Professor Lijia Wang's group at East China Normal University, in collaboration with Academician Yong Tang of the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed a nickel (II)-catalyzed asymmetric [2+2] cyclobutanization reaction. By introducing a flexible "antenna" structure into the traditional chiral BOX ligand, they successfully achieved efficient asymmetric cyclobutanization of indole-derived heterocyclic enamines with methylene malonates. Based on this method, the team completed a concise asymmetric synthesis of seven quebracho indole alkaloids with a total yield of 29%-39% in just 7-10 steps (the longest linear step). Among them, (-)-eburine, (-)-eburcine, and (-)-minovine were achieved for the first time in asymmetric total synthesis, providing a new path for the efficient preparation of complex alkaloids. The article was published as an open access research article in CCS Chemistry, the flagship journal of the Chinese Chemical Society.

In a recent study, researchers share their novel work on coupling free electrons with nonlinear optical states investigate, leveraging microcomb generation in photonic chip-based, high-quality-factor microresonators. They also highlight other technologies, including attosecond electron microscopy via free-electron homodyne detection, probing polariton wavepackets with free-electron resonant interferometry, generation and characterization of chiral electron coils, and ultrafast Kapitza-Dirac effect.

Lipids are not just energy sources and structural components of cell membranes – they also act as molecules that transmit signals within and between cells. A new Koselleck Project at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Goethe University Frankfurt and the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research focuses on certain products derived from arachidonic acid. These products exhibit beneficial effects in cardiovascular diseases as well as in Alzheimer’s dementia and chronic pain.

The reticular architecture of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) enables not only systematic but also creative tuning of their functionalities. A recent study involving forty structurally related MOFs demonstrated how to precisely integrate and regulate two types of electrochromic cores within the MOF architectures through mild linker modifications and straightforward crystal engineering. The underlying logic is reminiscent of a conventional color palette—yet elevated to molecular-level precision, offering promising prospects for future electronic applications.