Mastering the synthesis of hierarchical molecular assemblies at the mesoscale—mimicking the precision of biomolecular assembly—has been challenging due to the lack of well-defined methodologies for controlling non-covalent interactions at multiple levels. In this Review, secondary nucleation is presented as a promising strategy for constructing mesoscale hierarchical structures.

Did meteorites fall between the interdisciplinary cracks? Michelle Francl tells the nineteenth-century tale of the extraterrestrial origin of meteorites and suggests that there are lessons for those studying topics that involve multiple disciplines today.

Zoe Hoffpauir and Audrey Lamb outline the history and prospects of riboflavin, also known as vitamin B₂, a molecule found in food that is required for the formation of coenzymes involved in metabolic processes.

Atomically dispersed heterogeneous catalysts impact diverse areas of chemistry through the design of active sites with molecular precision, but this vision is not fully realized. This Perspective presents the fundamental principles and methodological framework to guide progress in the field.

Although transition metal-based complexes featuring metal atoms in formally negative oxidation states are known, their stabilization without an organic ligand remains challenging. Now, lanthanide–nickel intermetallic complexes featuring an organic-ligand-free Ni²⁻ ion bound to electropositive lanthanides have been stabilized in fullerenes.

Boron-containing four-membered rings are less studied than five- and six-membered boron rings owing to limited preparative approaches. Now a triplet energy transfer strategy has been developed for the synthesis of strained, air-stable benzoboretenes through the intramolecular coupling of boron–carbon-centred diradicals. The preparation of dihydroborinine and dihydrocyclopropaborole derivatives has also been achieved.

Computational and spectroscopic studies of molecular lanthanide complexes have implicated 4f orbitals in metal–ligand bonding interactions. Now, a comparative study of isostructural d-block, actinide and lanthanide complexes has shown that 4f-orbital covalency enables ring-opening isomerization in a Ce(IV)–cyclopropenyl complex in the solid state, a reaction not observed for the other complexes studied.

The hetero-Diels–Alder reaction is a powerful strategy for constructing six-membered heterocycles, yet natural enzymatic hetero-Diels–Alder reactions are limited to a single heteroatom. Now a bifunctional enzyme, Abx₍₋₎F, is found to catalyse the dehydration and a dual-oxa Diels–Alder reaction to form the oxygen-bridged tricyclic acetal of (−)-anthrabenzoxocinones.

Nucleobase deamination can be used to map N⁶-methyladenosine in RNA, but existing deamination methods are harsh, limiting applications. Now a method for the N-nitrosation of RNA based on organocatalyst and Lewis acid co-catalysis has been shown to enable sensitive N⁶-methyladenosine mapping with minimal background noise and high detection efficiency.

The reaction between Criegee intermediates and water vapour greatly impacts atmospheric chemistry and climate, yet its dynamics remain poorly understood. Now it has been shown that syn-CH₃CHOO reacts with water vapour at rates much higher than previously estimated, through a roaming mechanism that enhances reactivity and challenges conventional understanding of atmospheric OH radical production.

Zoe Hoffpauir and Audrey Lamb outline the history and prospects of riboflavin, also known as vitamin B₂, a molecule found in food that is required for the formation of coenzymes involved in metabolic processes.

Did meteorites fall between the interdisciplinary cracks? Michelle Francl tells the nineteenth-century tale of the extraterrestrial origin of meteorites and suggests that there are lessons for those studying topics that involve multiple disciplines today.

Elena De Vita and Rebecca Page reflect on the unique properties of phosphate, an essential building block with versatile functions in living systems. Modulating protein phosphorylation is an effective therapeutic strategy, with emerging approaches highlighting the continuous development in this area of drug discovery.

There are many steps to preparing a research article for publication, from generating the figures and writing the draft, to responding to reviewers. Shira Joudan explains how their group approaches this task, specifically during the preparation of the research group’s first paper.

Niki Mavragani and Muralee Murugesu discuss the discovery, structure and properties of Mn₁₂, a prototypical single-molecule magnet.

Artificial intelligence is being used in many aspects of chemical research. Bruce Gibb discusses top-down and bottom-up approaches to the development of AI, highlighting the issues with cultural divides and the challenges of data quality. He also introduces 'Eric', a potential AI research assistant for the future chemist.