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The [1,2]-Wittig rearrangement of allylic ethers is traditionally considered to proceed via formation and recombination of radical pairs. Now it has been shown that an alternative reaction cascade, involving initial enantioselective [2,3]-rearrangement followed by base-promoted anionic fragmentation–recombination that proceeds with high enantiospecificity, allows a catalytic enantioselective [1,2]-Wittig process.

Unnatural α- and γ-amino acids display a diverse range of biological activities and serve as crucial intermediates in pharmaceutical production. Here, the authors report a four-component reaction to facilitate the switchable synthesis of α- and γ-amino acids from a shared extended p-quinone methide through a tailored amination strategy.

Strategies for the creation of topological carbon nanostructures have greatly advanced synthetic organic chemistry and materials science. Now, the synthesis of a Möbius carbon nanobelt, a molecule with a twist on belt-shaped aromatic hydrocarbons, is reported.

[2,1]-Azaboranaphthalenes represent unique boron–nitrogen (BN) isosteres of naphthalenes. Now a modular approach to the three-component synthesis of BN-2,1-azaboranaphthalene has been developed using TMSN₃ as an exogenous nitrogen source. The method proceeds under mild conditions and enables a regioselective incorporation of carbon and nitrogen atoms, showcasing broad potential for the synthesis of BN-based scaffolds.

An outbreak of MPXV in sooty mangabeys in Côte d’Ivoire was linked to MPXV-infected fire-footed rope squirrels, providing direct evidence of interspecies transmission and indicating risk for zoonotic transmission of MPXV from both hosts.

Transition-metal-catalyzed asymmetric hydroformylation represents an atom-economic and clean approach for preparation of chiral aldehydes with high efficiency. Herein, the authors report rhodium-catalyzed highly chemo-, regio- and enantioselective hydroformylation of trisubstituted cyclopropenes affording chiral quaternary cyclopropanes.

Amide synthases catalyse the formation of macrolactam rings from aniline-containing polyketide-derived seco-acids. In this study, the authors solved the crystal structure of the geldanamycin amide synthase GdmF and demonstrated that it catalyses amide formation using synthetically derived substrates.

Unprotected β-fluoroamines are important motifs in synthetic chemistry, offering versatility for the development of β-fluorinated nitrogen-containing compounds. Here, the authors disclose an iron-catalyzed three-component aminofluorination of alkenes using a hydroxylamine reagent and Et3N · 3HF, offering a direct entry to unprotected β-fluoroamines.

This study of 50 wild Western chimpanzee mother–offspring dyads revealed no evidence of disorganized attachment. Instead, offspring exhibited secure-like and insecure avoidant-like behaviours during threats, consistent with the theory that attachment is an adaptive trait.

Synthetic methods to generate tertiary nitroalkanes are scarce. Now the cobalt-catalysed synthesis of tertiary nitro-containing compounds under mild conditions from easily available olefins is enabled by a nitro-transfer reagent containing an anomeric amide.

Geometric E to Z double C=C bond isomerization is challenging as it requires kinetic trapping of the Z-isomer with injection of chemical energy. Here, the authors report a dinuclear Pd(I)−Pd(I) complex that mediates selective isomerization of E-1,3-dienes to the Z-isomers without photoirradiation.

The challenging synthesis of thermodynamic-unfavored cis-olefins through catalytic cross-coupling reactions requires the synergistic interaction of substrate activating units and configuration-regulating catalysts. Herein, the authors report a photoredox access to Z-alkenes from alkynes and light alkanes with a bifunctional iron-catalyzed system.

The Mannich reaction has long been used by chemists for the synthesis of stereoselective synthesis of β-amino-carbonyl compounds. Here, the authors show a catalytic homo-Mannich reaction of cyclopropanols with in situ-formed imines, furnishing chiral 2,6-disubstituted piperidines in good yields with high diastereoselectivities due to the use of a diketiminate-complexed copper.

Harnessing the triplet state reactivity of iminium ions has remained a long-standing challenge in photocatalysis. Now it has been shown that structural modification allows direct access to this manifold, overcoming the need for external photosensitizers. This strategy allows the development of organocatalytic enantioselective [2 + 2] photocycloadditions to generate complex cyclobutanes with high stereocontrol.

