Pub Date : 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02015-3
Shira Joudan
Collaboration allows us to tackle big scientific questions, but figuring out how to do it effectively can be difficult. Shira Joudan describes making new connections, being a good collaborator, and what to consider when you inevitably mess up.
{"title":"Scientific teamwork","authors":"Shira Joudan","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-02015-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41557-025-02015-3","url":null,"abstract":"Collaboration allows us to tackle big scientific questions, but figuring out how to do it effectively can be difficult. Shira Joudan describes making new connections, being a good collaborator, and what to consider when you inevitably mess up.","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":"17 12","pages":"1800-1801"},"PeriodicalIF":20.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145652856","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 : 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-01969-8
Lidan Xing, Kang Xu
Lidan Xing and Kang Xu explain how bis(sulfonyl)imide salts use fluorine, with its extreme stability and electronegativity, to balance solubility and stability for developing advanced battery chemistries.
{"title":"Charging imide anions for batteries","authors":"Lidan Xing, Kang Xu","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-01969-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41557-025-01969-8","url":null,"abstract":"Lidan Xing and Kang Xu explain how bis(sulfonyl)imide salts use fluorine, with its extreme stability and electronegativity, to balance solubility and stability for developing advanced battery chemistries.","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":"17 12","pages":"1976-1976"},"PeriodicalIF":20.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145652855","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 : 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02031-3
Joan Serrano-Plana
Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have long been considered strong candidates for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Now, the Nobel Committee has acknowledged the relevance of these materials by awarding the 2025 prize to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi, “for the development of metal–organic frameworks”.
金属有机框架（mof）一直被认为是诺贝尔化学奖的有力候选人。现在，诺贝尔委员会承认了这些材料的相关性，将2025年的诺贝尔奖授予Susumu Kitagawa、Richard Robson和Omar M. Yaghi，以表彰他们“对金属有机框架的发展”。
{"title":"A framework for chemists","authors":"Joan Serrano-Plana","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-02031-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41557-025-02031-3","url":null,"abstract":"Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have long been considered strong candidates for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Now, the Nobel Committee has acknowledged the relevance of these materials by awarding the 2025 prize to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi, “for the development of metal–organic frameworks”.","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":"17 12","pages":"1802-1802"},"PeriodicalIF":20.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145652853","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 : 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02008-2
Arthur Despois, Nicolai Cramer
Piperidine and pyridine are nitrogen heterocyclic motifs prominently used in pharmaceuticals and consequently of great importance. The direct reduction of planar pyridines into piperidines with high sp3-carbon content is highly attractive as this offers a route to producing high-value products and broadening the structural space. However, direct hydrogenation of pyridines with homogeneous catalysts is challenging due to their aromatic stability and catalyst-poisoning abilities. Here we describe a robust and selective iridium(III)-catalysed ionic hydrogenation of pyridines to corresponding functionalized piperidines. Important highly reduction-sensitive groups, including nitro, azido, bromo, alkenyl and alkynyl, are inert, enabling access to a broad range of multisubstituted piperidines in high yields, substantially expanding the available chemical space for this relevant scaffold. The method requires low catalyst loadings, is scalable to decagrams and delivers the most synthetically valuable free secondary amines as easily isolable and stable piperidinium salts. Applied in a complex late-stage setting, the pyridine motif in several FDA-approved drugs was successfully and selectively hydrogenated.
