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Diorganozinc reagents (ZnR₂, e.g. R = Et, Ph, C₆F₅) are widely used as Lewis acid catalysts or Lewis base reagents, however, descriptors for predicting the influence of the R substituent are scarce. Here, by using liquid-phase X-ray spectroscopy, the authors have identified the geometric structures of diorganozincs in weakly coordinating solvents and then established Zn-specific descriptors to quantify the properties of their underlying Lewis acidity/basicity.

The absence of catalytic asymmetric methods for synthesizing chiral (hetero)bicyclo[n.1.1]alkanes has hindered their application in new drug discovery. Herein the authors report an enantioselective formal (3 + 3) cycloaddition of bicyclobutanes with nitrones using a chiral Lewis acid catalyst for the synthesis of hetero-bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane.

Designing catalysts that efficiently and sustainably break down O₃ in humid conditions remains a challenge. Here, the authors present a strategy for incorporating Lewis pairs into the catalyst as electron donor-acceptor sites to achieve robust O₃ decomposition in humid environments.

A counter-intuitive strategy that combines a chiral Lewis base catalyst with an achiral Lewis base co-catalyst results in an exceptionally large increase in the facility of catalytic enantioselective silylation of polyols. The catalytic ensemble drives such reactions to completion within a few hours, rather than the usual two–five days, without loss of enantioselectivity.

The commercial production of green diesel suffers from the requirement for continuous sulfur replenishment to maintain catalytic activity. Here, the authors report a sulfur-free catalytic system that can efficiently produce green diesel from various feedstocks over long periods of operation.

Inspired by class II aldolases found in nature, the authors report a biomimetic copper/squaramide cooperative catalysis strategy for asymmetric Mannich reactions between challenging acyclic ketimines and α-substituted β-keto esters.

Hepatitis C virus lacks an effective vaccine, partly due to the absence of suitable animal models for testing. Here, the authors develop a live-attenuated vaccine, using synonymous mutagenesis in rodent hepacivirus, and demonstrate induction of a protective T cell response and protection from chronic infection in rats.

A de novo designed zinc-binding protein has been converted into a highly active, stereoselective catalyst for a hetero-Diels–Alder reaction. Design and directed evolution were used to effectively harness Lewis acid catalysis and create an enzyme more proficient than other reported Diels–Alderases.

As of yet, no clear structure–performance descriptors have been developed to tune the catalytic activity of zeolitic methanol-to-olefin catalysts. Now it has been shown that introducing Lewis acidity into Brønsted acidic zeolites boosts their performance. Although Brønsted acidity is found to define propylene selectivity, Lewis acidity is responsible for prolonging lifetime.

An investigation on Lewis acids reveals a mechanism for p-type doping of semiconducting polymers based on the formation of water–Lewis acid complexes, protonation of the polymer and electron transfer between neutral and charged chain segments.

[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.

Frustrated Lewis pairs have been shown to be capable of heterolysis of strong covalent bonds such as those in molecular hydrogen, and have been used in the hydrogenation of polar multiple bonds. Here, a new type of ansa-aminohydroborane is shown to be active for the partial hydrogenation of alkynes under mild conditions.

Contributions of vehicular and structural proton transport are quantified in phosphoric acid electrolytes, with linking structural diffusion to hydrogen bonds. The derived conductivity model guides electrolyte-conductivity trends and identifies 5.8 M for low-temperature batteries.

Achieving high selectivity in CO₂-to-methanol conversion remains challenging. This study uses defect-engineered In₂O₃/ZrO₂ catalysts featuring abundant oxygen vacancies, significantly boosting methanol productivity and selectivity.

Although Tc toxins are a major class of bacterial toxin translocation systems, little is known about their receptor binding. Here, the authors identify heparins/heparan sulfates and Lewis antigens as receptors for different Tc toxins, determine cryo-EM structures of three toxin-glycan complexes and propose a two-step cell adhesion mechanism for Tc toxins.

