The plant Aster tataricus and its endophytic fungus Cyanodermella asteris are sources of a unique class of halogenated pentapeptides called astins. In addition, the fungus Talaromyces islandicus produces the astin-related class of pentapeptides, cyclochlorotines. Through molecular networking and mass spectrometry fragmentation data, we uncover a huge chemical diversity among the astin and cyclochlorotine pool of pentapeptides, which also reflects the genetic homology of both nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) systems and deepens our understanding of astin biosynthesis and enzymology.

[RESEARCH ARTICLE]
Valdet Uka, Shen Tang, Jonas F. Ohlrogge, Angela Sester, Manuel Einsiedler, Jutta Ludwig-Müller, Tobias A. M. Gulder
Chemistry ? A European Journal, https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202503340. Read article.

This study demonstrates that dilute Mn(II) (∼0.02 mol%) doped into the Zn(II)-MOF [CH6N3][Zn(HCOO)3] act as high-spin (S = 5/2) spin qubits, achieving microsecond phase memory times above 50 K—the first report for Mn(II)-based systems. Robust hydrogen-bonding networks suppress relaxation and stabilize the lattice, extending T2. Resonance between MS = ±1/2 and quantization axis tilting reveal tunable spin dynamics, highlighting MOFs as promising platforms for high-spin molecular qubits.

[RESEARCH ARTICLE]
Shraddha Gupta, Masanori Wakizaka, Takeshi Yamane, Hisaaki Tanaka, Ryuta Ishikawa, Shinya Takaishi, Kazunobu Sato, Masahiro Yamashita
Chemistry ? A European Journal, https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202502971. Read article.

We reveal that the surface properties of the substrate play a crucial role in determining the surface composition and optoelectronic properties of the perovskite films. By optimizing the HTL, we achieved 17.5% efficiency for semitransparent perovskite solar module via all vacuum deposition processes.

[RESEARCH ARTICLE]
Yuxi Zhang, Yanqing Zhu, Junye Pan, Peiran Hou, Min Hu, Jiahui Chen, Bingxin Duan, Tailong Lv, Jianfeng Lu
Chemistry ? A European Journal 2026, 32, 0. Read article.

The pentaPod (P5) concept unites tridentate and tripodal fragments to form molybdenum and tungsten catalytic Chatt-type complexes for N2-to-NH3 reduction. Two pentaPod ligands, P5Me and P5Pln, are available with either two dimethylphosphine or phospholano (Pln) groups. The complexes enable the investigation of reactivity differences in N2 reduction and, in particular, allow investigation of the basicity differences between molybdenum and tungsten complexes.

[Review]
Anna-Marlene Vogt, Tobias Adrian Engesser, Jan Krahmer, Felix Tuczek
ChemPhysChem, https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.202500740. Read article.

The design and synthesis of a linear tetradentate NCCN ligand incorporating two 1,2,3-triazolin-5-ylidene mesoionic carbene donors, and its application to asymmetric iron catalysis is reported. This work represents the first example of an iron complex derived from a cis-α-coordinating tetradentate NCCN ligand, and notably, the first chiral iron catalyst derived from an achiral tetradentate ligand.

[RESEARCH ARTICLE]
Lukas Hinterlang, Nemrud Demirel, Sergei I. Ivlev, Eric Meggers
Chemistry ? A European Journal, https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202503221. Read article.

Pd complexes with electronically modified NHCs (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) were analyzed in the Buchwald-Hartwig Amination under both strongly and weakly basic conditions. Investigations into the steric and electronic properties of the ligands are detailed. Highly active precatalysts are reported bound even when using the non-nucleophilic weak base NaBHT.

[Research Article]
Meilin Q. Lim, Cassandra DeFrancesco, Kasandra J. Brick, Sterling Renzoni, Eric Fortin Constant, Alexander A. Glover, Casey A. Lenart, Jesse LeBlanc, Charley Garrard, Eric C. Keske
European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry 2026, 0. Read article.

Beer flavor is influenced by 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds. Their reaction with ethanol is shown for the first time in this work. After preparation of a standard substance, quantitation of the 3-deoxy-4-ethoxyhexosones by HPLC-MS/MS revealed concentrations of up to 1.5 mg/L in beer and a neoformation during storage.