{"title":"Iridium(III)-catalysed ionic hydrogenation of pyridines to multisubstituted piperidines.","authors":"Arthur Despois, Nicolai Cramer","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-02008-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-025-02008-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Piperidine and pyridine are nitrogen heterocyclic motifs prominently used in pharmaceuticals and consequently of great importance. The direct reduction of planar pyridines into piperidines with high sp<sup>3</sup>-carbon content is highly attractive as this offers a route to producing high-value products and broadening the structural space. However, direct hydrogenation of pyridines with homogeneous catalysts is challenging due to their aromatic stability and catalyst-poisoning abilities. Here we describe a robust and selective iridium(III)-catalysed ionic hydrogenation of pyridines to corresponding functionalized piperidines. Important highly reduction-sensitive groups, including nitro, azido, bromo, alkenyl and alkynyl, are inert, enabling access to a broad range of multisubstituted piperidines in high yields, substantially expanding the available chemical space for this relevant scaffold. The method requires low catalyst loadings, is scalable to decagrams and delivers the most synthetically valuable free secondary amines as easily isolable and stable piperidinium salts. Applied in a complex late-stage setting, the pyridine motif in several FDA-approved drugs was successfully and selectively hydrogenated.</p>","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":20.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145661435","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 : 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02029-x
Analysing the sequence, concentration and sub-cellular location of RNA can provide insight into physiological processes and enable disease diagnosis. This issue draws together several articles describing chemical advances that can be applied to detect RNA.
{"title":"Sensing RNA","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-02029-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41557-025-02029-x","url":null,"abstract":"Analysing the sequence, concentration and sub-cellular location of RNA can provide insight into physiological processes and enable disease diagnosis. This issue draws together several articles describing chemical advances that can be applied to detect RNA.","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":"17 12","pages":"1799-1799"},"PeriodicalIF":20.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-025-02029-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145652854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-28DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02002-8
Subham Das, Basudev Sahoo
The conversion of racemic mixtures into single enantiomers is highly desirable but challenging. Now, a photocatalytic strategy transforms racemizing homolysis within a solvent cage into an enantioselective deracemization process. Through asymmetric geminate recasting, the selective construction of chiral sulfur stereocentres has been achieved.
{"title":"Deracemization in a solvent cage","authors":"Subham Das, Basudev Sahoo","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-02002-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41557-025-02002-8","url":null,"abstract":"The conversion of racemic mixtures into single enantiomers is highly desirable but challenging. Now, a photocatalytic strategy transforms racemizing homolysis within a solvent cage into an enantioselective deracemization process. Through asymmetric geminate recasting, the selective construction of chiral sulfur stereocentres has been achieved.","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":"17 12","pages":"1811-1812"},"PeriodicalIF":20.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145611439","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 : 2025-11-28DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02004-6
Gabriel C. Fonseca, Jazmine O. Cardenas, Angela M Yu
RNA sensors are challenging to design but hold potential for impactful diagnostics. Now, a multi-faceted approach leverages crowdsourcing and computational automation to enable the design of compact RNA-based sensors, shown here for active tuberculosis diagnostics.
{"title":"Engineered RNA sensors for tuberculosis detection","authors":"Gabriel C. Fonseca, Jazmine O. Cardenas, Angela M Yu","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-02004-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41557-025-02004-6","url":null,"abstract":"RNA sensors are challenging to design but hold potential for impactful diagnostics. Now, a multi-faceted approach leverages crowdsourcing and computational automation to enable the design of compact RNA-based sensors, shown here for active tuberculosis diagnostics.","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":"17 12","pages":"1806-1808"},"PeriodicalIF":20.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145611385","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 : 2025-11-28DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02007-3
Shaozheng Yin, Rui Zhang, Ruihao Zhou, N. Sanjeeva Murthy, Lu Wang, Yuwei Gu
Controlling the rate at which polymers break down is essential for developing sustainable materials. Conventional approaches—which rely on introducing labile and cleavable bonds—often face an inherent trade-off between stability and ease of deconstruction. Inspired by self-deconstruction mechanisms in biomacromolecules, we leverage conformational preorganization of neighbouring groups to modulate and expedite polymer self-deconstruction. Here we show that precise spatial alignment of nucleophilic groups relative to labile bonds regulates the cleavage kinetics by shifting the conformational ensemble towards reactive geometries. This strategy enables programmable deconstruction of both linear polymers and bulk thermosetting networks under ambient conditions, with rates tunable across several orders of magnitude—without altering the chemical identity of the cleavable bond or compromising the polymers’ physical properties. Furthermore, even distal intramolecular functionalities can be harnessed to dynamically control bond cleavability through metal-induced polymer folding, enabling reversible activation and deactivation of self-deconstruction. This work establishes conformational control as a powerful strategy for fine-tuning polymer deconstruction. Cleavable bonds are a central strategy for polymer deconstruction, but controlling the rate of breakdown remains difficult because it is dictated by intrinsic bond cleavage kinetics. Now it has been shown that bio-inspired conformationally preorganized neighbouring groups enable programmable polymer deconstruction without changing the cleavable bond itself or compromising material properties.
