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Ligands and additives are often utilized to stabilize low-valent catalytic metal species experimentally, while their role in suppressing metal deposition has been less studied. Here, the authors report an on-cycle mechanism for CoCl2bpy2 catalyzed Negishi-type cross-coupling describing a full catalytic cycle for this reaction using multiple spectroscopic studies.

Assays for catalytic systems—particularly ones with simple colorimetric readouts—are useful for the rapid evaluation of performance. Here, the authors report an assay based on a concurrent colour-forming reaction working across a wide range that can be stopped to allow measurements and subsequently restarted.

There are currently no licensed vaccines to prevent Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections. In this study, the authors evaluate the immune response and preclinical efficacy of a multicomponent mRNA lipid-nanoparticle vaccine against GAS.

Coordination-induced bond weakening (CIBW) by redox-active metals is used to weaken bonds in water and ammonia to facilitate proton-coupled electron transfer but achieving CIBW using aluminium as abundant metal is challenging. Here, the authors report a system that uses aluminum with a redox non-innocent ligand to achieve CIBW of O-H and N-H bonds.

High-entropy metal-organic frameworks offer significant potential as versatile materials, but existing examples are largely limited to low-valence elements in the fourth period, restricting their design and optimization for various applications. Here, a novel high-entropy, defect-rich, and small-sized UiO-66 framework has been synthesized to enhance catalytic transfer hydrogenation.

High-spin Fe(IV) = O sites efficiently activate methane but are challenging to synthesize. This study develops dual Fe(II) sites on FeS₂, generating high-spin Fe(IV) = O from O₂, achieving superior methane-to-methanol conversion under mild conditions.

Actinide compounds possess complex electronic structures. Here the authors introduce the satellite peak in actinide M₄-edge resonant inelastic X-ray scattering to probe the number of localized 5 f electrons and assesses bond covalency in actinide compounds.

Community-acquired bacterial meningitis (inflammation of the meninges) is most commonly caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae or Neisseria meningitidis. Prevention (through vaccination) and early antibiotic treatment are essential to reduce morbidity and mortality of this medical emergency.

Kasiewicz et al. describe a structure-guided rational design approach to optimize a new GalNAc-Lipid nanoparticle that enables delivery of a base editing therapy in both low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient and wild-type nonclinical models.

Electronic structure modulation of active sites is important for Fenton-like catalysis. A non-metallic iodine single-atom catalyst with C-I coordination is reported here, which can effectively activate peroxymonosulfate into ¹O₂ for water treatment.

Combining chemo- and biocatalytic sites within an integrated catalyst to perform complex, multi-step reactions is highly desirable but challenging. Here, the authors present an ionic organic cage platform for such a chemoenzymatic catalyst, achieved by electrostatic complexation of cationic molecular cage-encapsulated Pd clusters (Pd@C-Cage⁺) and anionic Candida antarctica lipase B.

The Verwey transition in magnetite was reported 80 years ago but identifying the underlying mechanism has been difficult. Here the authors show that structural distortions associated with the Verwey transition emerge as local fluctuations at the Curie temperature, confirming their link with magnetic order.

The authors report a dual photothermal-electrocatalysis interface which enables efficient ammonia extraction and purification from air and wastewater, thereby advancing sustainable waste-to-fuel conversion.

Here, Qi et al. assembled ~3000 archaeal genomes from hot springs, capturing temporal dynamics and environmental diversity, and systematically explored functional niches and metabolic handoffs, shedding light on Archaea’s role in biogeochemical cycling.

Europium-based materials are interesting for magnetic devices because divalent europium carries a large spin-magnetic moment. Chikina et al. show that the non-magnetic Si-Rh-Si surface trilayer of the antiferromagnet EuRh₂Si₂reveals a surface state with large spin splitting controllable by temperature.

Modulating the electronic structure of active metal sites is crucial to enhance the activity of anion-exchange membrane water electrolyzers. Here, the authors elaborate Cr-doped amorphous metal oxide catalysts with excellent activity and stability.

While important for solar energy conversion, it is unclear whether electron transfer at molecular–semiconductor interfaces is influenced only by the distance over which the injected electron tunnels and whether specific through-bond pathways are active. Now, a pathway for electron transfer has been identified through comparative analysis of compounds with phenyl- or xylyl-thiophene bridges.

