Constructing C(sp3)–C(sp3) bonds is vital in organic synthesis. While conventional coupling relies on alkyl metals and alkyl halides, alcohols are ideal C(sp3) synthons due to their natural abundance and low cost. To date, however, they have proved to be difficult coupling partners due to their inert C–O bonds. In this work, nickel-electrocatalyzed double dehydroxylative cross-coupling of alcohols to build diverse C(sp3)–C(sp3) linkages is achieved with high selectivity.

The development of novel adaptable functional materials is essential for addressing the increasingly complex challenges of modern society. A recent advance by Hoshino and Ohgo showed that [12]cycloparaphenylene, composed entirely of sp2-hybridized carbon atoms, can dynamically reorganize its molecular structure in response to incoming guest molecules.

Step-scheme (S-scheme) heterojunctions (SSHs) have emerged as promising photocatalysts. The integration of zero-dimensional (0D) and two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting materials further endows 0D/2D SSHs with large specific surface areas, abundant active sites, and shortened photocarrier migration distances. Benefiting from such dimensional synergies, 0D/2D SSHs stand out as versatile platforms for heterogeneous photocatalysis. Herein, we systematically review the fundamental principles and diverse applications of 0D/2D S-scheme photocatalysts, including water splitting, carbon dioxide reduction, hydrogen peroxide production, nitrogen fixation, environmental remediation, and multifunctional photocatalytic reactions. Current key challenges and future research perspectives are also comprehensively summarized. This review aims to provide rational guidelines for developing high-performance 0D/2D S-scheme photocatalytic systems and advancing solar-to-chemical conversion technologies.

Sulfur chemistry enables reversible, redox-active, exchangeable, and stimulus-responsive transformations across diverse polymer systems. Yet these chemistries are often treated as independent reaction classes. This opinion article proposes that sulfur functions as a molecular language whose chemical ‘instructions’ program synthesis, adaptation, repair, transformation, disassembly, recycling, and remanufacturing across material lifecycles. Recent advances in dynamic sulfur exchange, reversible polymerization, sequence-controlled sulfur incorporation, and chemical upcycling illustrate how these molecular processes can be translated into material-level behavior. Rather than viewing sulfur solely as a feedstock or functional group, we propose its broader consideration as a molecular design principle for integrating performance, adaptability, and circularity from the outset of polymer design.

Functional nucleic acids (FNAs) have traditionally been optimized through sequence selection and chemical modification of nucleobases, glycosyls, and phosphate backbones. Beyond these strategies, the topological architecture of FNAs is emerging as an important but underdefined design dimension. In recent years, polyvalent FNAs (pFNAs) assembled from aptamers, DNAzymes, and DNA origami have been engineered into linear, planar, spherical, and framework architectures, exhibiting functional advantages over monovalent FNAs in various biological applications. However, how topological architecture shapes pFNAs’ behavior remains unclear. From a biomimetic evolutionary perspective, this review systematically summarizes the evolution from monovalent units to polyvalent nucleic acids, higher-order polyvalent architectures, and hybrid polyvalent complexes, highlighting topology-guided pFNA engineering as a route from empirical assembly toward predictable and programmable precision theranostics.

Coacervates, formed via liquid–liquid phase separation, are dynamic droplets generally used to analyze subcellular functions and the origin of life. Their independent microenvironments, selective enrichment, and signal responsiveness make them fundamental models of protocells that exhibit the characteristics required for drug delivery including high encapsulation efficiency, selective permeability, and responsive release. This review compares the development, design principles, and key characteristics of coacervate systems in these two areas and how they may inform each other, highlighting coacervates as a versatile platform connecting basic research into the origins of life with biomedical applications. Current challenges are critically discussed to offer valuable insights for future interdisciplinary development and encourage productive exchange between prebiotic compartmentalization and biomedical engineering.

