Nature Chemistry Contents November 2014 Volume 6 Number 11 pp 943-1026

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TABLE OF CONTENTS November 2014 Volume 6, Issue 11 Thesis Books and Arts Research Highlights Blogroll News and Views Articles Corrigendum In Your Element Addenda Subscribe   Facebook   RSS   Recommend to library   Twitter   Advertisement Nature has once again been ranked the N0.1 weekly science journal with an Impact Factor of 42.351*. Subscribe to Nature for only $42, £42 or €42. You will receive print, online and app access, providing unbelievable value for money. This is a limited time offer - so don't miss out and subscribe today! *2013 Journal Citation Reports® (Thomson Reuters, 2014)     Thesis Top Faith, chemistry and extraterrestrial life   pp943 - 944 Bruce C. Gibb doi:10.1038/nchem.2094 Bruce Gibb wonders whether our faith in chemistry — and what it can teach us about the Universe beyond our Earthly bounds — will have a role to play in the search for alien life. Books and Arts Top A spoonful of curiosity   p945 Catherine Goodman reviews A Taste of Molecules by Diane Fresquez doi:10.1038/nchem.2100 Research Highlights Top Click chemistry: Two-faced copper | Nucleic acids: An interfering delivery | Asymmetric catalysis: Not so boring boron | Cross coupling: Substituting methoxy groups Blogroll Top Blogroll: Hot and sweet   p947 Kat Day doi:10.1038/nchem.2091 News and Views Top Light-harvesting materials: Soft support for energy conversion   pp949 - 950 Ryan M. Stolley and Monte L. Helm doi:10.1038/nchem.2088 To convert solar energy into viable fuels, coupling light-harvesting materials to catalysts is a crucial challenge. Now, the combination of an organic supramolecular hydrogel and a non-precious metal catalyst has been demonstrated to be effective for photocatalytic H2 production. See also: Article by Weingarten et al. Molecular topology: Star-crossed self-assembly   pp950 - 952 Guido H. Clever doi:10.1038/nchem.2065 Interwoven supramolecular structures are often held up as examples of beauty in chemistry, but these assemblies can be fragile depending on the environments they are exposed to. Post-assembly covalent modification can, however, trap them in robust molecular form, and a triply entwined [2]catenane is one of the most sophisticated examples so far. See also: Article by Leigh et al. Frustrated Lewis pairs: A metal-free landmark   pp952 - 953 Douglas W. Stephan doi:10.1038/nchem.2093 The synthesis and isolation of a silane adduct of an electrophilic boron species provides insight into the mechanism of metal-free catalytic reductions based on frustrated Lewis pairs. See also: Article by Houghton et al. Metal-organic frameworks: 3D frameworks from 3D printers   pp953 - 954 Ian D. Williams doi:10.1038/nchem.2089 High-throughput screening of solvothermal crystallization conditions for MOFs and other solids may receive a boost from the application of 3D printing techniques to low-cost, disposable pressure vessels. Photochemistry: A bright future for sunscreens   pp955 - 956 Vasilios G. Stavros doi:10.1038/nchem.2084 Understanding the intrinsic properties of molecules that protect our skin from the harmful rays of the Sun is critical to developing more efficacious sunscreen products. Now, gas-phase spectroscopy and microsolvation studies of model ultraviolet-filter molecules have shown that they may provide a route to developing improved sunscreens. Chemistry JOBS of the week 3-year Research Chair Positions in Sustainable chemistry and processes Université de Bordeaux Researcher Position in Medicinal Chemistry Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Assistant Professor-Physical Chemistry University of Texas at El Paso Postdoctoral fellow in peptide / organic chemistry University of Utah Faculty Position in Inorganic Chemistry Syracuse University More Science jobs from Chemistry EVENT Discovery Chemistry Congress 17.02.15 Berlin, Germany More science events from Articles Top Non-oxidative intercalation and exfoliation of graphite by Brønsted acids   pp957 - 963 Nina I. Kovtyukhova, Yuanxi Wang, Ayse Berkdemir, Rodolfo Cruz-Silva, Mauricio Terrones et al. doi:10.1038/nchem.2054 Intercalation in graphite is generally driven by partial oxidation or reduction of the graphene sheets. Now, it has been shown that graphite microcrystals can be intercalated by Brønsted acids by heating a liquid suspension to dryness. The intercalated acid molecules interact weakly with the carbon sheets but assist in their exfoliation to single- and few-layer graphene. Self-assembling hydrogel scaffolds for photocatalytic hydrogen production   pp964 - 970 Adam S. Weingarten, Roman V. Kazantsev, Liam C. Palmer, Mark McClendon, Andrew R. Koltonow et al. doi:10.1038/nchem.2075 Self-assembled ribbons of perylene amphiphiles have been shown to crystallize in the presence of a nickel-based hydrogen production catalyst, allowing efficient electronic coupling between the perylene chromophores. This hydrogel material photocatalyses the production of H2, and can be shaped and placed on surfaces for incorporation into devices. Chemical compounds See also: News and Views by Stolley & Helm Chiral self-sorting and amplification in isotropic liquids of achiral molecules   pp971 - 977 Christian Dressel, Tino Reppe, Marko Prehm, Marcel Brautzsch and Carsten Tschierske doi:10.1038/nchem.2039 The spontaneous resolution of racemic mixtures can occur when the molecules are confined in a crystal