NatD is an acetyltransferase responsible for N-α-terminal acetylation of the histone H4 and H2A and has been linked to cell growth. Here the authors show that NatD-mediated acetylation of histone H4 serine 1 competes with the phosphorylation by CK2α at the same residue thus leading to the upregulation of Slug and tumor progression.

The mismatched bilateral bond strength between NiO_x and perovskite hinders the development of inverted perovskite solar cells. Here, authors adsorb 1-(benzothiaxole-2-ylthio)succinic acid on NiO_x surface for passivating bilateral defects and achieve maximum efficiency close to 27% in stable devices.

Though exceptions exist, the 18-electron rule, which indicates that diamagnetic 18-electron complexes do not coordinate to a ligand to form a 20-electron complex, is widely accepted. Here, based on the tunable ligand design, the authors report the formation of 20-electron ferrocene derivatives through reversible nitrogen coordination to 18-electron analogues.

Phenols and their derivatives are highly relevant motifs in synthesis, though classical functionalization is dictated by electronic and steric factors. Here the authors report the reconfiguration of meta-substituted phenols into either ortho or para, triggered photochemically in the presence of Lewis or Brønsted acids.

Lewis acid aluminium sites in zeolites enable some industrially relevant catalytic reactions, such as biomass valorization. This Perspective explores the origin and interpretation of these species, and discusses characterization techniques that can close knowledge gaps.

This study reveals that females with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder show less neurodegeneration than males. The least affected regions in females are regions that overexpress estrogen-related genes, suggesting potential sex-specific neuroprotection.

A global research network monitoring the Amazon for 30 years reports in this study that tree size increased by 3% each decade.

Addressing the stability challenges from metal electrodes/perovskite components chemical interactions is essential for high-performance perovskite solar cells. Here, authors design a bilayer polymer buffer to mitigate metal/ion interdiffusion, realizing a certified efficiency of 26.46%.

Analysis combining multiple global tree databases reveals that whether a location is invaded by non-native tree species depends on anthropogenic factors, but the severity of the invasion depends on the native species diversity.

A study of several longitudinal birth cohorts and cross-sectional cohorts finds only moderate overlap in genetic variants between autism that is diagnosed earlier and that diagnosed later, so they may represent aetiologically different conditions.

The neurotoxicity of organophosphate compounds damages nerve system by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE) expression, but it is difficult to overcome the deactivation of AChE. Here, the authors report the design of Lewis acid sites in metal-organic frameworks as AChE mimics for effective neuroprotection.

This work develops defective MnO2 catalysts with Frustrated Lewis Pairs through a coordination number reduction strategy to enhance the aerobic oxidation of various polyols/sugars to formic acid.

Sustainable synthesis of valuable organic compounds like lactams relies on efficient catalysts. Here, the authors report a bimetallic silver–rhenium catalyst that selectively converts cyclic imides to lactams with high efficiency, with close silver–rhenium contact being key to its performance.

Electrochemical upcycling of waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is hindered by low current density and challenging glycolic acid separation. By constructing a Lewis acid substrate and employing a cost-effective purification strategy, the authors achieve a scale-up upcycling of waste PET.

Ambient electromagnetic energy is ubiquitous, but it is a challenge to harvest this energy. Here the authors designed a dielectric polarization enabled textile which can harvest electromagnetic energy.

The synthesis of a tricoordinate antimony cation is reported by the removal of two chlorides from Tp^Me2SbCl₂, where Tp^Me2 is tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate. The multiple binding sites present in [Tp^Me2Sb]²⁺ bring an amine and an olefinic bond in proximity to enable an intermolecular hydroamination reaction.

Silylium ions are highly reactive, strongly Lewis acidic and have historically been tricky to isolate. This Perspective highlights the range of methods available for their preparation and the latest examples of their use as catalysts or reagents in organic synthesis.

A study by Tajadura-Ortega et al. uses glycan microarrays to reveal how vaginal microbiota interacts with host glycans, offering insights into how glycan interactions influence bacterial colonization and competition.