Themed collection Highlights in Chemistry

44 items
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Encapsulation, release and applications of LbL polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules

A brief history of encapsulation, release and applications in the field of polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules is highlighted, and perspectives are discussed.

Graphical abstract: Encapsulation, release and applications of LbL polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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20 years of DNA-encoded chemical libraries

The highlight reviews the last 20 years of research in DNA-encoded chemical library field and describes how this new “drug discovery tool’’ will soon greatly contribute both to hit discovery and to a better understanding of biochemical pathways.

Graphical abstract: 20 years of DNA-encoded chemical libraries
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Self-assembling peptide scaffolds for regenerative medicine

We discuss current and future peptidic scaffolds as regenerative therapies, with a focus on development of complex and integrated systems.

Graphical abstract: Self-assembling peptide scaffolds for regenerative medicine
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Toward optomechanics: Maximizing the photodeformation of individual molecules

How to convert light directly into motion? The design of optomechanical systems with focus on optimizing single molecule transduction is highlighted.

Graphical abstract: Toward optomechanics: Maximizing the photodeformation of individual molecules
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Asymmetric catalysis with peptides

Peptides have been developed for manifold different reactions as effective asymmetric catalysts.

Graphical abstract: Asymmetric catalysis with peptides
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Enzyme-directed assembly and manipulation of organic nanomaterials

This highlight describes the last ten years of nascent research into how enzymes, the workhorses of living systems, can be utilized to build and manipulate synthetic organic nanomaterials in new and exciting ways.

Graphical abstract: Enzyme-directed assembly and manipulation of organic nanomaterials
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Luminescent metal complexes of d6, d8 and d10 transition metal centres

Various classes of luminescent complexes of d6, d8 and d10 transition metal centres and their excited state properties are highlighted.

Graphical abstract: Luminescent metal complexes of d6, d8 and d10 transition metal centres
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Recent progress in actinide borate chemistry

A large and exotic family of actinide borates have been developed yielding unprecedented structural features and useful physico-chemical properties. There are several grand challenges that this work addresses.

Graphical abstract: Recent progress in actinide borate chemistry
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Making carbon nanotubes biocompatible and biodegradable

Recent advances on the design of biocompatible and biodegradable functionalised carbon nanotubes have important implications for their potential translation to the clinic.

Graphical abstract: Making carbon nanotubes biocompatible and biodegradable
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Ribosomal synthesis of backbone macrocyclic peptides

This highlight article presents an overview of syntheses of macrocyclic peptides derived from their precursor peptides expressed by translation.

Graphical abstract: Ribosomal synthesis of backbone macrocyclic peptides
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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The rise, fall and reinvention of combinatorial chemistry

New frontiers in combinatorial chemistry are highlighted, in particular the development of libraries of natural product-like molecules for unbiased screening.

Graphical abstract: The rise, fall and reinvention of combinatorial chemistry
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Therapeutic applications of gold complexes: lipophilic gold(III) cations and gold(I) complexes for anti-cancer treatment

The present highlight summarizes the recent development of lipophilic gold(III) cations and gold(I) complexes with promising anti-cancer activities.

Graphical abstract: Therapeutic applications of gold complexes: lipophilic gold(iii) cations and gold(i) complexes for anti-cancer treatment
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Photocatalytic hydrogen production

This Highlight summarizes recent advances in photocatalytic hydrogen production using single or multiple component systems and outlines challenges for future research in this area.

Graphical abstract: Photocatalytic hydrogen production
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Uranium-mediated activation of small molecules

Molecular complexes of uranium are capable of activating a range of industrially and economically important small molecules such as CO, CO2, and N2; new and often unexpected reactions provide insight into an element that needs to be well-understood if future clean-energy solutions are to involve nuclear power.

Graphical abstract: Uranium-mediated activation of small molecules
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Smart nanocontainers as depot media for feedback active coatings

New feedback active systems are main subject of this highlight since many current protective coatings have health hazards and low efficiency.

Graphical abstract: Smart nanocontainers as depot media for feedback active coatings
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Merging the best of two worlds: artificial metalloenzymes for enantioselective catalysis

Artificial metalloenzymes combine homogenous catalysts and bio-macromolecules by design; the product of which is a hybrid that transmits high ee's and novel products sublime.

Graphical abstract: Merging the best of two worlds: artificial metalloenzymes for enantioselective catalysis
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Transmembrane anion transport by synthetic systems

Synthetic transport systems for anions may provide potential future treatments for diseases like cystic fibrosis by restoring chloride permeability of epithelial cell membranes.

