Browse Articles

Catherine Ngila, executive director of the African Foundation for Women and Youth in Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (AFoWYESTI), talks about her experience of academia and her hopes to promote diversity in STEM.

Following the success of our current journal club collaborations, we would like to encourage more groups of early-career researchers to get involved.

Radiation-induced redox chemistry is an important consideration for practical applications such as production and storage of nuclear fuels. Furthering our fundamental understanding of radioactive elements, here, the decay kinetics of californium in the presence of common anionic compounds is studied.

Effective separations underpin actinide science and technologies. Here, we provide an overview of six recently reported approaches.

Peptide stapling has traditionally relied on the incorporation of unnatural amino acids and symmetric stapling. A recent article targets a typically inert C–H bond within the serine side chain, offering new avenues for conformational control and side chain engineering.

The four core effects of high-entropy alloys are discussed and greater insights are presented. These clarifications are helpful in understanding materials from low entropy (simple two-component or three-component alloys) to high entropy (five components or greater), and in general materials design.

To achieve net-zero carbon emissions, we must close the carbon cycle for industries that are difficult to electrify. Developing the needed science to provide carbon alternatives and non-fossil carbon will accelerate advances towards defossilization.

From high school to distinguished professor of chemistry at Rhodes University, Tebello Nyokong discusses her inspiration and ambitions to promote science in South Africa.

Substantial progress in halide chemicals and redox mechanisms has spawned a boom in halogen-powered static conversion batteries. This Review tracks the natural benefits and intricate redox behaviour of halogen conversion chemistry, highlighting its pivotal role in electrochemical energy storage.

Radiopharmaceuticals are becoming an essential tool in the fight against cancer, and the field has been diversified with the investigation of f-block elements over the past decade. Here we discuss the highlights in 2023 research leading the charge in utilizing f-block elements in innovative ways, changing how we treat these diseases.

Analog-quantum simulations derived from tracking the evolution of trapped-ion systems hold the potential to simulate molecular quantum dynamics that are beyond the reach of classical-digital strategies. This Review explores the prospects for developing this quantum advantage.

Biological assays are essential to pharmaceutical, agrochemical and cosmetics research. However, false readouts pose substantial challenges in screening small molecules. This Review explores the current methods for tackling assay interference, focusing on computational approaches and their integration with experimental methods.

Cutting-edge chemistry is often performed in non-atmospheric conditions. Continued development of the Chemputer platform now enables the utilization of sensitive compounds in automated synthetic protocols.

As researchers explore innovative ways to make nuclear fuels more accident-tolerant, this report investigates the use of manganese ions as dopants for uranium oxide (UO₂) fuels.

A highly chemoselective method for the insertion of carbohydrates into existing oligosaccharides has been developed. The reaction sequence involves a selective Lewis-acid catalysed cleavage of one glycosidic bond followed by sequential construction of two new glycosidic bonds.

Peptide stapling is a powerful technique used to lock peptide conformations and modulate peptide functions. This Review highlights the newest development in non-symmetric stapling of native peptides bearing natural amino acids, elucidating current advances, challenges and future opportunities.

Typically thought of as inert and non-participating atoms, noble gasses adsorbed onto freshly cleaved single crystal surfaces enhance their electronic band structures, potentially creating more active heterogeneous catalysts.

The use of water for electrochemical hydrogenation and oxidation of organic species provides a sustainable route for synthesizing chemicals. The electrode types, general electrocatalyst selection principles and interface microenvironment control are elucidated, conducive to designing efficient electrocatalysts and reaction systems.

The Chemical Weapons Convention has a unique Scientific Advisory Board that ensures it keeps pace with science, and its implementing body is prepared for future challenges. It is a model that could be usefully applied to other disarmament treaties.

Organic-based triplet–triplet annihilation upconversion-mediated photochemical reactions utilize low-energy photons to obtain high-energy excited states leading to notable advancements in photoredox catalysis, photoactivation, 3D printing and immunotherapy. Classifications, design principles, challenges and possible solutions are discussed in this Review.