Themed collection Emerging Investigators 2013

This viewpoint briefly reviews the impact of Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) oligonucleotides, first described in a ChemComm paper in 1998. A number of unique applications in oligonucleotide biotechnology have been made possible by the high binding affinity and specificity of LNA, and these provide the main focus of the viewpoint.

The latest advances on the design, synthesis, structure and function of shape-persistent H-bonded macrocycles are summarized.

This article summarises recent progress in the study of acyclic oligopyrrole molecules that show anion-binding behaviours, focusing on dipyrrolyldiketone boron complexes.

Unique chemical properties of typical protein assemblies such as cages, tubes, and crystals are described in this review.

Materials comprising planar units have the propensity to form stacking assemblies with nanoscale architectures and intriguing properties.

How graphene chemical properties can be exploited to develop original science, innovative materials and new technological applications.

Scanning tunnelling microscopy is used to investigate the reactivity of a chiral ester on metallic surfaces at the single molecule level.

Non-toxic porous silicon nanoparticles carry porphyrin covalently attached to their surface inside breast cancer cells for a more efficient photodynamic effect.

Iron L-edge X-ray absorption spectra of the active centre of myoglobin in the met-form, in the reduced form and upon ligation to O₂, CO, NO and CN are presented.

A microwave-assisted heating method allows for the convenient and reproducible synthesis of defined Au–Rh core–shell metallic nanoparticles with tuneable shell thicknesses.

A new two-dimensional molecule DCA3T(VT)BDT affords a highly efficient organic solar cell with a high power conversion efficiency of 4% and a high fill factor of up to 0.63.

A highly enantioselective trapping of protic phosphoramidate ammonium ylides with α-imino esters has been developed to provide 2,3-diaminosuccinic acid derivatives.

Catalytic in situ studies using ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggested a strong Fe₃O₄–Cu interface interaction which promotes catalytic activity of water gas shift on Fe–Cu–Al–O catalyst upon pretreatment in H₂ at 350 °C which exhibits an activity 40% higher than a physical mixture of Fe–Al–O and Cu–Al–O catalysts.

Reactions of NO with the quintuple bonded chromium and molybdenum amidinate dimers, respectively, gave dichromium nitrosyl nitrito amidinato complexes, and the quadruple bonded dimolybdenum nitrito amidinato species with a paddlewheel configuration.

Serum albumin stabilizes the nanoscale size distribution of ZnO nanoparticles in aqueous dispersions by forming a protein corona around the particles. This in turn enhances the impact of these nanoparticles on the structure and morphology of lipid membranes.

The shared precursor of the fusicoccane family of diterpenoids was microbially synthesized on a preparative scale employing engineered yeast.

A combinatorial ionic-liquid-supported “catch-and-release” strategy for oligosaccharide synthesis (combi-ICROS) is reported. A series of β-(1→6) glucan di-, tri- and tetra-saccharides were synthesized in one pot to showcase the versatility of the strategy.

Cyclometalated iridium(III) complex-doped polymer dots were synthesized and shown to emit luminescence upon X-ray irradiation.

Orthogonal self-assembly was exploited to optimize the nanoscale arrangement of the poorly organized phase of an acceptor in a photovoltaic blend, without affecting the ordered structures formed by the donor.

π-Coordination of pyrrole or indole to a dinuclear Pd^I–Pd^I center is revealed. The dinuclear sandwich Pd^I–Pd^I complexes of pyrrole, N-methylpyrrole, or indole were synthesized and structurally characterized. Indole employs the carbons of the six-membered ring in bridging π-coordination to a Pd^I–Pd^I center.

A new semiconducting coordination polymer having an infinite 2D structure has been prepared.

Thermoelectric figures of merit, ZT > 0.5, have been obtained in arc-melted TiNiSn ingots containing excess Ni.

A unique three-component self-assembly of a cis-blocked 90° Pd(II) acceptor with a mixture of tri- and tetra-imidazole donors led to the self-sorting of a Pd₇ molecular boat, which was found to catalyse Knoevenagel condensations in aqueous media.

Curcumin is an amyloid-specific dye in E. coli and binds to curliated whole cells and isolated curli fibers.

Biomimetic architectural assembly of clay nanotube shells on yeast cells was demonstrated producing viable artificial hybrid inorganic-cellular structures (armoured cells). These modified cells were preserved for one generation resulting in the intact second generation of cells with delayed germination.

Diffusion activation energy measurements provide sub-nm insights into water and proton transport dynamics in a hydrated conducting polymer.

Reduction of Cp*₂UI(THF) with KC₈ in the presence of a pyridine(diimine) ligand (PDI) results in the formation of Cp*U(PDI)(THF), which features a triply reduced PDI ligand.

Helix inversion of cholesteric liquid crystals can be time-programmed by a judicious choice of molecular dopants.

Hydrogel forming family of benzene 1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) aromatic carboxylic acid derivatives exhibiting consistent gel formation through a pH trigger.

A method to convert furan-derived donor–acceptor cyclopropanes into bisthiophenes and unusual cage-like compounds by the action of Lawesson's reagent was developed.

Pd@Ag core–shell nanocrystals are synthesized through a seed mediated method with Ag shells formed in a non-epitaxial growth manner.

We report the synthesis of an electroactive polyolefin and demonstrate through SEC-MALS and DLS that this polymer can be folded in a controlled fashion using sequentially activated noncovalent and covalent intra-chain interactions.

N-propargylcarbamate monosaccharides display altered metabolic preferences as metabolic chemical reporters of mammalian glycosylation.