Graphical abstract: Transmembrane anion transport by synthetic systems
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Asymmetric hydrogenation of alkenes lacking coordinating groups

Chiral iridium catalysts based on P,N ligands have strongly expanded the application range of asymmetric hydrogenation. They do not require the presence of a coordinating group near the C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bond and, therefore, allow highly enantioselective hydrogenations of largely unfunctionalized alkenes.

Graphical abstract: Asymmetric hydrogenation of alkenes lacking coordinating groups
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Bacterial symbionts and natural products

The study of bacterial symbionts of eukaryotic hosts has become a powerful discovery engine for chemistry.

Graphical abstract: Bacterial symbionts and natural products
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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“Bucky gels” for tailoring electroactive materials and devices: the composites of carbon materials with ionic liquids

Gelatinous composites formed by dispersion of carbon nanomaterials in ionic liquids are readily processable potent materials with superb electronic properties.

Graphical abstract: “Bucky gels” for tailoring electroactive materials and devices: the composites of carbon materials with ionic liquids
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Sequencing nucleic acids: from chemistry to medicine

Chemistry has played a vital role in making routine, affordable sequencing of human genomes a reality; this article focuses on Solexa sequencing and its impact on science and medicine.

Graphical abstract: Sequencing nucleic acids: from chemistry to medicine
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Chemistry of nucleic acids: impacts in multiple fields

Nucleic acids chemistry has had widespread influence in biology, medicine and nanotechnology. The future is aiming toward cellular functions.

Graphical abstract: Chemistry of nucleic acids: impacts in multiple fields
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Metathesis in total synthesis

This Highlight article describes in an al fresco style how the conceptual framework of metathesis has impacted on the practice of natural product synthesis since the turn of the century.

Graphical abstract: Metathesis in total synthesis
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Chemistry and glycobiology

Advances in the synthesis of glycans, glycoconjugates and new technology development have contributed to our understanding of the structure and function of glycans.

Graphical abstract: Chemistry and glycobiology
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Synthetic foldamers

From oligomers to protein-sized architectures, foldamers introduce new tools and concepts to develop bioactive substances, synthetic receptors and materials.

Graphical abstract: Synthetic foldamers
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Homogeneous catalysis using iron complexes: recent developments in selective reductions

So far the application of iron is underdeveloped in comparison to other transition metals. Herein, we highlight promising examples for hydrogenation, transfer hydrogenation and hydrosilylation, which illustrate the potential of iron and hopefully initialize a ferric future for catalysis.

Graphical abstract: Homogeneous catalysis using iron complexes: recent developments in selective reductions
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Small molecule microarrays: the first decade and beyond

Molecular Bits and Chips: Profiling and discovering the next generation of small molecule ligands.

Graphical abstract: Small molecule microarrays: the first decade and beyond
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Recent advances in hydrogen-bonded hexameric encapsulation complexes

Recent developments in the chemistry of resorcin[4]arene and pyrogallol[4]arene capsules are reviewed.

Graphical abstract: Recent advances in hydrogen-bonded hexameric encapsulation complexes
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Naphthalene and perylene diimides for organic transistors

This highlight article gives an overview on the development of highly promising ambient stable n-channel organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) based on naphthalene and perylene tetracarboxylic diimides during the last decade.

Graphical abstract: Naphthalene and perylene diimides for organic transistors
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Ten key issues in modern flow chemistry

Ten essentials of flow chemistry provide an insight into current and future issues and trends into this emerging field of organic synthesis.

Graphical abstract: Ten key issues in modern flow chemistry
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Expanded porphyrins and aromaticity

meso-Aryl-substituted expanded porphyrins are simple porphyrin homologues consisting of more than five pyrrolic units but serve as a nice platform to realize versatile aromatic, antiaromatic, and radical molecules including Möbius aromatic and antiaromatic species.

Graphical abstract: Expanded porphyrins and aromaticity
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Molecular mechanisms of antibiotic resistance

Over the past decade, resistance to antibiotics has emerged as a crisis of global proportion that is threatening our ability to control infectious diseases. The molecular logic of resistance is grounded in the chemistry of antibiotic action and detailed mechanisms of resistance strategies including molecular bypass, enzyme catalyzed degradation, active efflux, and target modification. Highlights from molecular resistance research emerging over the past decade are presented.

