Breaking the molecular symmetry by protonation of germylene 1 is the key step in the synthesis of the germyliumylidene 2 , which is stabilized by an intramolecular interaction with a distant imido group.
Enzyme in action : The accumulated single‐molecule image (see picture) of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) 15–21 min after its injection on a lipid membrane shows transient interactions of PLA2 (blue) with the membrane surface and stable binding to the boundaries of membrane structure defects. The adsorbed PLA2 molecules move with a speed below the experimental resolution of 40 nm min?1.
Shine a light with cyanates : A novel approach for the synthesis of urea complexes and homoleptic cyanates of alkaline earth metals and europium is described. The compounds have been fully characterized, including their magnetism and temperature‐dependent luminescence properties (see graphic).
Bringing order : A new class of periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs) with a urea‐bridged organosilica precursor under acid‐catalyzed and inorganic‐salt‐assisted conditions was obtained. The large‐pore hybrid materials have ordered mesostructure with uniform pore size distributions, which can be seen from the TEM images.
Work‐alcoholic! The elusive enantioselective catalytic α‐alkylation of aldehydes, a widely sought transformation, was brought to execution by the use of alcohols capable of forming stabilized carbocations (see scheme, TFA=trifluoroacetic acid).
Round and round : Covalently bound spokes induce an efficient template‐directed cyclization towards a rigid molecular wheel (see figure) and afford dramatically increased shape‐persistence properties compared with non‐strutted macrocycles.
On the surface : Adsorption of O2 at the surface oxygen vacancy (SOV) sites of TiO2 reconstructs the lattice oxygen (healing SOVs), resulting in a decrease of the photocatalytic activity of oxidizing CO over vacuum‐pretreated TiO2 with increasing temperature (see scheme). Adsorption of H2 produces new SOVs at the TiO2 surface and stabilizes the photocatalytic activity.
Two photons are better than one : This principle applies to a wide range of applications, ranging from engineering to physiology. Recent advances in our understanding of the phenomenon of two‐photon absorption (see picture) and in the design of two‐photon dyes are rapidly increasing the scope of this field.
Fast detection of cellular thiols in aqueous medium was achieved using a newly developed fluorescence probe (see picture). Based on this probe, a high‐throughput fluorescence assay for glutathione reductase was developed.
The right fit : Plasmid DNA molecules show chirality‐dependent interaction with gold surfaces modified by L and D N‐isobutyrylcysteine. Relaxed DNA molecules have a stronger interaction and adsorption on the L surface, while their counterparts on the D surface maintain a supercoiled conformation, indicating a weak interaction (see picture).
Supramolecular chirality and liquid crystalline OFET : Achiral end‐capped oligothiophenes can be tuned to exhibit supramolecular chirality with unique striped textures showing distinct circular dichroism signals as well as a highly ordered SmE phase that leads to high hole carrier mobility.
Diaminations are a girl's best friend : New reactions in the field of transition‐metal‐catalyzed diamination of olefins provide a powerful tool for the elaboration of more complex molecules bearing the 1,2‐diamine moiety. An overview of these methods, including asymmetric versions, is given.
