,2]-Wittig products in up to 97:3 enantiomeric ratio. Supported by extensive quantum chemistry calculations, this chirality transfer process will have broad implications for fundamental stereocontrol in organic transformations.","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":"177 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145903259","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 : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02019-z
Marcus Fletcher, Bradley Diggines, Yuval Elani
Building synthetic versions of biological cells from the bottom up offers an unprecedented opportunity to understand the rules of life and harness cellular capabilities in biotechnology. Whereas substantial progress has been made in recapitulating elementary cell functions, we argue that accelerating the engineering of synthetic cells requires a shift in research practices. The dominant approach—rationally designing and integrating functional modules—becomes restrictive when dealing with the massively complex biochemical pathways associated with life, especially when design principles remain unclear. We advocate moving away from theoretical rational design towards a data-driven model that is centred on library generation. Inspired by a systems chemistry perspective, this strategy prioritizes the systematic creation and distribution of composition–function libraries. To enable this, experimental strategies must integrate high-throughput synthetic cell generation, automation and closed-feedback control of workflows. Broad adoption will also require greater emphasis on quantitative benchmarking, and the de-skilling of techniques, supporting effective laboratory-to-laboratory collaboration. Living cells rely on the choreography of multiple simultaneous functions, without clear boundaries between molecular subsystems. Replicating these capabilities in synthetic cells would represent a major advance in understanding life. This Perspective argues that this challenge requires a shift away from modular design concepts, towards a strategy that integrates the theoretical principles of systems chemistry with data-driven high-throughput experimental methods.
{"title":"Molecular systems engineering of synthetic cells","authors":"Marcus Fletcher, Bradley Diggines, Yuval Elani","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-02019-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41557-025-02019-z","url":null,"abstract":"Building synthetic versions of biological cells from the bottom up offers an unprecedented opportunity to understand the rules of life and harness cellular capabilities in biotechnology. Whereas substantial progress has been made in recapitulating elementary cell functions, we argue that accelerating the engineering of synthetic cells requires a shift in research practices. The dominant approach—rationally designing and integrating functional modules—becomes restrictive when dealing with the massively complex biochemical pathways associated with life, especially when design principles remain unclear. We advocate moving away from theoretical rational design towards a data-driven model that is centred on library generation. Inspired by a systems chemistry perspective, this strategy prioritizes the systematic creation and distribution of composition–function libraries. To enable this, experimental strategies must integrate high-throughput synthetic cell generation, automation and closed-feedback control of workflows. Broad adoption will also require greater emphasis on quantitative benchmarking, and the de-skilling of techniques, supporting effective laboratory-to-laboratory collaboration. Living cells rely on the choreography of multiple simultaneous functions, without clear boundaries between molecular subsystems. Replicating these capabilities in synthetic cells would represent a major advance in understanding life. This Perspective argues that this challenge requires a shift away from modular design concepts, towards a strategy that integrates the theoretical principles of systems chemistry with data-driven high-throughput experimental methods.","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":"18 1","pages":"14-22"},"PeriodicalIF":20.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145903268","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}
Two-dimensional (2D) metal halide perovskites have attracted considerable attention for optoelectronic applications. Conventional 2D perovskites include Ruddlesden–Popper (R-P), Dion–Jacobson (D-J) and alternating cation phases. Here we introduce a class of 2D perovskite incorporating intralayer bidentate ligands, termed B-D phase perovskites, designed to enhance structural diversity and stability. We synthesized bidentate ligands with a rigid core unit and two ipsilateral ammonium-terminated linker groups, and obtained single crystals incorporating these B-D ligands with intralayer bidentate coordination. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the B-D ligand exhibits stronger binding energies to the inorganic layer compared with its R-P and D-J phase counterparts. Polycrystalline thin films of B-D phase showed superior thermal resistance, outperforming R-P and D-J phase analogues by 1,600% and 140% respectively, based on absorption stability assessments. Photovoltaic devices incorporating the B-D ligand exhibited higher power conversion efficiency and extended stability. These findings establish B-D phase 2D perovskites as a promising platform for next-generation optoelectronic applications, advancing ligand engineering for metal halide perovskites and other hybrid materials. Two-dimensional metal halide perovskites exhibit diverse structures, but tuning their intralayer structure is challenging. Now, ammonium-terminated bidentate linkers have been used to develop 2D perovskites. These materials exhibit superior thermal resistance and improved photovoltaic performance compared with their Ruddlesden–Popper and Dion–Jacobson counterparts.