[Research Article]
Michael Hellwig
ChemFoodChem 2025, 1, 0. Read article.

Via in silico docking of pyrichalasin H on G- and F-actin, the C21-OAc moiety is identified as a modifiable site tolerated for actin binding. Fluorescent [11]cytochalasan probes from pyrichalasin H and epoxycytochalasin C are obtained by selective C21-OAc hydrolysis and acylation. The conjugates retain actin binding and bioactivity, establishing C21-OAc as a versatile handle for functionalization.

[Research Article]
Mervic D. Kagho, Katharina Schmidt, Aishi Chakrabarti, Marius Karger, Christopher Lambert, Maurice Hauser, Russell J. Cox, Klemens Rottner, Marc Stadler, Theresia E. Stradal, Philipp Klahn
ChemBioChem 2026, 27, 0. Read article.

Modular assembly of cyclic sulfones was achieved with structurally diverse sulfonylmethyl bromides and unactivated olefins under photoredox conditions. A radical relay mechanism was proposed according to detailed mechanistic studies, with function of additives, including diisopropylethylamine and sodium iodide, fully addressed. The products could be transformed into various bioactive compounds, including three representative drug-like molecules.

[Research Article]
Yifei Zhao, Xuanchi Wang, Xinlian Liu, Qiang Cheng
European Journal of Organic Chemistry 2025, 0. Read article.

A modular synthetic approach enables the preparation of azulene-fused heterocycles via nucleophilic aromatic substitution followed by intramolecular cyclization of alkynyl fluoroazulenes. The method allows the incorporation of various heteroatoms (N, O, S, Se, and Te), leading to structurally diverse heteroannulated azulenes. The resulting compounds exhibit distinct electronic features and acid-responsive behavior.

[Research Article]
Martin C. Dietl, Matthias Scherr, Christopher Hüßler, Henrik T. Habeck, Carmen L. M. Henel, Jürgen Graf, Frank Rominger, Matthias Rudolph, A. Stephen K. Hashmi
ChemistryEurope, https://doi.org/10.1002/ceur.202500194. Read article.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have attracted attention due to several advantages, such as optical properties and easy functionalization. In particular, aggregation of AuNPs induced by target molecules can be monitored via optical or electrochemical methods for molecular sensing. This review aims to highlight molecular sensing strategies focusing on aggregation mechanisms of AuNPs and detection methods, including one using dark-field microscopy.

[Review]
Ryosuke Izumi, Yuki Tanaka, Tamotsu Zako
ChemBioChem 2025, 26, 0. Read article.

Random hetero oligomers (RHOs) of defined compositions are synthesized and fractionated to identify the chemical design criteria (charge, length, hydrophobicity) required to achieve nanomolar binding to green fluorescent protein, resulting in >100% fluorescence increases.

[Research Article]
Darwin C. Gomez, Swarnadeep Seth, Ronnie Mondal, Stephen J. Koehler, Jared G. Baker, Charles Plate, Ian C. Anderson, Mikayla R. Smith, Joey Gloriod, Morgan Gunter, Valerie V. Welborn, Sanket A. Deshmukh, C. Adrian Figg
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2026, 65, 0. Read article.

A concise protocol is presented that converts pyridines into anilines by externalizing the original pyridine nitrogen at either the "ipso" or "ortho" position, which results in para or meta-primary aniline products. A key carbene-insertion step precedes nitrogen migration, preserving both ring size and overall structure.

[Research Article]
Yun Luo, Jing Dai, Yongchang Wei, Chang Min
ChemistryEurope, https://doi.org/10.1002/ceur.202500410. Read article.

A synergistic strategy based on embedding heptagons and incorporating carbazole derivatives has been developed to create helical bilayer molecular carbons with a high fluorescence quantum yield (ΦF = 74%). An organic light-emitting diode device containing the molecular carbons shows a high ηEQE,max of 3.6%, while the enantiomers exhibit pronounced circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) responses with a high CPL brightness (BCPL) of 112 M−1 cm−1.