We report a radical-based Ni/Ag-electrocatalytic cross-coupling of substituted carboxylic acids, enabling an approach to accessing complex molecular architectures, which relies on a silver additive that forms an active Ag nanoparticle-coated electrode surface along with carefully chosen ligands.

Many photocatalytic synthetic organic methodologies proceed through radical intermediates, which lead to generally predictable alkene functionalization patterns. Here the authors install a useful trifluoromethyl group at the unusual alpha position via red-light copper photocatalysis.

The incorporation of multiple carbon labels into drug candidates is a difficult synthetic challenge. Here an operationally simple method for the preparation of multi-carbon-labelled isotopologues of active pharmaceutical ingredients and other bioactive molecules, through a combined catalytic three-gas surrogate hydroformylation strategy, is reported.

Oligonucleotides targeting mRNA are promising therapeutic agents but suffer from poor bioavailability. Here, the authors develop reduced-charge oligonucleotides with artificial LNA-amide linkages with improved cell uptake and minimal structural deviation to the DNA:RNA duplex.

This multi-omic longitudinal analysis of the healthy human peripheral immune system constructs the Human Immune Health Atlas and assembles data on immune cell composition and state changes with age, including responses to cytomegalovirus infection and influenza vaccination.

π-electron systems composed of multiple redox-active units are attractive, but it is still challenging to selectively synthesize the diverse molecular structures of redox-convertible species in multi-electrophore systems. Here, the authors design covalently linked quinodimethane derivatives with a sulfur bridge that can be converted into three different geometries via redox reaction.

Emulating the concept of natural photosynthesis has long been a focus of chemists in an effort to harness solar light as an energy source using water as an electron donor and a source material. Here, the authors present an artificial photosynthetic system that can functionalize styrenes via C–H activation and water splitting.

Arisandilactone A is a natural product with a complex oxa-bridged tricyclic carbon core, making it a challenging target in total synthesis. Here the authors report an asymmetric total synthesis of its 19-dehydroxy derivative, with homo-Michael and tandem retro-Michael/Michael reactions as key steps.

Cyclic amines bearing α-substituents are valuable building blocks for drug discovery and natural product synthesis. Introduction of α-substituents via site-selective replacement of C–H bonds is highly attractive but typically limited to protected amine substrates. Now, an operationally simple hydride-transfer-based approach enables the introduction of α-substituents on unprotected amines.

The quark structure of the f₀(980) hadron is still unknown after 50 years of its discovery. Here, the CMS Collaboration reports a measurement of the elliptic flow of the f₀(980) state in proton-lead collisions at a nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy of 8.16 TeV, providing strong evidence that the state is an ordinary meson.

The morphan core is central to strychnan alkaloid synthesis and is typically formed during the middle or later stages of the process. Now it has been shown that an allene/ketone-equipped morphan core can be constructed early in the synthesis through ketone α-allenylation and then used to introduce other rings and functionalities, enabling access to nine targets including strychnine and geissolosimine.

Multi-component cascade transformations including difunctionalization of two alkynes with both syn- and anti-selectivity in one catalyst system is challenging. Herein, the authors report a Nickel-catalyzed four-component reaction to access densely substituted 1,3-dienes using two terminal alkynes, aryl boroxines, and perfluoroalkyl iodides.

Biofilm formation and antibiotic tolerance are regulated in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by the protein PA1396, which responds to diffusible signal factors (DSFs) produced by other bacteria. Here, An et al. synthesize DSF analogues that modulate PA1396 activity and thus biofilm formation and antibiotic tolerance.

The Mannich reaction is a well-established method for the synthesis of β-amino carbonyl compounds while the analogous reactions of homo-enol or its equivalents with imines or iminium ions are much less explored. Here, the authors describe a homo-Mannich reaction of cyclopropanol with imines generated via a Bischler-Napieralski reaction.