Stimuli-responsive and smart polymers are transforming oral drug delivery by enabling precise, context-dependent release and improved therapeutic performance. These materials react to physiological cues such as pH, temperature, enzymes, or redox conditions, allowing targeted delivery, protection against premature degradation, and enhanced bioavailability. Recent advances in polymer design emphasize greater sensitivity, multistimuli integration, and tunable architectures that support personalized and disease-specific therapies. Emerging concepts—including bioinspired systems and self-regulating release mechanisms—address long-standing challenges in oral formulations and highlight the growing impact of smart materials in biotechnology and drug delivery. Continued innovation in responsive polymer systems is poised to redefine treatment strategies and significantly improve patient outcomes.

Hydrogen spillover, the migration of dissociated hydrogen from metal sites to supports, has long been studied as a surface-confined phenomenon. Observations of subsurface and bulk hydrogen in surface science suggest that spillover-generated hydrogen may dynamically access subsurface or bulk transport channels. However, the dynamics of this entry process remain poorly understood. In this opinion article, we argue that hydrogen spillover should be considered through surface migration, penetration, and subsurface transport. Machine-learning-accelerated simulations on single-atom near-surface alloys reveal two penetration pathways, collision-induced and thermally assisted, whose competition is governed by nonequilibrium conditions. Once subsurface, hydrogen may exhibit high mobility under specific energetic and structural conditions. This surface-to-subsurface view motivates subsurface accessibility, pathway branching, and postentry mobility as candidate descriptors for catalyst design.

Microbial chain elongation produces medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) from short-chain precursors through reverse β-oxidation (RBO). However, recent research has detected a high abundance of fatty acid biosynthesis (FAB) genes during anaerobic fermentation, leading to the hypothesis that FAB contributes to or replaces RBO in chain elongation. Herein, we argue that FAB-associated signals should not be interpreted as direct evidence for extracellular MCFA production without flux-level support. To this end, this opinion article compares the biochemical, energetic, and enzymatic distinctions between FAB and RBO and evaluates how omics data should be interpreted in chain elongation systems. Overall, we aim to clarify the evidence required for assigning MCFA formation in native anaerobic fermentation.

Radical–radical cross-coupling (RRCC) enables C(sp3)–C(sp3) bond formation but is limited by homodimerization and rapid alkyl radical racemization. A new methodology from Baran and colleagues overcomes these challenges, achieving highly controlled, nickel-catalyzed stereoretentive RRCC of enantioenriched sulfonyl hydrazides and alkyl halides without chiral ligands or directing groups.

Dedioxygenative transformations of carboxylic acids, particularly those applicable to both aromatic and aliphatic acids, remain relatively limited because of the presence of multiple C–O bonds with distinct properties. Although other approaches feature a broad substrate scope, they inevitably yield carbon-deleted products and are often restricted to aromatic carboxylic acids. Recently, a dedioxygenative reaction of carboxylic acids to form phosphorus compounds was developed from aromatic and aliphatic starting materials, with a broad substrate scope and excellent functional group tolerance.

Heteroatom-bearing carbon stereocenters serve as key functional groups in natural products and pharmaceuticals. Among the various approaches for accessing these important motifs, enantioselective cross-dehydrogenative coupling stands out as an efficient and streamlined strategy where the new carbon–heteroatom bond is formed directly from C–H and X–H coupling partners while simultaneously controlling the generated stereocenter. Copper is a particularly attractive catalyst for this type of transformation due to its abundance, low cost, and unique redox properties. In contrast to the well-developed copper-catalyzed C(sp3)–C bond formation using a cross-dehydrogenative coupling strategy, the corresponding enantioselective C(sp3)–heteroatom bond formation is much less explored. Nonetheless, recent developments are starting to change the situation, and in this opinion article, we highlight these achievements along with persisting challenges and opportunities for future development. Continued efforts in this field will deliver a general platform for streamlined access to various pharmaceutically important motifs.

Catalytic asymmetric synthesis serves as a powerful strategy for producing optically active molecules. While breakthroughs in central, axial, and planar chirality have laid a solid foundation for exploring helical chirality, this field still lags behind in available synthetic methods and in quantity. Despite recent achievements, a systematic review focusing on the asymmetric construction of helical core frameworks remains notably absent. This review provides an in-depth overview of strategies and detailed examples for synthesizing helicenes and helicene-like molecules. It delves into underlying mechanisms and highlights persistent challenges in this demanding field. By synthesizing current knowledge and outlining future directions, this review aims to accelerate breakthroughs and promote a more balanced advancement across all classes of chiral compounds.

