Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have created a new molecule which carries DNA into biological cells, to treat or vaccinate against illnesses. Many existing options rely on molecules with a strong positive charge, which can cause harmful inflammation. The team overcame this by using a neutral molecule and a new method to bind DNA to it, making it possible to deliver DNA into cells. Successful experiments in mice promise new, more effective therapies.

Professor Chao Wang's team at Tianjin Normal University recently reported a non-covalent C–H⋯π interaction-based olefin functionalization strategy, achieving highly regio- and enantioselective1,2-borylalkynylation reactions of unactivated alkenes. Utilizing the weak interaction between the aryl side arm of the chiral diamine ligand andthe π-donor group of the olefin substrate, they successfully achieved precise three-component coupling of the olefin, B₂pin₂, and alkynyl bromide under nickel catalysis. The study achieved efficient construction of remote chiral centers by controlling the transition state of migration insertion through non-covalent interactions. This strategy eliminates the dependence on traditional covalently directed groups, complementing existing covalently directed models and opening up new avenues for site- and stereoselective bifunctionalization of unactivated alkenes. The article was published as an open access Research Article in CCS Chemistry, the flagship journal of the Chinese Chemical Society.

Formic acid is considered a molecule in which all atoms lie in a single plane. A research team at Goethe University, together with cooperation partners, has now demonstrated experimentally that the atoms in formic acid jitter out of this plane continuously on a minimal scale. As a result, the molecule is not flat most of the time but three-dimensional, thereby losing its symmetry. The quivering of the atoms are a a quantum physical effects, according to which particles are never at rest.

Smart cushioning materials with sensing features can enable real-time detection of damage to transport goods. However, current sensing technologies require wired connections for power and data transmission, limiting applicability. In a new study, researchers have developed a novel origami-inspired wireless, battery-free smart cushioning material that can accurately detect and provide measurement of damage to transported goods. This material holds strong potential for improving logistics and transport traceability.

Antarctica plays a crucial role in the Earth’s climate system by reflecting solar radiation back into space. The large white ice surfaces and clouds play a decisive role in this process. However, how clouds actually form in Antarctica, how they interact with the atmosphere and what role aerosols play in this process has not been sufficiently researched to date. Engaging in the SANAT flight campaign, the Alfred Wegener Institute, the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry aim to help close this knowledge gap. The flight-based aerosol measurements conducted in Antarctica are the first of their kind in 20 years and also the first to extend deep into the interior. 

The University of Osaka’s Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Biology (QIQB) is a premier research institute in Japan, distinguished by its extensive global network of leading institutions worldwide.

A collaborative research team comprised of Xin Li from Nankai University, Wei Zhang from Sichuan University, and Hanliang Zheng from Zhejiang Normal University developed a green and efficient photo-redox/hydrogen atom transfer (HAT)/chiral phosphoric acid (CPA) synergistic catalytic strategy to achieve the deracemization of α-aryl cyclic ketones, successfully synthesizing a series of chiral α-aryl cyclic ketones (Figure 1). The reaction generates a sulfur radical via a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) process between an excited-state photosensitizer and a thiophenol, followed by hydrogen atom transfer and single-electron reduction to form a key enol intermediate. Finally, an asymmetric keto-enol tautomerism occurs under chiral phosphoric acid catalysis, achieving deracemization. A series of mechanistic experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations support the above reaction pathway and further reveal that conformational distortion of the chiral catalyst in the unfavorable transition state is a key factor in regulating the enantioselectivity of the reaction. The article was published as an open access Research Article in CCS Chemistry, the flagship journal of the Chinese Chemical Society.

Acoustic frequency combs can precisely organize sound vibrations for sensing and imaging applications, but existing approaches operate at high, inaudible frequencies and offer limited bandwidth. Researchers have developed a phonon-laser-based acoustic frequency comb that generates up to 6000 evenly spaced frequencies over a tunable range from 10 Hz to 100 kHz, representing the highest tooth count and the broadest tunable bandwidth achieved in an acoustic frequency comb to date.