lattice, on surfaces or in other well-ordered assemblies. Now, mirror symmetry breaking within an isotropic liquid of achiral molecules has been observed. These liquids show strong chiral amplification and provide a possible mode of emergence of chirality in prebiotic fluids. Chemical compounds A Star of David catenane   pp978 - 982 David A. Leigh, Robin G. Pritchard and Alexander J. Stephens doi:10.1038/nchem.2056 The Star of David topology is an iconic symbol that has been used in religious and cultural contexts for thousands of years. Now it is assembled in molecular form through a hexameric circular helicate generated by six tris(bipyridine) ligands entwined about six iron(II) cations. The structure of the two triply-entwined 114-membered rings is revealed by X-ray crystallography. Chemical compounds See also: News and Views by Clever Direct observation of a borane–silane complex involved in frustrated Lewis-pair-mediated hydrosilylations   pp983 - 988 Adrian Y. Houghton, Juha Hurmalainen, Akseli Mansikkamäki, Warren E. Piers and Heikki M. Tuononen doi:10.1038/nchem.2063 Comprehensive solution and solid-state characterization of an adduct between a Lewis acidic perfluoroaryl borane and an electron-rich silane is demonstrated. This has long been proposed as an intermediate in the ‘frustrated’ Lewis-pair hydrosilylation of C=C, C=O and C=N double bonds, but its existence has, so far, only been inferred from indirect experimental evidence. Chemical compounds See also: News and Views by Stephan Switching on the fluorescence of 2-aminopurine by site-selective microhydration   pp989 - 993 Simon Lobsiger, Susan Blaser, Rajeev K. Sinha, Hans-Martin Frey and Samuel Leutwyler doi:10.1038/nchem.2086 The adenine analogue 2-aminopurine has been considered as intrinsically fluorescent and is widely used in biochemical assays to probe DNA and RNA structure. It is now shown that the molecule alone is nearly non-fluorescent, however, its fluorescence is increased by up to 95 times through hydrogen bonding to a single water molecule. DNA brick crystals with prescribed depths   pp994 - 1002 Yonggang Ke, Luvena L. Ong, Wei Sun, Jie Song, Mingdong Dong et al. doi:10.1038/nchem.2083 The programmed assembly of single DNA strands into bricks and ultimately micrometre-sized two-dimensional crystals with prescribed depths up to 80 nm is described. These crystals display intricate three-dimensional features including continuous or discontinuous cavities and channels with nanometre precision, and can pack DNA helices in parallel or perpendicularly to the plane of the crystals. Recognition and sensing of low-epitope targets via ternary complexes with oligonucleotides and synthetic receptors   pp1003 - 1008 Kyung-Ae Yang, Mihaela Barbu, Marlin Halim, Payal Pallavi, Benjamin Kim et al. doi:10.1038/nchem.2058 Recognition, differentiation and sensing of small molecules displaying only sparse functionalities using artificial receptors is extremely challenging. Now a method to selectively bind and recognise low-epitope targets has been developed. The approach uses the formation of ternary complexes between small-molecule targets, their non-specific organic (or organometallic) receptors, and aptamers. Dithiol amino acids can structurally shape and enhance the ligand-binding properties of polypeptides   pp1009 - 1016 Shiyu Chen, Ranganath Gopalakrishnan, Tifany Schaer, Fabrice Marger, Ruud Hovius et al. doi:10.1038/nchem.2043 Disulfide bonds formed between two cysteine residues are important in the folding and stability of proteins. Now, unnatural amino acids with side-chains that contain two thiol groups are described. Incorporation of these dithiol amino acids into a serine protease inhibitor and a nicotinic acetyl choline receptor antagonist is shown to increase their inhibitory activity. Chemical compounds Dynamic covalent chemistry of bisimines at the solid/liquid interface monitored by scanning tunnelling microscopy   pp1017 - 1023 Artur Ciesielski, Mohamed El Garah, Sébastien Haar, Petr Kovarícek, Jean-Marie Lehn et al. doi:10.1038/nchem.2057 Constructing molecular architectures using dynamic covalent chemistry combines the robustness of covalent bonds with the reversibility of supramolecular chemistry. Now, a surface-mediated approach has been used to control the thermodynamic and kinetic features of dynamic processes at a surface, leading to constituent selection and selective pattern formation. Chemical compounds Corrigendum Top Control and induction of surface-confined homochiral porous molecular networks   p1024 Kazukuni Tahara, Hiroyuki Yamaga, Elke Ghijsens, Koji Inukai, Jinne Adisoejoso et al. doi:10.1038/nchem.2098 In Your Element Top Unsporting scandium   p1025 John Emsley doi:10.1038/nchem.2090 From Earth to the stars and back again, John Emsley surveys the uses, occurrences and mysteries of an element that is playing an increasing role in human affairs. Addenda Top In Your Element: Manganese the protector   p1026 John Emsley doi:10.1038/nchem.2096 In Your Element: The A-Z of zirconium   p1026 John Emsley doi:10.1038/nchem.2097 Top Advertisement Scientific Reports is now accepting submissions from all scientific fields. Online and open access, Scientific Reports is a primary research publication from the publishers of Nature, covering all areas of the natural and clinical sciences. The scope of the journal has been broadened to include all fields of medical research. 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