The global demand for lithium isotope products is increasing rapidly due to the development of next-generation thorium-based molten salt reactors and controlled fusion reactors. However, the lack of efficient lithium isotope separation technology is a key bottleneck hindering industrial applications. The use of crown ether molecules for this purpose is driving progress toward solutions to this issue. This review evaluates current progress in crown ether-based separation strategies for lithium isotopes, discussing extraction, adsorption, and migration. We shed light on their innovations and industrial applications and highlight future directions for the field, including multistage separation systems and long-term, stable, and stackable isotope separation effects.

Photochromic molecules absorb photons and undergo bond rearrangements, which, within a solid matrix, can drive deformation and directly convert photon energy into mechanical work. Recent decades have witnessed rapid development of photoswitches and optomechanical materials, offering promise for remotely controlled robots, minimally invasive procedures, and sunlight-responsive structures. However, a lack of consensus on how to evaluate their performance makes it difficult to directly compare different materials. In addition, improvements are needed before photomechanical devices will be practical in most applications. In this feature review, we focus on figures of merit for photochemical actuators and discuss design principles to further improve performance.

Visualizing polymer dynamics, spanning from molecular-scale events to macroscopic changes, is essential for understanding material behavior and enabling smart, adaptive functions. This review highlights strategies for constructing self-reporting polymers with stimulus-responsive fluorescence. It covers covalent approaches that use microenvironment-sensitive luminogens as initiators or monomer components, alongside intrinsic clusteroluminescence from nonconjugated polymers. These strategies enable direct, real-time, noninvasive monitoring of dynamic processes such as polymerization, mechanical deformation, conformational transitions, degradation, drug delivery, and secondary-structure changes. The review summarizes design principles, working mechanisms, and applications and discusses current achievements, critical challenges, and future directions. By offering an integrated framework connecting these strategies, this review aims to deepen understanding of polymer dynamics through luminescent signals and to inspire next-generation self-reporting functional polymers.

By successfully wiring uncapped one-dimensional carbon chains directly to gold electrodes, Morris et al. unlocked nearly length-independent, quasi-ballistic charge transport, experimentally achieving the long-sought theoretical limit of carbyne for molecular nanoelectronics.

Nitrous oxide (N2O), colloquially known as ‘laughing gas’, is an inert, small gas molecule that presents a significant environmental concern. Valorization of N2O as both an oxidant and a nitrogen source has posed a long-standing challenge for synthetic chemists. In the past decade, there has been significant progress in this field, especially in reactions of N2O with strong nucleophiles, including dipolarophiles and electron-rich metal complexes. Although N2O is weakly reactive, it generally functions as an electrophile at its N terminus, a mode of reactivity that has been used in the preparation of a number of synthetically important molecules. Recent advances in 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition chemistry, computational-modeling, and the catalytic valorization of N2O hold promise that the next 10 years will be equally exciting for the field.

As essential tools in synthetic chemistry, cross-coupling reactions have been limited by the difficulty of recovering homogeneous catalysts and the low activity of heterogeneous catalysts. Single-atom catalysts (SACs), which combine high atomic utilization with easy separation, not only match but even surpass the performance of homogeneous catalysts. This review clarifies the unique mechanisms of SACs in cross-coupling reactions, which differ from traditional homogeneous pathways, analyzes the key roles of supports and ligands, and summarizes breakthroughs achieved with SACs in this field. Finally, opportunities and challenges are outlined to provide guidance for the rational design of efficient and stable SACs and to promote their practical application in cross-coupling chemistry.