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of cyclic olefins has been widely used in the synthesis of advanced polymeric materials. This mini review introduces the basics of olefin metathesis reactions, especially ROMP, and summarizes reported examples of cis-/trans- (Z-/E-) specific ROMP in which ruthenium-carbene, molybdenum-alkylidene, vanadium-alkylidene, and niobium-alkylidene catalysts were used. cis-/trans-Selective bottlebrush polymers prepared from (arylimido)vanadium(V)-alkylidene catalysts displayed different thermal and emission properties because of their different morphologies and interpolymer and/or intrapolymer interactions.

Epoxides are prominent small-ring O-heterocycles found in a variety of bioactive natural products and pharmaceuticals. Here, the authors report a silver carbene strategy to achieve O-to-C atom exchange of epoxides in a single step, affording diverse fluoroalkylcyclopropanes.

Preparation of functionalized analogues of 1,2-benzdiyne, from heavily substituted as well as benzofused scaffolds, is challenging. Here, the authors develop an array of 3-sulfonyloxyaryl(mesityl)iodonium triflates as 1,2-benzdiyne precursors, triggered from ortho-deprotonative elimination.

The arcuate fascicle connection with the middle temporal gyrus has been considered unique to humans. Using high-resolution diffusion MRI, the authors systematically show this connection in chimpanzees, suggesting a gradual evolution of the language network.

Conjugated polymers with semiconductor properties are of interest for a range of electronic applications, but synthesizing conjugated polymers without defects remains challenging. Here, the authors explore the potential of a modified Staudinger reaction for the preparation of iminophosphorane-linked polymers, producing poly(arylene iminophosphorane)-based glassy films, foams, and metallo-polymers.

Holger Prokisch and colleagues report whole-exome sequencing of an individual with severe complex I deficiency, followed by screening in an additional 120 cases. They identify mutations in ACAD9 as causal for complex I deficiency.

Leprosy, caused by infection with Mycobacterium leprae, was common in Europe in the Middle Ages. Here, Krause-Kyora et al. analyze ancient DNA from a medieval Danish leprosarium to assemble 10 complete bacterial genomes and perform association analysis of the DRB1*15:01 allele with risk of leprosy infection.

Although hydrogen atom transfer is widely observed in synthetic organic chemistry, intramolecular hydrogen atom transfer between atoms separated by fewer than four bonds is kinetically slow. Here the authors show a method to form indanones, with hydrogen atoms shuttled across short distances by water.

Propargylamines are of interest both as biologically active compounds and versatile synthetic intermediates. Here, the authors report a method for the organocatalytic asymmetric synthesis of propargylamines through addition of carbon nucleophiles to alkynyl imines.

Polyether ionophores are natural products that display antibacterial activity—but they also show activity against mammalian cells, which has limited their development as clinical antibiotics. Now, a semisynthesis principle of recycling substructures from highly abundant natural polyether ionophores has been used to prepare analogues with enhanced selectivity towards bacterial cells.

Alternaric acid is a known starting point for herbicide development. Now, the development of a total synthesis enables structure–activity relationship profiling of compound libraries, which, combined with phenotypic screening and molecular modelling, identifies lead compounds with enhanced herbicidal activity compared with alternaric acid.

Spirooxindoles are important structural motifs found in an array of bioactive compounds. Here a Michael–aldol domino reaction for the construction of bispirooxindoles is presented, creating four stereocentres, including three quaternary carbon centres. Novel multifunctional organocatalysts have been developed for this transformation.

Male C. elegans excrete an N-acylated glutamine that acts via evolutionarily conserved nuclear hormone receptor and chemosensory pathways to counteract dauer diapause and accelerate sexual maturation of hermaphrodites, at the cost of shortening hermaphrodite lifespan.

Tmbim5 and Slc8b1 cooperate in tissue-specific mitochondrial Ca2+ regulation in zebrafish. Genetic analyses show that Tmbim5 is not an independent uptake pathway but acts as an auxiliary Ca2+ efflux mechanism with distinct roles in brain and muscle.

Since fluoro-compounds are popular in industrial settings, efficient methods for incorporation of fluoride into organic molecules are desirable. Here, the authors developed trifluoroacetaldehyde N-tfsylhydrazone (TFHZ-Tfs) as a CF₃CHN₂ surrogate that generates CF₃CHN₂ in situ under basic conditions.