A macrocyclic multiphotochromic cyclotetraazocarbazole is presented showing a distinct color change upon irradiation, pH-change or change of temperature.

A magnesium silyl and CO₂ react to form a monomeric silanecarboxylate. The analogous reaction of a zinc silyl and CO₂ affords a zinc formate, where the zinc silanecarboxylate is a kinetically plausible intermediate.

Aerobic oxidative N-dealkylation of a variety of aliphatic tertiary amines and anilines catalyzed by (TSPP)Rh(III) is achieved in aqueous solution using dioxygen as the sole oxidant.

We demonstrate a new method for assembling plasmonic materials by tailoring nanocrystal shape and surface chemistry to design specific nanojunctions.

Infrared-assisted evaporative lithography (IRAEL) is presented as an emerging technology to direct the assembly of gold nanospheres (AuNSs) into large-scale superstructures within colloidal polymeric coatings.

Using concomitant redox and acid–base reactivity, conversion of CO₂ into MgCO₃ or CaCO₃, via regenerable (IP⁻)₂Al(OH), is presented (IP = α-iminopyridine).

We investigate the interaction between conjugated polyelectrolytes and surfactants in solution and solid phases.

Hole transport is observed in thin-film transistors based on copper(I) thiocyanate (CuSCN) processed from solution at room temperature.

Atropisomeric 3,4-dihydro-2-pyridones undergo stereospecific [2+2]-photocycloaddition in solution with high stereoselectivity (ee >98% and de >96%) in the product.

We have prepared dinuclear cobalt complexes 1 and 2 linked in a co-facial configuration by bis(terpyridyl)anthracene as catalysts for chemical and electrochemical four-electron reductions of dioxygen.

This manuscript demonstrates that alkenes undergo hydrometallation-conjugate addition processes to give natural products and functionalized steroid derivatives.

Expression of transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) can be used to regulate Escherichia coli gene expression via inhibition of transcription events.

The synthesis and characterization of two thieno(bis)imide based n-type molecular semiconductors with electron mobilities of up to 0.3 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ are described.

The encapsulation of S-nitrosoglutathione into polymeric nanoparticles substantially improves NO stability in aqueous media without affecting the efficacy of intracellular delivery.

A cytotoxic gold(III) complex of meso-tetraphenylporphyrin ([Au(TPP)]Cl, denoted gold-1a) blocks the self-renewal ability of cancer stem-like cells and shows appealing safety pharmacological profiles in rodents.

The catalytic features of the BINAP–diamine–Ru trio uncovered at the molecular level.

A simple rhodium(II) complex catalyzes cysteine modification with diazo reagents.

Reported is a novel family of pentathiepino-pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine derivatives formed by the reaction of alkynyl-substituted heterocyclic precursors with elemental sulfur in the presence of molybdenum oxo bis-tetrasulfide under very mild conditions.

A multimodal, β-amyloid-targeted contrast agent was synthesized that interacts with β-amyloid aggregates producing changes in relaxation rate and fluorescence emission.

A novel disulfide-linked ferrocenyl phthalocyanine has been prepared which is activated by dithiothreitol resulting in enhanced fluorescence emission, singlet oxygen production and in vitro photocytotoxicity.

The first example of I⁻ ion sensors using borylated-Pt^II phosphors was reported showing high sensitivity and selectivity in aqueous medium.

A zinc hemiporphyrazine exhibits reversible hydrogenation chemistry that may enable future applications in hemiporphyrazine-based catalysts and/or hydrogen storage devices.

The Au(I)-catalyzed intermolecular hydroalkoxylation of alkynes with allylic alcohols to provide allyl vinyl ethers that subsequently undergo Claisen rearrangement is reported.

An efficient organocatalyzed aza-Michael–aldol cascade strategy for the synthesis of a variety of 3-amino-1-indanols has been developed.

Germylyne complex Cp*(CO)₂WGeC(SiMe₃)₃ reacted with two molecules of arylaldehydes to give base-stabilised alkoxy(germylene) complexes via C–H bond activation and hydrogermylation.

Specific hydroxyl vibrations of the water monolayer on MgO(001) allowed the dewetting of ice to be probed by vibrational spectroscopies.

The strategic incorporation of Lewis acids on urea scaffolds yields tunable hydrogen bond donor catalysts benefiting from enhanced activity.

This work presents a novel approach for synthesizing self-supported TiO_xS_y nanotubes as a potential cathode material for 3D Li-ion microbatteries.

Mild and efficient deoxygenation protocol for primary and secondary alcohols with exceptional functional group tolerance.

A direct Pd-catalyzed coupling of tert-cyclobutanols and bromoacetylenes via C–C cleavage gives access to rather elusive γ-alkynylated ketones.

A colorimetric logic gate based on free gold nanoparticles is presented with melamine and Hg²⁺, as well as its colorimetric detection of Hg²⁺ with good selectivity and sensitivity.

The syntheses and structural characterization of carbene-stabilized chalcogen centred mono- and dications employing a reverse electron demand onio-substitutent transfer strategy are reported.

Two simple models yield usefully accurate extrapolations of the kinetic stability of cyclobutene and cyclopropane moieties in a stretched polymer from strain-free parameters.

Diallylated hydrazobenzenes undergo two simultaneous Mori–Ban cyclizations, providing the first general synthetic route to 1,1′-bisindoles.

This communication describes the rational design of a highly active and stable Ni@ZrO₂ nanocomposite for catalytic hydrogen production via steam reforming of ethanol.

Synthesis of mannose building blocks with orthogonal protection leads to formation of linear/branched tri-, penta- and heptasaccharides.