[Communication]
Dr. Zhenmei Huang, Prof. Dr. Rongchuan Su, Dr. Huan Luo, Prof. Dr. Junzhi Liu
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2026, 65, 0. Read article.

A thermodynamics-controlled epitaxial growth strategy enables the precise coating of Cs4PbBr6 onto NaYF4:Yb,Tm UCNPs, achieving structural evolution from core-shell to UCNP-in-LHP solids heterostructures. These high-quality heterostructures exhibit widely tunable upconversion emission across the entire visible spectrum—from blue to green to red—governed by a dynamic energy recycling mechanism between Tm3+ and the perovskite layer.

[Research Article]
Dr. Fen Li, Dr. Zhiqing Wang, Dr. Yaxin Li, Dr. Wanying Zhang, Prof. Song Wang, Prof. Yingwei Wang, Prof. Jianrong Zeng, Prof. Yi Wei, Prof. Dong Tu, Dr. Zhijie Ju, Prof. Renren Deng, Prof. Keqiang Chen, Prof. Guogang Li
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2026, 65, 0. Read article.

We demonstrate that the OER performance of Li-O2 batteries primarily depends on the orbital interaction mode between the catalyst and the intermediates. In contrast to the strong Cd 4dxy-O 2Px/y orbital interaction mode between CdSe and LiO2, the weaker Cd 4dz2-O 2Py orbital interaction mode between CdSe/ZnS and LiO2 significantly reduces the charge activation energy barrier, thereby enhancing OER catalytic activity.

[Communication]
Yicheng Zeng, Yin Zhou, Fangze Liu, Hongbo Li
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2026, 65, 0. Read article.

Hydrogen isotope separation is a key challenge for energy and fusion applications. The kinetic quantum sieving (KQS) effect provides isotope selectivity through quantum confinement, but conventional rigid adsorbents exhibit poor performance at elevated temperatures. This review summarizes recent progress in flexible nanoporous materials that dynamically respond to external stimuli via breathing, gate-opening, and linker rotation. Such structural flexibility enables adaptive pore modulation, sustaining D2/H2 selectivity and extending operational temperature windows, offering new design principles for high-temperature isotope separation.

[Review]
Minji Jung, Hyunlim Kim, Hyunchul Oh
Analysis & Sensing, https://doi.org/10.1002/anse.202500139. Read article.

Scanning electrochemical cell microscopy on multimetal materials libraries is used for the high-throughput investigation of element composition-dependent electrocatalytic activity for the coreduction of CO2 and NO3−. Combined with selectivity analysis from electrolyzer experiments of promising catalyst compositions introduces a catalyst design strategy for the 16-electron transfer CN coupling reaction under formation of urea.

[Research Article]
Jialin Shi, Geovane Arruda de Oliveira, Xin Wang, Jian Zhang, Ieva Cechanaviciute, Jill Fortmann, Alfred Ludwig, Wolfgang Schuhmann
ChemistryEurope, https://doi.org/10.1002/ceur.202500333. Read article.

Catalytic cracking is a promising approach to convert polyolefin plastics into hydrocarbons. Herein, the effect of catalyst pore size in polypropylene cracking using amorphous silica-alumina with identical external acidity, but varying mesopore diameters and particle sizes, is isolated. Mesopore size has minimal effect on activity, indicating that high external acidity and small particle size are more important parameters for catalyst optimization.

[Research Article]
Sebastian Rejman, Tim Meijer, Hamid Seyed Khabbaz, Ali Gooneie, Adriaan J. A. Duijndam, Johan H. van de Minkelis, Ina Vollmer, Bert M. Weckhuysen
ChemistryEurope, https://doi.org/10.1002/ceur.202500317. Read article.

Aryl boronic acids are key in building new molecules, but their direct conversion to radicals with electricity has been challenging. This work uses alternating polarity electrolysis and fluoride to form easier-to-oxidize organoboron intermediates, enabling efficient radical generation. For highly electron-deficient substrates, phosphite mediation happens offering a versatile way for electrochemical functionalization of aryl boronic acids.

[Research Article]
Enqi Feng, Ian Vanswearingen, Maxime Boudjelel, Lise Fabre, Rossul Aldhufari, Christian A. Malapit
ChemElectroChem 2025, 12, 0. Read article.