{"title":"Conformational preorganization of neighbouring groups modulates and expedites polymer self-deconstruction","authors":"Shaozheng Yin, Rui Zhang, Ruihao Zhou, N. Sanjeeva Murthy, Lu Wang, Yuwei Gu","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-02007-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41557-025-02007-3","url":null,"abstract":"Controlling the rate at which polymers break down is essential for developing sustainable materials. Conventional approaches—which rely on introducing labile and cleavable bonds—often face an inherent trade-off between stability and ease of deconstruction. Inspired by self-deconstruction mechanisms in biomacromolecules, we leverage conformational preorganization of neighbouring groups to modulate and expedite polymer self-deconstruction. Here we show that precise spatial alignment of nucleophilic groups relative to labile bonds regulates the cleavage kinetics by shifting the conformational ensemble towards reactive geometries. This strategy enables programmable deconstruction of both linear polymers and bulk thermosetting networks under ambient conditions, with rates tunable across several orders of magnitude—without altering the chemical identity of the cleavable bond or compromising the polymers’ physical properties. Furthermore, even distal intramolecular functionalities can be harnessed to dynamically control bond cleavability through metal-induced polymer folding, enabling reversible activation and deactivation of self-deconstruction. This work establishes conformational control as a powerful strategy for fine-tuning polymer deconstruction. Cleavable bonds are a central strategy for polymer deconstruction, but controlling the rate of breakdown remains difficult because it is dictated by intrinsic bond cleavage kinetics. Now it has been shown that bio-inspired conformationally preorganized neighbouring groups enable programmable polymer deconstruction without changing the cleavable bond itself or compromising material properties.","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":"18 2","pages":"407-417"},"PeriodicalIF":20.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145611442","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 : 2025-11-26DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02003-7
Huaibo Zhao, Dario Filippini, Yiding Chen, Albert Gallego-Gamo, Louise S. Natrajan, Loïc R. E. Pantaine, Ciro Romano, David J. Procter
Motifs related to 1,2-diols and 1,2-amino alcohols are found widely in bioactive natural products, drugs and agrochemicals. These highly sought-after substructures would ideally be constructed by the direct addition of alcohols to the C=C bond of alkenes, both common substrate classes in chemical synthesis. However, their direct union is only possible if one of the pair can be rendered electron-deficient through derivatization; such approaches typically require stoichiometric amounts of strong oxidants and often lack generality. Here we describe a straightforward process in which both simple and complex alcohols can be converted under photocatalytic conditions to the corresponding alkoxy radicals—via the formation of alkoxy sulfonium salts—that react with alkenes en route to 1,2-diol and 1,2-amino-alcohol derivatives. The method can be easily adapted from laboratory to industrial, kilogram scale using a photoflow system. Spectroscopic analysis and control experiments have been used to probe the underpinning mechanism. 1,2-Diols and 1,2-amino alcohols are widely found in bioactive compounds. Now it has been shown that alcohols can be converted, via alkoxy sulfonium salts, to alkoxy radicals that add to alkenes to give 1,2-diol and 1,2-amino-alcohol derivatives. The photocatalytic method can be run on a kilogram scale using a photoflow system.
