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The reduction of nitrite (NO₂⁻) to nitric oxide (NO), relevant to the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle as well as radioactive waste, typically occurs at redox-active metal centres. Now, a Lewis acid-capped nitrite has been reduced to the nitrite dianion (NO₂²⁻), a nitrogen-centred radical that connects three redox levels in the global nitrogen cycle through NO₂⁻, NO and N₂O.

Due to its ready availability and low cost, copper is an attractive metal for the homogeneous reduction of CO₂ to formate. However, although CO₂ can readily insert into copper hydrides to produce metal-bound formate, subsequent regeneration of the catalytic species with H₂ is more challenging. Here a dual strategy is used, whereby a copper hydride activates CO₂ and a Lewis pair heterolytically splits H₂, leading to dramatically improved performance.

Sustainable catalysts based on main-group elements, such as frustrated Lewis pairs, have emerged as alternatives to precious metal systems. Here the authors show that the charge-transfer band between P(mes)₃ and B(C₆F₅)₃ can be analyzed by supramolecular UV-vis spectroscopic techniques to provide the key thermodynamic parameter for the active encounter complex.

Heterogeneous surface frustrated Lewis pairs catalysis have been predominantly focused on metal oxide hydroxides. This study instead explores a different chemical composition space by shifting from metal oxides to metal nitrides for CO₂ photoreduction.

The structural motif of porphyrin is relevant for many essential biological processes and has emerged as a versatile component of functional materials. Here, the authors report a thiophene-based porphyrinogen having electron-deficient boron atoms in all four meso-positions that exhibits redox-switchable aromaticity.

The structure, molecular and mechanistic details of the human α1,3-fucosyltransferase FUT9 provide insight into the synthesis of diverse and modified glycan-capping Lewis antigen structures by a conserved family of mammalian fucosyltransferases.

While the homo N-N coupling of two NH moieties to form the hydrazide N-N bond is well developed, the crossdehydrogenative hetero N-N coupling remains unevolved. Here the authors present an efficient, PhI(OAc)2-mediated intermolecular N-N cross-coupling of primary benzamides with primary and secondary amines.

Two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides, known as MXenes, are currently considered as energy storage materials. A generic Lewis acidic etching route for preparing high-rate negative-electrode MXenes with enhanced electrochemical performance in non-aqueous electrolyte is now proposed.

The design of receptors for the selective capture of F⁻ is important because of the potential toxicity of this anion. Now, a telluronium borane has been shown to form a very stable fluoride chelate complex. The stability of the complex can be correlated to the Lewis acidity of the telluronium centre.

Surface frustrated Lewis pairs (SFLPs) provide a unique class of active sites that enable efficient gas-phase CO₂ photocatalysis. How to tailor the reactivity of the SFLPs represents a major challenge, which the authors address here by single-site Bi³⁺ ion substitution of the SFLPs.

In nature, enzymes can orchestrate the combination of several different catalytic species, but mimicking this with synthetic catalysts is often problematic due to undesirable interactions between the catalysts. Here, an N-heterocyclic carbene and a Lewis acid cooperate to catalyse the efficient formation of γ-lactams.

The synthesis of cyclic polymers remains challenging. Now a trifunctional B-P-B frustrated Lewis pair has been shown to enable easy access to cyclic acrylic polymers through a bimolecular mechanism. These cyclic polymers have enhanced thermodynamic properties compared with their linear counterparts, while maintaining high chemical recyclability.

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.

Here, the authors combine bioinformatic, mass spectrometric, and sequencing-based mapping tools to identify previously undescribed phosphorothioate epigenetic systems widespread in the human gut microbiome.

Here the authors report NiGa₂O_4–x(OH)_y for light-driven CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol. The surface Lewis acid–base pairs and -OH groups act as conduits for H^- /H⁺ transport to active sites, enhancing photocatalytic methanol production.

The contribution of ether lipid species in cancer cell fate has not been fully understood yet. Here the authors show that malignant cancer cells employ ether lipids to modulate membrane biophysical properties, enhancing iron endocytosis and ferroptosis susceptibility.

The study used snMultiome-seq to map gene expression and chromatin accessibility in human central amygdala cells from people with and without AUD. Here, the authors show that inhibitory neurons are most affected, with KLF16-driven regulatory changes and AUD-risk variants disrupting gene activity.

Nuzum et al. used cross-sectional data from the UK PROTECT study to evaluate the relationship between high autistic traits and suicidality in older adults.

Lipid nanoparticle based mRNA vaccines are known to induce robust CD4 + T cell responses. Here the authors establish a role of endogenously derived antigen processing in the optimal priming of CD4 + T cell responses to mRNA lipid nanoparticle vaccines.

Norovirus genotype GII.17 has been linked with a recent increase in cases in Europe and the Americas. Here, the authors investigate the genetic diversity and mutational patterns, and phenotypic differences associated with the recent circulating strain.

This study examines long-term changes in species richness across tropical forests in the Andes and Amazon. Hotter, drier and more seasonal forests in the eastern and southern Amazon are losing species, while Northern Andean forests are accumulating species, acting as a refuge for climate-displaced species.

CAR-T cell efficacy is often limited by the inability to maintain a memory T cell program. Here, the authors show that intrinsic CXCR4 expression enhances CAR-T cell persistence and memory differentiation in acute myeloid leukemia.

Distinguishing between different proteins that each bind to the same type of glycan is challenging. Here, the authors demonstrate that an enzymatically synthesised library of Lewis^x ‘glycofluoroforms’ that feature site-specific fluorination can discriminate closely related proteins.

Single-cell manipulation and processing techniques and improvements in mass spectrometry sensitivity make single-cell proteomic profiling feasible. This study presents a label-free approach for the characterisation of native N-glycans of single mammalian cells and ng-level blood isolates, demonstrating the potential to detect cell surface glycome changes at the single-cell level in health or disease.

Two-dimensional perovskites enable high efficiency in perovskite photovoltaics but compromise operational stability. Yaghoobi Nia et al. form two-dimensional perovskite co-crystals with neutral templating molecules, improving the stability of perovskite solar modules.

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.

Wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells suffer from instability under rapid thermal cycling. Here, Sun et al. investigate the degradation mechanism, showing that temperature-induced structural strain, phase transition, and increased non-radiative defects drive the degradation processes.

Differentiating DCs express ALDH1A2, which produces retinoic acid and suppresses DC activity. Blocking this pathway with a new inhibitor, KyA33, enhances immune responses and boosts the effectiveness of DC cancer vaccines in mouse models.

Two-dimensional poly(arylene vinylene) frameworks are promising polymer semiconductors, yet obtaining highly crystalline materials is a major challenge. Now a series of 11 highly crystalline or single-crystalline 2D poly(arylene vinylene)s have been prepared—from 2D imine-linked covalent organic frameworks through a Mannich-elimination strategy—with diverse lattices, enhanced conjugation and specific surface areas up to 2,000 m² g⁻¹.

A gas–liquid–solid triphasic etching strategy is demonstrated to obtain MXenes with uniform and tunable halogen terminations. The resulting MXenes have highly ordered structures, enhanced charge transport properties and programmable surface chemistry for advanced (opto)electronic applications.

The efficacy of CAR-T cells against solid tumors is still limited by immunosuppressive factors. Here, the authors show that engineering of CAR T cells with A1R enhances their efficacy against solid tumors in vitro and in vivo.

Treatment-seeking for fever is widely used to estimate treatment of childhood infections, but cross-country comparisons are problematic. Here, the authors estimate the probability of seeking treatment for fever at public facilities across 29 countries by quantifying person-level latent variables.