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Biological systems integrate multiple feedback processes to regulate their adaptation to evolving stimuli with high specificity. Here, the authors present polymersomes functionalized with a broad-spec...

Access is only the first step to making the chemical sciences inclusive

The Department of Chemistry at Queen Mary University of London invites expressions of interest from candidates wishing to apply for the Royal Society University Research Fellowship (URF). The URF is ...

The use of bis(2-pyridyl)phenylphosphine and tris(2-pyridyl)phosphine as practical, drop-in alternatives to triphenylphosphine in the Mitsunobu and Appel reactions is reported. Their P-oxides are easi...

Recent advances have made possible the replacement of individual atoms within a molecular skeleton while preserving the integrity of the surrounding framework. These skeletal editing reactions are emerging as powerful tools for molecular optimization, as they directly mirror tactics central to structure–activity-relationship studies and therefore have the potential to accelerate progress in discovery chemistry settings. This review introduces a comprehensive framework for categorizing atom replacement reactions in aromatic systems, while also delineating strategies that enable these transformations. Important heuristics related to shape-conservation are discussed, including notions of skeletal rotation, introduction of vestigial substituents, and retrosynthetic simplicity. Examples of reactions which obey these principles are analyzed, focusing first on C-to-N replacement in aromatic systems (“benzene to pyridine” and related reactions) before moving to other classes of aromatic and aliphatic replacement reactions.

Heterohelicenes continue to attract interest for their potential applications as organic chiral materials. To keep up with the demand for novel heterohelicene structures, expedient and scaleable synth...

Chirality has recently emerged as a new means to profoundly impact the properties of organic semiconductors for spin-optoelectronic applications. Yet, a clear mechanistic understanding of chiral structure–property relationships remains absent to date, particularly for photon interconversion processes such as singlet exciton fission and triplet fusion. In this perspective, we highlight recent work that investigates chiral structures for these processes. We discuss the various ways in which chirality can impact such conversion processes and suggest ways to leverage it to improve photon management for both energy applications and quantum information science.

The Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction is plagued by protodeboronation, an undesirable side reaction with water that consumes the boronic acid derivatives required for the cross-coupling reaction....

Research into single-molecule magnetism lies at the nexus of challenging synthetic chemistry, spin physics and ab initio quantum chemistry. There are no “one-size-fits-all” textbooks and as such it ca...

The relation between magnetooptical activity and chirality has previously been confused. Chiral polymer films are presented with state-of-the-art Verdet constants, revealing the role of chirality, and...

C&EN’s 2025 Trailblazers issue, curated by guest editor Mona Minkara, looks at how chemists can solve problems in new ways

ALT: a dog wearing glasses and a lab coat looks at a beaker under a microscope

ALT: a dog wearing glasses and a lab coat looks at a beaker under a microscope

A high-sensitivity, broadband, transient, full-Stokes spectroscopy setup is demonstrated, which can detect quickly varying small signals from chiral emitters.

Statutory maternity and paternity pay is £4.99 per hour for a full-time worker on 37.5 hours per week - approximately 59% less than the 2024 National Living Wage of £12.21 per hour for workers aged 21...

New fathers who want to bond with their babies are treated in a derisory way in the UK – and that harms us all

The Department of Chemistry at Queen Mary University of London is looking to support applicants for the Royal Society University Research Fellowship (URF). The URF is a prestigious fellowship program...

The Department of Chemistry at Queen Mary University of London is looking to support applicants for the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) Fellowship. These fellowships are for people who are less t...

Bioisosteric replacement is vital in drug discovery; however, substituting core ring structures is challenging. Now, a strategy that converts pyridines into benzonitriles, via N-oxidation, photochemic...