Microbial biosynthesis of chemicals faces major bottlenecks, including low metabolic efficiency, limited substrate utilization, and weak stress tolerance. Biohybrid materials provide a promising route to address these limitations through defined interfacial interactions between functional materials and microorganisms. In this review, material–microbe hybrid systems are defined as integrated platforms in which the material component directly contributes to electron or photon delivery, cell protection, immobilization, or spatial organization. We summarize the principal challenges in microbial chemical production and critically evaluate recent advances in inorganic, organic, and composite material–microbe hybrids for bio-based chemical synthesis. Future development should address material toxicity, electron-transfer efficiency, microbial robustness, scale-up production, and regulatory considerations to advance sustainable biomanufacturing.

Rather than creating new polymers, Hill et al. report the chemical editing of existing polyesters. Their carbonyl-to-thiocarbonyl strategy converts polycaprolactone into poly(thionocaprolactone), enabling selective backbone modification, tunable material properties, and altered degradation behavior. The study positions polymer backbone editing as a complementary strategy to polymer synthesis for designing sustainable materials.

Perovskite and pyrochlore compounds exhibit excellent thermal stability and open structures, which meet most of the active site requirements for the oxidative coupling of methane reaction, making them an important class of widely studied catalysts. These two types of composite oxides not only share similar structures but also possess unique characteristics. This review systematically compares their crystal phase structures and the effects of coordination environment, lattice parameters, subphase structures, oxygen mobility/vacancies, and surface alkalinity on the active sites, as well as the reaction performance. By summarizing current modification strategies for the two types of compounds, effective methods to tune and optimize their catalytic properties are proposed, and future prospects are presented.

Smart polymer adhesives (SPAs) that respond to light enable precise, noncontact, and dynamic control over interfacial adhesion. This review focuses on a key subset, photoisomerization-driven SPAs, which operate via three fundamental strategies: solid–liquid transitions for rapid debonding, macroscopic shape deformation for clean detachment, and the in situ generation of noncovalent crosslinks for robust adhesion enhancement. By integrating molecular photoswitches—namely azobenzenes, spiropyrans, and hydrazones—into macromolecular architectures, these materials unlock cutting-edge applications in soft robotics, dynamic microfabrication, stretchable electronics, and nondestructive biomedical interfaces. Finally, we evaluate current structural and mechanistic limitations and outline future directions toward visible-light actuation and diversified photoswitch platforms, aiming to guide the design of next-generation programmable smart adhesives.

Chemical recycling through selective bond cleavage is advancing toward milder conditions and broader polymer applicability. This forum highlights recent progress in reactive solvent–catalyst systems, dynamic covalent chemistries, and enzymatic recycling for depolymerizing thermoplastics, thermosets, and composites, and outlines challenges currently limiting the translation of these strategies into practical recycling technologies.

In chemical and biochemical engineering, core research outputs, such as advanced polymers, process intensification, and energy storage systems, often have potential relevance to civilian and defence applications. Yet researchers are largely unprepared to recognise or responsibly develop this potential, and many avoid the topic for fear of bureaucratic burden. Based on recent European Commission reports and university guidelines, we propose the Dual-Use Design Logic (DUDL), a four-phase framework to advance civil–defence synergies in scientific research. DUDL helps researchers integrate dual-use considerations from the project ideation stage, identify legitimate application pathways, and design proportionate safeguards without imposing unnecessary administrative burden. Its effective implementation, however, will require institutions to build compliance capacity. We illustrate DUDL using our research on silicone elastomers for extreme environments.

Catalytic water oxidation is the central challenge in photosynthesis and artificial solar fuel production, yet the mechanistic basis of O–O bond formation remains unresolved. In photosystem II, the Mn4CaO5 oxygen evolving complex (OEC) performs four-electron/four-proton water oxidation, but whether O–O bond formation proceeds via water nucleophilic attack or metal oxo/oxyl radical coupling remains debated. Here, we argue that recent structural and spectroscopic advances in the native OEC, together with bioinspired studies, are redefining this problem. We highlight high-valent metal oxygen intermediates as mechanistic fingerprints and show how redox-inactive Ca2+ and its surrogates tune Lewis acidity and the secondary sphere to balance O–O bond formation with O2 release. Finally, plastoquinone-inspired platforms reveal design principles for next-generation bioinspired water oxidation catalysts.

