A newly identified small molecule could help grafted plants establish a stronger first connection, potentially expanding grafting in crops that are difficult to join. 

Medicinal plants have long supplied compounds used in health care, cosmetics and natural pigments, but many of their most valuable chemicals remain difficult to produce sustainably. 

Supramolecular polymer science expands the scope of supramolecular chemistry and enriches the field of polymer science. It is expected to become an important contributor to scientific and technological progress for a sustainable society. A group of 37 international scholars from seven countries and regions, including China, Singapore, Germany, the UK, and the US, including Professor Xi Zhang from Tsinghua University, Professor Xiaodong Chen from Nanyang Technological University, Professor Frank Würthner from the University of Würzburg, Professor Oren A. Scherman from the University of Cambridge, Professor Amar Flood from Indiana University, Professor Feihe Huang from Zhejiang University, and Professor Junqi Sun from Jilin University, review the important progress in supramolecular polymer science in recent years from five perspectives: 1) driving forces of non-covalent polymerization, 2) polymerization methodologies, 3) physical mechanisms, 4) material morphology, and 5) engineering applications. They also raise nine fundamental questions and major challenges that urgently need to be addressed in response to future development needs: 1) synergy, 2) quantification, 3) spatiotemporal observation, 4) theoretical simulation, 5) digitalization, 6) recyclability, 7) healthcare, 8) energy conversion, and 9) large-scale manufacturing. They point out that the integration of new concepts, technologies, and methods, such as artificial intelligence, data-driven design, automated synthesis, and advanced manufacturing, supramolecular polymer science holds the keys to the development of recyclable materials, devices, and intelligent systems for sustainable social progress. This review is not only an in-depth summary and discussion, but also a collaborative initiative for the global multidisciplinary research community. The article was published as an open access Review in CCS Chemistry, the flagship journal of the Chinese Chemical Society.

As water scarcity becomes a growing threat to agriculture, scientists are searching for crop traits that help plants stay productive under drought.

Chemistry isn’t always known for its sustainable methodologies and simple execution, though the possibilities for finding more direct and efficient ways to synthesize products are limitless. Conventional methods for modifying drug intermediates with the addition of a carboxyl group (a functional group consisting of a carbon double-bonded to an oxygen molecule, with a single bond to a hydroxyl group, or -OH) using carbon dioxide (CO₂) in a process called carboxylation often are expensive, have poor stability and high activation energy costs. Alternatively, this study focuses on newer advances in the carboxylation of heteroaromatic compounds, which are organic molecules arranged in a ring format, making them very stable and necessary building blocks for many organic compounds. The advancements shown here use CO₂ as a raw material to develop a greener, highly selective and efficient way to add CO₂  to heteroaromatic compounds under mild conditions.

One hundred years after the technique was recognized with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) is still making waves in the scientific world. Theodor Svedberg developed the approach in the 1920s, using it to characterize tiny gold particles. Now, AUC helps researchers determine specific properties of individual molecules clustered together, such as those used in pharmaceuticals or industrial chemicals.