organic-chemistry

Nature Chemistry, Published online: 25 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02159-w Organic triplet excitons are ‘dark states’, rendering direct photoexcitation from the ground state and efficient phosphorescence difficult. Now it has been shown that attaching chromophores to lanthanide-doped nanocrystals enables spin-exchange-mediated direct triplet excitation and nanosecond-timescale, oxygen-insens…

Nature Astronomy, Published online: 21 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41550-026-02861-2 Asteroid Ryugu contains all of the five nucleobases utilized in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). A new analysis links chemistry within primitive accreting planetary bodies to the distributions of key prebiotic molecules.

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73510-5 The authors report a hydrazine-mediated carbonyl–alkyne reductive olefination, offering a minimalist approach to structurally complex cycloolefins.

Biomolecules, also known as organic molecules, include sugars, proteins and lipids and are the building blocks of all life. They play a role in the structure and metabolism of all living organisms. To make them visible under a microscope, researchers use special dyes to make them glow. A research te...

Abstract In this study, benzimidazolium salts were synthesized by introducing a bulky N -(2-ethylhexyl) benzimidazole, while various aryl substituents were incorporated onto the second nitrogen. These salts were employed as N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursors and reacted with Pd(OAc)₂ to afford a series of [PdCl₂(NHC)₂]-type palladium(II) NHC complexes. The catalytic activity of the synthesiz…

Materials exhibiting efficient nonlinear optical properties, such as two-photon absorption (2PA), are of increasing interest for applications including biomedical imaging, optical data storage, and long-range communications. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) provide a versatile platform for enhancing such 2PA responses by allowing specific ordered arrangements of chromophores. In particular, organi…

Nature Communications, Published online: 21 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73353-0 Natural products with densely fused polycyclic frameworks, such as dalesconols A and B, pose longstanding challenges for asymmetric synthesis due to their intricate stereochemistry. Here, the authors report concise, enantioselective total syntheses via a triple-relayed remote chirality transfer strategy using pal…

Nature Communications, Published online: 21 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73571-6 The Z-selective semihydrogenation of alkynes plays a key role in the industrial manufacture of fine chemicals. Here, the authors report the efficient and diastereoselective semihydrogenation of alkynes to Z-alkenes through synergistic nickel/photoredox catalysts.

Chemathon 2026, inspired by the National Chemistry Week theme of "The Hidden Life of Spices", was another huge success: 30 schools, 206 high school students, 61 teachers/chaperones! The post Spicing Up Science: Chemathon 2026 Draws Record Crowds appeared first on Department of Chemistry .

In discussions of emergence, particularly in chemistry, isomers are often given as an example of an emergent phenomenon. In Anderson's original "More is Different" article, he discussed the chirality of sugar molecules as an example of symmetry breaking. More recently, isomers (and the associated concept of molecular structure) are invoked to justify contentious claims about strong emergence and …