AbstractTo address the inherent inertness of polylactic acid (PLA) nonwoven fabrics and the challenge of balancing grafting efficiency with biodegradabilit

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At the outset of this work, we recognized that converting N-alkyl aziridines into β-aminoalkyl radicals could open the door to divergent functionalization strategies. Realizing this concept, however, is non-trivial given the challenging redox properties of these aziridines (Supplementary Figs. 3 and 4). A potential entry point was suggested by Roberts’ pioneering studies on amine-ligated boryl radicals21,22,23,24. In a series of low-temperature electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments, Roberts demonstrated that NH-aziridine–BH3 complexes participated in H-atom abstraction (HAT) by t-BuO• to generate NH-aziridine-ligated boryl radicals. These species rapidly underwent C(sp3)–N β-scission to give β-boraneylidene-azene radicals21,22,23,24. Despite this important precedent, this reactivity mode has never been exploited synthetically, and its potential for N-alkyl aziridine ring opening and β-functionalized N-alkylamine preparation remains unexplored. We therefore hypothesized that amine–boryl radical chemistry could provide a practical activation strategy to achieve general N-alkyl aziridine ring opening and functionalization. Our proposed approach begins with coordination of BH3 to N-alkyl aziridine A, forming the ligated borane B, which we expected to participate in a redox [Cu(I/II/III)] catalytic manifold under oxidative conditions (Fig. 2a). Specifically, ground-state single-electron transfer (SET) between a [Cu(I)] catalyst and cumylO2TMS (TMS, trimethylsilyl) should generate the electrophilic cumylO• radical alongside [Cu(II)]25. The cumylO• radical would then...

Nature Synthesis, Published online: 17 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s44160-026-01158-6A mild Ni-catalysed C–H alkylation of (hetero)arenes using sulfonylhydrazide-derived alkyl donors enables broad substrate scope, heterocycle compatibility and late-stage functionalization under 50 °C. Mechanistic studies suggest an asynchronous, amine-assisted C–H activation pathway, highlighting a practical strategy for chemoselective C–H alkylation.

Nature Chemistry, Published online: 23 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02246-yN-Alkyl aziridines have long resisted catalytic ring opening and existing strategies rely on electron-withdrawing N-activating groups. Now, simple borane coordination is shown to direct radical fragmentation of these substrates, providing a general platform for divergent ring-opening functionalization that streamlines access to β-functionalized amines.

Nature Chemistry, Published online: 23 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02247-xAziridine ring opening is a powerful strategy for molecular diversification, but direct functionalization of unactivated N-alkyl aziridines has remained a long-standing challenge. Now it has been shown that aziridine-ligated boryl radicals enable direct ring opening and divergent functionalization of N-alkyl aziridines, providing streamlined access to diverse β-functionalized amines.

AbstractThe detection and structural analysis of hydrocarbons by mass spectrometry (MS) are challenging because of poor ionization. Here, we report a plasma-based strategy that selectively converts nonpolar hydrocarbons to derivatives that are mass spectrometry-friendly by controlled oxygen and nitrogen insertion reactions. A subatmospheric pressure plasma facilitates stable discharges under mild conditions, allowing the formation of ketones, unsaturated ketones, and imines without structural fragmentation or extensive oxidation. The reaction pathways can be tuned by adjusting the carrier gas and sample introduction mode, allowing controlled switching between simple oxidation, dehydrogenation, and nitrogen insertion. Mass spectrometric analysis reveals well-defined molecular ions that show characteristic fragmentation behavior in tandem MS, facilitating improved detection and structural interpretation across linear, branched, cyclic, and aromatic hydrocarbons. Furthermore, a scalable method has been developed to achieve preparative levels of modified samples for NMR analysis, and this confirmed ketone formation as the dominant oxygen-insertion pathway. Overall, this work demonstrates a simple and versatile plasma-based approach for enhancing the detection and structural characterization of otherwise challenging hydrocarbon species.

Lanthanide-doped nanoparticles exhibit exceptional photon conversion capabilities and photostability, making them promising tools for biomedical imaging, sensing, and theranostics. A new review publis...

Achieving selective oxygenation chemistry offers a powerful strategy for streamlining routes to complex target molecules, yet the development of site-selective C-H functionalization reactions remain a significant challenge. Several enzyme families are ...

A semi-rationally engineered P450 disrupts the native radical transfer pathway to achieve highly selective B-ring C7β functionalization of pentacyclic triterpenoids. The installed C7β-OH handle supports chemoenzymatic synthesis of previously inaccessible B-ring-modified PT derivatives with potent antitumor activity, demonstrating the utility of enzyme engineering for the late-stage diversification of complex natural products. ABSTRACT Pentacyclic triterpenoids (PTs) feature a steroid-like privi…

Au(III)-mediated cysteine S-arylation enables site-selective covalent modification of metalloenzymes while preserving the integrity of their active metal sites. This organometallic bioconjugation strategy establishes a blueprint for predictable metalloprotein functionalization and broader applications in chemical biology, protein engineering, and biotechnology.

Fluorescent semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) hold considerable promise for photonics. Furthermore, their optical characteristics can be improved by functionalization, which gener...

Read the full paper: Tuning and functionalization of logic gates for time resolved programming of bacterial populations