A significant advancement in molecular engineering has produced a large, hollow spherical shell nanostructure through the self-assembly of peptides and metal ions, report researchers from Japan. This dodecahedral link structure, measuring 6.3 nanometers in diameter, was achieved by combining geometric principles derived from knot theory and graph theory with peptide engineering. The resulting structure demonstrates remarkable stability while featuring a large inner cavity suitable for encapsulating macromolecules, opening pathways for producing complex artificial virus capsids.

As a recent leap in green chemistry, scientists from Japan have unveiled a new catalyst that enables high yields of sulfones using molecular oxygen—close to room temperature. By fine-tuning the structure of oxygen vacancies in perovskite oxide catalysts, the researchers successfully reduced the reaction temperature from 80–150°C to nearly 30°C, offering improved energy efficiency. The study marks a significant milestone in advancing complex sulfide oxidation reactions, offering sustainability with excellent efficiency.