ChemPub Date : 2026-09-10DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103250
Takuya Kochi
{"title":"Exploration of new sites: Remote functionalization by entangled boracycle migration","authors":"Takuya Kochi","doi":"10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103250","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103250","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reporting in <em>Nature</em>, Quan and co-workers show that a borinane ring can relocate along a carbon chain, moving two reaction sites in a correlated manner. The rearrangement achieves selective functionalization at internal carbons that are difficult to access by conventional migratory processes, extending the range of positions from which molecular diversity can be generated.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":268,"journal":{"name":"Chem","volume":"12 9","pages":"Article 103250"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148915193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemPub Date : 2026-09-10Epub Date: 2026-04-14DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103022
Rui Zhao, Dongyang Han, Jiahui Tang, Yuan Gao, Qingyao Shu, Guo-Chao Chu, Jie Luo, Chaowei Shi, Pan Shi, Jing Shi, Yi-Ming Li, Lei Liu
{"title":"Single-shot solid-phase synthesis of insulins and their A/B-chain heterodimeric analogs","authors":"Rui Zhao, Dongyang Han, Jiahui Tang, Yuan Gao, Qingyao Shu, Guo-Chao Chu, Jie Luo, Chaowei Shi, Pan Shi, Jing Shi, Yi-Ming Li, Lei Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103022","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103022","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Herein, we report a rapid and reliable approach for preparing insulins and their A/B-chain heterodimeric analogs, featuring a single-shot solid-phase synthesis. Using this strategy, various insulin analogs can be synthesized in three steps over a 2–3-day period, with improved efficiency compared to previous chemical synthetic attempts. Furthermore, this strategy has also been successfully extended to the synthesis of other A/B-chain heterodimeric bioactive peptides, including insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3) and ant venom peptide Mp1a, thereby establishing a new, robust, and reliable synthetic platform for preparing insulins and their A/B-chain heterodimeric analogs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":268,"journal":{"name":"Chem","volume":"12 9","pages":"Article 103022"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148940616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemPub Date : 2026-08-13Epub Date: 2026-03-05DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2026.102941
Lei Huang, Kai-Li Wang, Zhang Chen, Zhen-Huang Su, Saidjafar Murodzoda, Xin Chen, Jing Chen, Chun-Hao Chen, Yu Xia, Yu-Tong Yang, Jia-Cheng Li, Dilshod Nematov, Ilhan Yavuz, Zhao-Kui Wang
{"title":"SAM molecular stacking with heterogeneous orientation for high-performance perovskite photovoltaics","authors":"Lei Huang, Kai-Li Wang, Zhang Chen, Zhen-Huang Su, Saidjafar Murodzoda, Xin Chen, Jing Chen, Chun-Hao Chen, Yu Xia, Yu-Tong Yang, Jia-Cheng Li, Dilshod Nematov, Ilhan Yavuz, Zhao-Kui Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.chempr.2026.102941","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chempr.2026.102941","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The inability to achieve uniform hole transport with solution-processed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) constitutes a fundamental bottleneck for scaling perovskite photovoltaics. Herein, we demonstrate that thermal-evaporated SAMs (eSAMs) overcome this limitation by enabling precise thickness control. Crucially, a thickened eSAM spontaneously forms a vertical-to-horizontal gradient in molecular orientation, which creates a descending energy barrier that directionally facilitates hole transport. This tailored interface also ensures excellent surface coverage and directs the growth of high-quality perovskite films. Consequently, the resultant photovoltaic devices set new benchmarks, delivering impressive power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 21.46% (small-area, 0.108 cm<sup>2</sup>) and 19.38% (large-area module, 15.52 cm<sup>2</sup>) for fully vacuum-evaporated devices, while also setting an impressive PCE of 23.67% for eSAM-based devices with solution-processed perovskites. This new strategy effectively addresses the critical challenge of scalable SAM deposition, positioning eSAM as a key enabler for the industrial advancement of perovskite photovoltaics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":268,"journal":{"name":"Chem","volume":"12 8","pages":"Article 102941"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147360227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemPub Date : 2026-08-13Epub Date: 2026-04-27DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103032
Kanglei Pang, Chang Long, Jiayin Yuan
{"title":"Operando X-ray spectroscopies for tracking electrocatalytic dynamic interfaces across multiple scales","authors":"Kanglei Pang, Chang Long, Jiayin Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103032","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103032","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The catalyst-electrolyte interface (CEI) fundamentally plays a vital role in governing the activity and kinetics of electrochemical reactions relevant to chemical manufacturing, energy devices, and other applications. However, state-of-the-art observations of the CEI reveal structural evolution during reactions, leading to challenges in elucidating the true structure-performance relationships and thereby hindering the rational design of high-performance catalytic systems for emerging applications. This perspective highlights advances in <em>operando</em> X-ray spectroscopies that enable a mechanistic understanding of dynamic CEI across electronic-, atomic-, and nanoscale levels. We highlight the challenges and opportunities regarding X-ray spectroscopies for understanding, predictive design, and durability engineering of the CEI in heterogeneous electrocatalysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":268,"journal":{"name":"Chem","volume":"12 8","pages":"Article 103032"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147752944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemPub Date : 2026-08-13Epub Date: 2026-07-30DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103196
Linjiang Chen, Zikai Xie, Jun Jiang