Graphical abstract: Molecular mechanisms of antibiotic resistance
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Continuous flow organometallic catalysis: new wind in old sails

The design and implementation of sustainable chemical production processes require an increasing integration of molecular and reaction engineering principles as highlighted here for selected examples that capitalize simultaneously on the selectivity control of organometallic catalysis and the process intensification of continuous flow-systems.

Graphical abstract: Continuous flow organometallic catalysis: new wind in old sails
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Ordered mesoporous materials as adsorbents

Having high surface areas, tunable pore sizes, large pore volumes, stable and interconnected pore networks, and active pore surfaces, ordered mesoporous materials have shown promising performance for capacious uptake and separation of a wide range of guest species through either simple physisorption or well-designed specific binding. Such adsorption-based process may lead to one of the most efficient routes for pollution control, gas storage and bio-applications in the future.

Graphical abstract: Ordered mesoporous materials as adsorbents
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Direct C–H carboxylation with complexes of the coinage metals

This article examines advances made towards the catalytic use of carbon dioxide to produce useful compounds and reagents and the promise held by developments in C–H bond functionalisation using CO2.

Graphical abstract: Direct C–H carboxylation with complexes of the coinage metals
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Perspectives in imaging using mass spectrometry

Detailed molecular information obtained by imaging mass spectrometry (MS) makes this technique suitable for a range of forensic and clinical applications. The emerging ambient ionization techniques allow imaging in the open environment and are advancing the technology toward surgical practice.

Graphical abstract: Perspectives in imaging using mass spectrometry
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Light operated molecular machines

Light is a powerful tool to operate and monitor artificial molecular machines. In future, these systems could enable the construction of intelligent materials or perform functions inside our body.

Graphical abstract: Light operated molecular machines
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Chiral thioether-based catalysts in asymmetric synthesis: recent advances

Chiral non-racemic thioethers, acting as nucleophilic organocatalysts or ligands in metal-catalysis, provide new methodologies enabling asymmetric synthesis of complex targets.

Graphical abstract: Chiral thioether-based catalysts in asymmetric synthesis: recent advances
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Supramolecular gel chemistry: developments over the last decade

Supramolecular gels are fascinating soft materials with a growing list of hi-tech, niche applications. This article reviews the progress in their chemistry over the past decade.

Graphical abstract: Supramolecular gel chemistry: developments over the last decade
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Droplet microfluidics: recent developments and future applications

From its origins to current and future applications, basic tools and challenges in the field of droplet microfluidics are reviewed.

Graphical abstract: Droplet microfluidics: recent developments and future applications
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Metal-catalysed cleavage of carbon–carbon bonds

This review highlights the recent advances in chemistry of cleaving carbon–carbon bonds by means of transition metals by extracting the notable examples from literature of the past decade.

Graphical abstract: Metal-catalysed cleavage of carbon–carbon bonds
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Mechanistic insight into NOYORI asymmetric hydrogenations

Mechanistic models of BINAP–Ru-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenations have presented organic synthetic chemists with “leading concepts” for designing new catalysts.

Graphical abstract: Mechanistic insight into NOYORI asymmetric hydrogenations
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Carbon nanostructures for solar energy conversion schemes

Developing renewable energy is one of the challenges to society in the 21st century. One of the renewable energy technologies is solar energy conversion. This highlight surveys recent breakthroughs in the field of implementing carbon nanostructures—fullerenes (0D), carbon nanotubes (1D), carbon nanohorns, and graphene (2D)—into solar energy conversion schemes, that is, bulk heterojunction and dye-sensitized solar cells.

Graphical abstract: Carbon nanostructures for solar energy conversion schemes
From the themed collection: Highlights in Chemistry
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Anion receptor chemistry

This highlight article looks back at progress in anion receptor chemistry in the last decade and ahead to developments in sensing, catalysis and transport that are on the horizon.

Graphical abstract: Anion receptor chemistry
44 items

About this collection

2011 is the International Year of Chemistry (IYC 2011), a worldwide celebration of the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humankind. ChemComm is marking IYC 2011 by publishing a series of ‘Highlights in Chemistry’.

We have approached some of the most prominent researchers in the chemical sciences to look back over the most significant chemical advances in their areas of research since the millennium and present their outlook for the future in these short, review-style articles.

We hope the Highlights in Chemistry series will appeal to ChemComm’s broad chemistry readership and introduce non-specialists to significant fields that will continue to be important for the next generation of chemists.

Each issue of ChemComm in 2011 will contain a Highlight in Chemistry but we are also collecting together the articles on this page as they are published to promote this significant IYC 2011 activity and make them easy to browse.

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