Reviews & Analysis

Emulating biological transcription using artificial synthetic circuits is a key challenge in advancing systems chemistry. This Review discusses synthetic transcription circuits that are dynamically triggered to drive switchable, dissipative, oscillatory and bistable reaction models, mimicking native processes. These circuits are proposed as critical machineries for sensing and theragnostics.

The [2+2] cycloaddition of two alkenes is the most efficient route to four-membered carbocycles, but it is thermally forbidden. Now, installing fluorine atoms at the alkene terminus enables intramolecular thermally crossed [2+2] cycloaddition, providing a strategy for constructing gem-difluoro heterobicyclo[n.1.1]alkanes.

Mineralization of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to inorganic fluorides is challenging. Now, a lithium metal-mediated electrochemical reduction route is reported that degrades and defluorinates PFAS with high efficiency. Additionally, the fluoride released from the reactive metal-based reaction can be upcycled to a non-PFAS fluorinated product in a circular fluorine loop.

Guidelines for modifying charge transport in DNA are deduced from a series of conductance experiments aimed at exploring the effects of nearest-neighbour base pair interactions on the electronic properties. From these rules, 20-base-pair DNA sequences are designed that maintain high conductance despite their length.

Solid catalysts are typically optimized by changing their structure to control the strength of the adsorption bond. Now, magnetic spin-ordering offers an orthogonal energetic lever with which to enhance the otherwise sluggish kinetics of the ammonia oxidation reaction.

Unlocking the full potential of zinc–iodine batteries requires the prevention of side effects arising from reactive polyiodide intermediates. Now, a synergistic redox-coupling strategy confines the conversion reaction within the cathode, enabling shuttle-free batteries with enhanced reversibility and increased energy density.

Making efficient and stable metal halide perovskites typically involves challenging trade-offs between structural integrity and performance. Now, a series of two-dimensional perovskites featuring intralayer bidentate coordination ligands has been developed, providing an extendable molecular approach to strengthen the structure and modulate the performance of these hybrid materials and their analogues.

Lithium nucleation at the metal anode surface dictates the morphologies of lithium deposits, which impact battery stability and performances. Now, a physics-based framework decouples substrate- and solid-electrolyte interphase-controlled nucleation pathways by examining the interplay of short-range transport and reaction.

Living cells rely on the choreography of multiple simultaneous functions, without clear boundaries between molecular subsystems. Replicating these capabilities in synthetic cells would represent a major advance in understanding life. This Perspective argues that this challenge requires a shift away from modular design concepts, towards a strategy that integrates the theoretical principles of systems chemistry with data-driven high-throughput experimental methods.

While heterogeneous hydrogenation processes are widely employed industrial reactions, there is a murky understanding of how heterolytic hydrogenations operate. Now, interfacial polarization is shown to have a profound impact over catalysis by platinum surfaces, demonstrating the hidden role of electrochemistry in thermal catalysis.

Control of the surface chemistry of Au nanoparticles is central to their functionality, yet probing the interfacial chemistry under operando conditions is challenging. Now, precision nanoparticle gaps provide a spectroscopic window to observe the chemical changes at Au interfaces during electrochemical cycling, revealing the formation of an Au–Cl adlayer that modulates the surface chemistry.

Chiral phosphorus(V) compounds are vital in the fields of catalysis, pharmaceuticals and nucleic acids, yet their stereoselective synthesis has been difficult to achieve. Now, a bio-inspired catalyst has brought excellent stereocontrol to the classic Atherton–Todd reaction, providing a simple route to a diverse set of chiral phosphorus(V) building blocks.

Spatiotemporal control of polymerization is typically achieved with switchable catalysts. In an alternative approach, latency is now built into the monomer. A photoswitchable quadricyclane–norbornadiene pair, activated by heat or photothermal conversion, keeps initiator-premixed metathesis feeds stable yet reactive on demand, enabling reproducible polymerization with spatial precision.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have long been considered strong candidates for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Now, the Nobel Committee has acknowledged the relevance of these materials by awarding the 2025 prize to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi, “for the development of metal–organic frameworks”.

RNA sensors are challenging to design but hold potential for impactful diagnostics. Now, a multi-faceted approach leverages crowdsourcing and computational automation to enable the design of compact RNA-based sensors, shown here for active tuberculosis diagnostics.

The conversion of racemic mixtures into single enantiomers is highly desirable but challenging. Now, a photocatalytic strategy transforms racemizing homolysis within a solvent cage into an enantioselective deracemization process. Through asymmetric geminate recasting, the selective construction of chiral sulfur stereocentres has been achieved.

Electrophotocatalysis offers a promising strategy for relatively inert molecules, but designing robust systems has been challenging. Now, heterogeneous polymers, composed of perylenediimide units with flexible linkers, unlock chloroarene reduction and functionalization through closed-shell dianion generation and substrate precomplexation.

Subtle mutations in the genome play key roles in both disease progression and pathogen evolution. Now, a fluorescent aptamer-based RNA switch has been shown to enable rapid and robust detection of single nucleotide mutations.

Determining the enantiomorphic excess in chiral solids remains a difficult task, yet it is crucial for the characterization of materials such as chiral catalysts. Now, a combination of 3D electron diffraction, dynamical diffraction calculations, and automated processing enables the quantification of enantiomorphs in a fast and reliable manner.

Electrifying nonaqueous thermocatalytic reactions is challenging. Now, a multiphase approach that uses aqueous electrochemistry to drive a nonaqueous reaction through aqueous–nonaqueous interfacial proton-coupled electron transfer is developed for the production of hydrogen peroxide.