{"title":"Reaction: Self-driving labs need models of the chemical world","authors":"Linjiang Chen, Zikai Xie, Jun Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103196","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103196","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Jun Jiang is a chair professor at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), vice director of the State Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, and director of the Center for Scientific Intelligence Innovation. His research combines theoretical chemistry, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotic chemistry. His honors include funding from the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, the Young Theoretical Chemistry Investigator Award of the Chinese Chemistry Society, and the Distinguished Lectureship Award of the Chemical Society of Japan. Zikai Xie is a postdoctoral researcher in computer science and chemistry at USTC and a research fellow at the Center for Scientific Intelligence Innovation (CSII). He developes methods based on Bayesian optimization, machine learning, and large language models for AI-driven discovery in chemistry and materials. Linjiang Chen is a professor at USTC and a researcher at the CSII. His research focuses on robotic AI chemists, scientific agents, theory-experiment closed loops, and self-driving laboratories.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":268,"journal":{"name":"Chem","volume":"12 8","pages":"Article 103196"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148624235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemPub Date : 2026-08-13Epub Date: 2026-07-22DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103159
Lu Wang, Cheng Ling, Jingrui Fan, Junxuan Yao, Chunlei Wang, Xing Liu, Yuhan Sun, Guosheng Shi, Joseph S. Francisco, Gaofeng Zeng
{"title":"Single-chain-water ultrafast transport in COF membrane for dual desalination and devolatilization","authors":"Lu Wang, Cheng Ling, Jingrui Fan, Junxuan Yao, Chunlei Wang, Xing Liu, Yuhan Sun, Guosheng Shi, Joseph S. Francisco, Gaofeng Zeng","doi":"10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103159","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103159","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Membrane distillation is a cutting-edge technology for desalination but suffers from low water permeability and ineffective removal of trace volatiles. Herein, we construct artificial water nanochannels within covalent organic framework (COF) membranes through pore-structure engineering. By controlling dimensional and chemical properties of the pore system, the BBP-COF channels accomplish not only high rejection of both salts (∼99.9%) and volatile molecules (>96.5%)—overcoming the incompetence in simultaneous desalination and devolatilization—but also rapid water productivities up to ∼70 L m<sup>−2</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>, exceeding the performance of most synthetic water channels in similar applications. Theoretical analyses indicate that single-file water transport occurs via ballistic diffusion under nanoconfinement. This effectively explains the paradox where the BBP-COF membrane with smaller pore sizes exhibits significantly higher permeability than its larger-pore parent COF membrane.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":268,"journal":{"name":"Chem","volume":"12 8","pages":"Article 103159"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148624224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemPub Date : 2026-08-13Epub Date: 2026-08-04DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103164
Courtney S. Smoljan, Dawson A. Grimes, Owen J. Bailey, Manel A. Eddaoudi, Madeleine A. Gaidimas, Mohammad K. Shehab, Xiaoliang Wang, Haomiao Xie, Kent O. Kirlikovali, Randall Q. Snurr, Omar K. Farha
{"title":"Defining stability in metal-organic frameworks through rigorous characterization","authors":"Courtney S. Smoljan, Dawson A. Grimes, Owen J. Bailey, Manel A. Eddaoudi, Madeleine A. Gaidimas, Mohammad K. Shehab, Xiaoliang Wang, Haomiao Xie, Kent O. Kirlikovali, Randall Q. Snurr, Omar K. Farha","doi":"10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103164","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103164","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An essential attribute for the practical implementation of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)—porous, crystalline materials synthesized from the coordination of metal nodes with organic linkers—is their stability. In the current MOF literature, stability tends to be under-characterized and over-interpreted due to the lack of standard protocols and the reliance on single techniques that provide only partial insight. As a result, comparisons across materials and studies can be difficult, slowing the rational design and identification of robust frameworks. In this tutorial-style perspective, we seek to emphasize the importance of adopting a multi-technique approach to stability characterization and outline protocols for the rigorous characterization of four major classes of stability in MOFs: thermal, chemical, mechanical, and radiation. By committing to higher standards of stability characterization, the MOF community can better identify frameworks suitable for specific applications, correlate structural features that endow them with specific stability, and accelerate the development of predictive models for rational design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":268,"journal":{"name":"Chem","volume":"12 8","pages":"Article 103164"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148666065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemPub Date : 2026-08-13DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103203
Yutong Huang, Yuqin Zou, Shuangyin Wang
{"title":"Atomic-scale interface enables ultra-low-potential HMF oxidation to FDCA","authors":"Yutong Huang, Yuqin Zou, Shuangyin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103203","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chempr.2026.103203","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The selective electrooxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) at low potentials has been a persistent challenge. In this issue of <em>Chem Circularity</em>, Chen and coworkers report a Pd<sub>100</sub>Pt<sub>0.6</sub> catalyst with abundant Pd–O–Pt<sup>δ+</sup> interface sites that effectively lowers the reaction potential of the HMF oxidation reaction and enhances FDCA selectivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":268,"journal":{"name":"Chem","volume":"12 8","pages":"Article 103203"},"PeriodicalIF":19.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148718570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}