{"title":"Activation of alcohols as sulfonium salts in the photocatalytic hetero-difunctionalization of alkenes","authors":"Huaibo Zhao, Dario Filippini, Yiding Chen, Albert Gallego-Gamo, Louise S. Natrajan, Loïc R. E. Pantaine, Ciro Romano, David J. Procter","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-02003-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41557-025-02003-7","url":null,"abstract":"Motifs related to 1,2-diols and 1,2-amino alcohols are found widely in bioactive natural products, drugs and agrochemicals. These highly sought-after substructures would ideally be constructed by the direct addition of alcohols to the C=C bond of alkenes, both common substrate classes in chemical synthesis. However, their direct union is only possible if one of the pair can be rendered electron-deficient through derivatization; such approaches typically require stoichiometric amounts of strong oxidants and often lack generality. Here we describe a straightforward process in which both simple and complex alcohols can be converted under photocatalytic conditions to the corresponding alkoxy radicals—via the formation of alkoxy sulfonium salts—that react with alkenes en route to 1,2-diol and 1,2-amino-alcohol derivatives. The method can be easily adapted from laboratory to industrial, kilogram scale using a photoflow system. Spectroscopic analysis and control experiments have been used to probe the underpinning mechanism. 1,2-Diols and 1,2-amino alcohols are widely found in bioactive compounds. Now it has been shown that alcohols can be converted, via alkoxy sulfonium salts, to alkoxy radicals that add to alkenes to give 1,2-diol and 1,2-amino-alcohol derivatives. The photocatalytic method can be run on a kilogram scale using a photoflow system.","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":"18 2","pages":"398-406"},"PeriodicalIF":20.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-025-02003-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145636192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-25DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-01977-8
Ya-Wei Zhou, Enric Ibáñez-Alé, Núria López, Beatriz Roldan Cuenya, Christopher S. Kley
Interfacial hydration layers critically determine energy and chemical conversion processes, notably influencing the kinetics of electrocatalytic reactions. Fundamental mechanisms of reactions such as CO 2 electroreduction and hydrogen evolution remain controversial due to the challenge of in situ deciphering of hydration structures alongside reaction intermediates and products. Here, by using vibrational and electrochemical spectroscopy paired with theory we reveal how carbonates structure interfacial water, affecting CO 2 electroreduction and hydrogen evolution reactions on gold electrocatalysts in bicarbonate electrolytes. High cathodic potentials accelerate hydrogen evolution reactions by rapid proton delivery from ordered interfacial hydration networks, induced by carbonate molecules in equilibrium with their anion radicals. These radicals can serve, in addition to CO 2 , as a carbon source for CO and aldehyde production. Moreover we show water to be the primary proton donor for CO 2 electroreduction and hydrogen evolution reactions, with bicarbonate mostly participating in the Heyrovsky step. Our molecular-level insights are relevant to rationalizing and optimizing electrochemical interfaces.
{"title":"Carbonate anions and radicals induce interfacial water ordering in CO2 electroreduction on gold","authors":"Ya-Wei Zhou, Enric Ibáñez-Alé, Núria López, Beatriz Roldan Cuenya, Christopher S. Kley","doi":"10.1038/s41557-025-01977-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-025-01977-8","url":null,"abstract":"Interfacial hydration layers critically determine energy and chemical conversion processes, notably influencing the kinetics of electrocatalytic reactions. Fundamental mechanisms of reactions such as CO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> electroreduction and hydrogen evolution remain controversial due to the challenge of in situ deciphering of hydration structures alongside reaction intermediates and products. Here, by using vibrational and electrochemical spectroscopy paired with theory we reveal how carbonates structure interfacial water, affecting CO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> electroreduction and hydrogen evolution reactions on gold electrocatalysts in bicarbonate electrolytes. High cathodic potentials accelerate hydrogen evolution reactions by rapid proton delivery from ordered interfacial hydration networks, induced by carbonate molecules in equilibrium with their anion radicals. These radicals can serve, in addition to CO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> , as a carbon source for CO and aldehyde production. Moreover we show water to be the primary proton donor for CO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> electroreduction and hydrogen evolution reactions, with bicarbonate mostly participating in the Heyrovsky step. Our molecular-level insights are relevant to rationalizing and optimizing electrochemical interfaces.","PeriodicalId":18909,"journal":{"name":"Nature chemistry","volume":"136 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145593912","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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