{"title":"Intralayer bidentate diammoniums for stable two-dimensional perovskites","authors":"Chenjian Lin, Yuanhao Tang, Zhichen Nian, Aidan H. Coffey, Yunfei Wang, Hanjun Yang, Pengfei Wu, Yu-Ting Yang, Syed Joy, Kenneth R. Graham, Wenzhan Xu, Chenhui Zhu, Brett M. Savoie, Letian Dou","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-02038-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41557-025-02038-w","url":null,"abstract":"Two-dimensional (2D) metal halide perovskites have attracted considerable attention for optoelectronic applications. Conventional 2D perovskites include Ruddlesden–Popper (R-P), Dion–Jacobson (D-J) and alternating cation phases. Here we introduce a class of 2D perovskite incorporating intralayer bidentate ligands, termed B-D phase perovskites, designed to enhance structural diversity and stability. We synthesized bidentate ligands with a rigid core unit and two ipsilateral ammonium-terminated linker groups, and obtained single crystals incorporating these B-D ligands with intralayer bidentate coordination. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the B-D ligand exhibits stronger binding energies to the inorganic layer compared with its R-P and D-J phase counterparts. Polycrystalline thin films of B-D phase showed superior thermal resistance, outperforming R-P and D-J phase analogues by 1,600% and 140% respectively, based on absorption stability assessments. Photovoltaic devices incorporating the B-D ligand exhibited higher power conversion efficiency and extended stability. These findings establish B-D phase 2D perovskites as a promising platform for next-generation optoelectronic applications, advancing ligand engineering for metal halide perovskites and other hybrid materials. Two-dimensional metal halide perovskites exhibit diverse structures, but tuning their intralayer structure is challenging. Now, ammonium-terminated bidentate linkers have been used to develop 2D perovskites. These materials exhibit superior thermal resistance and improved photovoltaic performance compared with their Ruddlesden–Popper and Dion–Jacobson counterparts.","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":"18 2","pages":"275-282"},"PeriodicalIF":20.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145906220","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 : 2026-01-05DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02018-0
Weisai Zu, Xiang Wan, Haoran Wu, Jingwen Huo, Cankun Zhang, Chengyang Li, Yongliang Huang, Zhen Xu, Yumin Xu, Tao Li, Junliang Cheng, Jian-Liang Ye, Cheng Wang, Haohua Huo
Amine functionalization is crucial in pharmaceutical and agrochemical synthesis yet direct enantioselective α-C(sp3)-H functionalization of N-alkyl anilines remains challenging. Here we show a metallaphotoredox-catalysed radical approach for α-C(sp3)-H arylation of N-alkyl anilines, introducing a simple, sterically hindered aryl ketone photocatalyst. This key innovation slows undesired back-electron transfer, enabling efficient α-anilinoalkyl radical generation. Our strategy uses a sequential single-electron transfer and proton transfer process, thereby overcoming multiple limitations of existing methods. In conjunction with a chiral nickel catalyst, we have achieved site-selective, enantioselective arylation of diverse N-alkyl anilines with various (hetero)aryl halides. The method exhibits exceptional functional group tolerance, enabling modular functionalization of complex molecular structures. This approach provides an effective route to valuable α-aryl amines, offering significant possibilities for drug discovery and streamlining challenging synthetic sequences.