Plastics are essential materials in our daily lives. Designing circular polymer materials with sustainable end-of-life processes is an important and rapidly growing research field. Athanassiou and colleagues developed dynamic boronic-ester vitrimers with excellent mechanical properties and biodegradability, representing a significant achievement in the field of dynamic polymers toward this goal.

The acidic oxygen evolution reaction is a cornerstone of Power-to-X conversion technologies, such as proton exchange membrane water electrolysis. However, the practical use of active ruthenium (Ru)-based oxides is limited by electrochemical instability. High-entropy oxides (HEOs) have emerged as promising candidates to overcome these durability challenges. This review provides an incisive analysis of Ru-based HEO design strategies, focusing on how multi-elemental integration modulates the physicochemical environment to suppress Ru dissolution and regulate lattice oxygen participation. We systematically examine the synergy between compositional diversity and structural integrity, evaluating diverse Ru-based HEO architectures. By categorizing stabilization strategies such as lattice distortion and coordination tuning, this review aims to bridge high-entropy theory with the design of robust, high-performance electrocatalysts for next-generation energy systems.

Catalytic asymmetric olefin isomerization is a powerful strategy for the synthesis of allylic stereocenters from simple olefin precursors. Conventional thermal methods generally favor the formation of the thermodynamically more stable olefin isomer, while access to less stable positional isomers is limited by microscopic reversibility. As a result, enantioselective contrathermodynamic isomerization requires a mechanism that can distinguish the starting alkene from the higher-energy product while also enforcing stereocontrol.

New strategies to access peptide bicycles are in demand for peptide engineering. Recent work from Liu et al. presents a thiol-retaining N-terminal cysteine chemistry approach, providing a programmable platform for peptide bicycle construction and phage-display-compatible drug discovery.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates are promising sustainable polyesters, but thermal degradation and decarboxylative carbon loss hinder selective recycling. In a recent study published in Science, Zhou et al. demonstrated that β-alkylidene functionalization suppresses these pathways, enabling near-quantitative monomer recovery and hydrogenation-tunable performance across fibers, thermoplastics, and hot-melt adhesives.

Late-stage diversification of aza-heterocycles emphasizes precise control of nitrogen location, which has a profound impact on pharmaceutical activity. Single-atom insertion into indoles has largely been limited to the 1,3-relationship between the newly added atom and the indole nitrogen through the participation of the enamine-like C2–C3 bond. However, a rare 1,4-relationship has now been achieved by exploiting NO as an internal nitrogen source. Its unusual 1,3-transposition enables activation of the formerly inaccessible C3–C9 bond.

Rieske oxygenases (ROs) can catalyze a wide array of oxidative transformations, encompassing hydroxylation, demethylation, carbocyclization, desaturation, N-oxygenation, C–C, C–N, and C–S bond cleavage, C–H amination, sulfoxidation, and epoxidation. This extensive reaction scope, combined with broad substrate tolerance, underscores their potential for development into promising biocatalysts. ROs have demonstrated pivotal roles in the bioremediation of environmental pollutants and offer a sustainable alternative to traditional chemical catalysts for producing value-added compounds. While previous reviews have covered their catalytic diversity, mechanisms, and engineering, this review focuses on the current applications, challenges, and future prospects of employing ROs in bioremediation and chemoenzymatic synthesis. Our goal is to provide insights that will guide the development of ROs into efficient, stable, and broadly applicable biocatalysts.

Therapeutic antibody development traditionally relies on costly, time-consuming animal studies. This review examines how defined chemical models—including phosphate-buffered saline and continuous-flow dialysis systems—reliably predict antibody degradation, potentially reducing animal testing. By controlling physiological variables (pH, temperature, and redox potential), these models accurately predict pathways: deamidation, isomerization, pyroglutamate formation, thiol-disulfide exchange, and glycation. They are particularly valuable during early development with limited clinical material. Chemical in vitro approaches outperform traditional serum-based systems through superior control and reproducibility. We identify gaps, notably the lack of predictive oxidation models, and propose next-generation systems incorporating trace metals and antioxidants to simulate in vivo catalytic pathways. These advances align with the 3Rs principles (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) while accelerating development timelines and improving quality assurance.