Injectable hydrogels are being explored for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) therapy, but most existing injectable hydrogels address only specific aspects of the RA pathological microenvironment. Here, the authors report an injectable bioadhesive and lubricating hydrogel, that prevents cartilage wear, provides long-term anti-inflammatory effects, and repairs damaged cartilage for RA therapy.

Metal–organic frameworks hold promise as electrocatalysts for water splitting, but their large-scale production remains a challenge. This study reports on a scalable synthetic approach to fabricate large-area metal–organic framework-based electrodes, achieving high catalytic activity and stability in practical alkaline water electrolysis.

There exists an urgent need to develop new materials to convert CO₂ to useful products. Here, authors demonstrate metal phosphide nanoparticles to enable light-driven CO₂ hydrogenation with high activities and near-unity selectivity.

Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (SDSE) is an emerging cause of human infection closely related to Streptococcus pyogenes. Here the authors investigate the degree of genomic similarity between the two species and assess implications for development of vaccines.

A dysprosium amide–alkene complex shows soft magnetic hysteresis loops up to 100 kelvin, arising from the high charge density of the amide ligands and the structural role of the pendant alkene.

The mechanism underpinning the photovoltaic effect in hybrid perovskite solar cells has remained unclear. Here, Green and co-workers suggest that iodide ions in methylammonium lead iodide perovskite migrate via interstitial sites and undergo a redox reaction to form molecular iodine and free electrons.

The interactions of quasiparticles can be described by renormalizing their masses, such that some materials have a vanishingly small effective mass, whereas others have a very high effective mass. The observation by Vyalikh and colleagues of both extremes occurring on the surface and interior of the same material offers a new view of many-body interactions.

Photoexcited acridine radical catalysts are found to have redox potentials more reducing than lithium, which is attributed to the population of higher-energy doublet excited states via a twisted intramolecular charge-transfer species.

Pressure induced charge amorphisation realised in the structurally crystalline material BiNiO₃ at low temperature, provides fundamental approaches to the study of amorphisation with charge states rather than atoms or molecules.

The inverse-trans-influence has been shown to operate in high oxidation state actinide complexes. Here, the authors report tetravalent cerium, uranium and thorium bis(carbene) complexes with trans C=M=C cores where experimental and theoretical data also suggest the presence of an inverse-trans-effect.

Analysing the evolutionary history of two recent populations of a pathogenic fungus that infects wheat and ryegrasses, the authors show how recombination and selection on standing genetic variation contributed to adaptation to the new hosts.

Functionalizing unactivated carbon–hydrogen bonds is challenging, especially when using non-precious metals and dealing with sp³ hybridized carbons. Here, the authors report an intramolecular cobalt catalysed amination of C–H bonds of sp³carbons, giving access to β- and γ-lactams.

The identification of the magnetic-fluctuation mode at a quantum phase transition of the archetypical heavy-fermion compound Ce_1−xLa_xRu₂Si₂ indicates that quantum criticality in this system is governed by collective antiferromagnetic behaviour, rather than by local magnetic moments as has been suggested.

Oxides with a face-centred cubic anion sublattice are generally not considered as solid-state electrolytes. Li superionic conductivity in face-centred cubic oxides with face-sharing Li configurations have now been created through cation over-stoichiometry in rocksalt-type lattices via excess Li.

Disordered rock-salt positive electrodes are promising for nickel- and cobalt-free lithium-ion batteries. Here, the authors demonstrate a synthesis method that yields highly crystalline, sub-200 nm dispersed single particles, enabling improved electrochemical cycling stability.

There is an urgent need to develop effective heterogeneous Fenton-like catalysts for water treatment. Here, the authors demonstrate that nanoconfinement of cobalt oxide catalysts in carbon nanotubes can selectively degrade pollutants at high reaction rate.

Using complementary linkers as building blocks in the design of 2D covalent organic frameworks (COFs) limits the formation of compositionally and structurally complex networks. Here, the authors demonstrate a COF with a bex topology by combining non-complementary triangular and rectangular linkers.