{"title":"Direct enantioselective C(sp<sup>3</sup>)-H coupling of N-alkyl anilines via metallaphotoredox catalysis.","authors":"Weisai Zu, Xiang Wan, Haoran Wu, Jingwen Huo, Cankun Zhang, Chengyang Li, Yongliang Huang, Zhen Xu, Yumin Xu, Tao Li, Junliang Cheng, Jian-Liang Ye, Cheng Wang, Haohua Huo","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-02018-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41557-025-02018-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Amine functionalization is crucial in pharmaceutical and agrochemical synthesis yet direct enantioselective α-C(sp<sup>3</sup>)-H functionalization of N-alkyl anilines remains challenging. Here we show a metallaphotoredox-catalysed radical approach for α-C(sp<sup>3</sup>)-H arylation of N-alkyl anilines, introducing a simple, sterically hindered aryl ketone photocatalyst. This key innovation slows undesired back-electron transfer, enabling efficient α-anilinoalkyl radical generation. Our strategy uses a sequential single-electron transfer and proton transfer process, thereby overcoming multiple limitations of existing methods. In conjunction with a chiral nickel catalyst, we have achieved site-selective, enantioselective arylation of diverse N-alkyl anilines with various (hetero)aryl halides. The method exhibits exceptional functional group tolerance, enabling modular functionalization of complex molecular structures. This approach provides an effective route to valuable α-aryl amines, offering significant possibilities for drug discovery and streamlining challenging synthetic sequences.</p>","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":20.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145906188","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}
LiFexMn1-xPO4 positive electrode materials show significant potential for enhancing battery safety, power density and cost-effectiveness. However, gas evolution shortens the cyclability and raises additional safety concerns, presenting a major challenge. The gas evolution mechanisms in LiFexMn1-xPO4 batteries are poorly understood, impeding the material improvement efforts. Here we examine a LiFexMn1-xPO4-graphite full cell, simultaneously quantifying and probing gas evolution from positive and negative electrodes. We found over 90% of the evolved gas was composed of CO2 and H2. CO2 originated from side reactions at LiFexMn1-xPO4, with almost equal contributions from electrochemical and chemical pathways. H2 resulted from chemical side reactions at the graphite's solid-electrolyte interface and was closely associated with the dissolution of Mn/Fe ions from the LiFexMn1-xPO4. We developed a LiFexMn1-xPO4 with a dense carbon layer coating, which inhibited metal ion dissolution by an order of magnitude and minimized side reactions at both electrodes. A 4.1-Ah pouch cell exhibited stable performance over 540 cycles with over 90% capacity retention.
{"title":"Unravelling gas evolution mechanisms in battery electrode materials.","authors":"Wentao Wang, Weihong Li, Fengjiao Yu, Qihao Pu, Jinguo Miao, Shaojie Han, Yuping Wu, Liwei Chen, Yanbin Shen, Yuhui Chen","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-02016-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-025-02016-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>LiFe<sub>x</sub>Mn<sub>1</sub><sub>-x</sub>PO<sub>4</sub> positive electrode materials show significant potential for enhancing battery safety, power density and cost-effectiveness. However, gas evolution shortens the cyclability and raises additional safety concerns, presenting a major challenge. The gas evolution mechanisms in LiFe<sub>x</sub>Mn<sub>1</sub><sub>-x</sub>PO<sub>4</sub> batteries are poorly understood, impeding the material improvement efforts. Here we examine a LiFe<sub>x</sub>Mn<sub>1</sub><sub>-x</sub>PO<sub>4</sub>-graphite full cell, simultaneously quantifying and probing gas evolution from positive and negative electrodes. We found over 90% of the evolved gas was composed of CO<sub>2</sub> and H<sub>2</sub>. CO<sub>2</sub> originated from side reactions at LiFe<sub>x</sub>Mn<sub>1</sub><sub>-x</sub>PO<sub>4</sub>, with almost equal contributions from electrochemical and chemical pathways. H<sub>2</sub> resulted from chemical side reactions at the graphite's solid-electrolyte interface and was closely associated with the dissolution of Mn/Fe ions from the LiFe<sub>x</sub>Mn<sub>1</sub><sub>-x</sub>PO<sub>4</sub>. We developed a LiFe<sub>x</sub>Mn<sub>1</sub><sub>-x</sub>PO<sub>4</sub> with a dense carbon layer coating, which inhibited metal ion dissolution by an order of magnitude and minimized side reactions at both electrodes. A 4.1-Ah pouch cell exhibited stable performance over 540 cycles with over 90% capacity retention.</p>","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":20.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145906225","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}