Intrinsic plasticization enables flexibility in bioplastics through molecular modification rather than using external plasticizers. By modifying polymer architecture, this approach can improve performance and stability. However, challenges in scalability, trade-offs in property performance, and sustainability remain, highlighting the need for integrated design approaches that link chemistry, processing, and real-world applications.

Depolymerization-based chemical recycling offers a promising route to a circular plastic economy but faces a trade-off between polymerization and depolymerization. Sun and colleagues recently addressed this challenge with strained bridged bicyclic monomers for metathesis polymerization, using entropy as a powerful and effective design principle.

Over the last decade, organic photochemistry has pushed its frontiers toward the red-light end of the electromagnetic spectrum. Driven by breakthroughs in molecular engineering and photophysical understanding, red-light photocatalysis and photoswitching have emerged as two interconnected pillars of modern synthetic chemistry.

A recent study by Meng et al. reports the direct desaturation of alkenes to alkynes, addressing a century-old synthetic challenge. Utilizing a recyclable selenanthrene reagent, this methodology operates under mild conditions with high selectivity. Broad functional group tolerance enables late-stage transformation of complex molecules, providing sustainable routes to versatile alkynes.

Bisphenols are crucial building blocks for the production of diverse plastics and resins. Conventional bisphenol compounds, such as bisphenol A (BPA), have raised sustainability and health concerns. As a renewable solution, the conversion of lignin into bio-based bisphenols for synthesizing polymeric materials with comparable or even superior properties to conventional BPA-derived polymers represents a sustainable and promising approach. Here, recent advances in the valorization of lignin into sustainable bisphenols and their applications in thermosetting and thermoplastic polymers are summarized. The key pathways for synthesizing lignin-derived bisphenols and their corresponding polymers, along with the properties of these polymers, are discussed.

Natural products are vital to drug discovery but are often limited by poor solubility, stability, and target specificity. Click chemistry, with its efficient and bioorthogonal reactions, enables precise modification of these compounds. It is instrumental in key discovery stages: chiral separation, high-throughput screening library construction, target identification using activity-based probes, and prodrug structural optimization. Under mild conditions, modular click reactions markedly improve the druggability of natural products. This review surveys these applications and discusses future directions, including integration with artificial intelligence, positioning click chemistry as a key platform for developing next-generation natural product-based therapeutics.

Important short-lived states are often obscured by signals from more stable conformations in ensemble-averaged experiments analyzing protein interactions and catalytic reactions. To address this challenge, the single-molecule junction (SMJ) technique has been increasingly employed to elucidate intricate dynamic changes by monitoring intermediate states at the single-molecule level. This review outlines the creation of SMJs and the subsequent data processing steps. Furthermore, it discusses the broad applications of this technique in analyzing biomolecular interactions and enzyme catalysis mechanisms. Finally, the advantages and challenges of this technique are summarized, and its prospective development, promising applications, and the boundless potential for single-molecule protein studies are highlighted, serving as a key driver for the field’s advancement.

The strategic integration of metal–sulfur active sites into metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) has emerged as a pivotal advancement in catalyst design. This forum highlights these key developments, underscoring their significance in advancing MOF-based catalysis and offering a roadmap for the future rational design of high-performance heterogeneous catalysts.

Biological composite fabrication offers inspiration for the advancement of synthetic nanocomposites. Organisms rely on the integrated design of molecular interactions, building block topology, and mechanical processing to achieve programmable hierarchical structure and function. Herein, we outline how the translation of these principles could provide fresh approaches to scalable nanocomposites for enhanced properties and new applications.

The α-ammonio radical, an electrophilic species, has long been an overlooked intermediate in organic synthesis for over 2 decades. In contrast to nucleophilic α-amino radicals, it exhibits complementary reactivity and preferentially reacts with electron-rich, alkyl-substituted alkenes. Previous studies by the groups of Gevorgyan, Zhao, and Murakami independently demonstrated its addition to styrene derivatives. However, intermolecular reactions with unactivated alkyl-substituted alkenes have remained elusive.