51/2006

Converting Nitrogen to a More Useful Form
Nitrogen fixation: Hafnium complex couples atmospheric nitrogen with carbon dioxide (PDF)

Nitrogen–Carbon Bond Formation from N₂ and CO₂ Promoted by a Hafnocene Dinitrogen Complex Gives Access to a Substituted Hydrazine

Paul J. Chirik, Cornell University, Ithaca (USA)

50/2006

How Does Aspirin Crystallize?
Two different crystalline forms of aspirin in intergrown domains (PDF)

On the Polymorphism of Aspirin

Roland Boese, Universität Duisburg-Essen (Germany)

49/2006

Molecular Solomon’s Knot
Self-organization leads to intertwined molecular rings (PDF)

A Molecular Solomon Link

J. Fraser Stoddart, University of California, Los Angeles (USA)

48/2006

Hairpins for Switches
Artificial RNA ligands differentiate between on and off states of riboswitches (PDF)

RNA Ligands That Distinguish Metabolite-Induced Conformations in the TPP Riboswitch

Michael Famulok, Universität Bonn (Germany)

47/2006

Weighty Viruses
Weight determination of individual viruses with a miniature ion trap (PDF)

Microscopy-Based Mass Measurement of a Single Whole Virus in a Cylindrical Ion Trap

Huan-Cheng Chang, Academia Sinica, Taipei (Taiwan)

46/2006

Just Dive In
Highly sensitive but easy to handle: test strips for the rapid detection of cocaine (PDF)

A Simple and Sensitive "Dip-Stick" Test in Serum Based on Lateral Flow Separation of Aptamer-Linked Nanostructures

Yi Lu, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana (USA)

45/2006

Critical Pairing
Origin of life: the search for the first genetic material (PDF)

Mapping the Landscape of Potentially Primordial Informational Oligomers: Oligodipeptides and Oligodipeptoids Tagged with Triazines as Recognition Elements / Mapping the Landscape of Potentially Primordial Informational Oligomers: Oligodipeptides Tagged with 2,4-Disubstituted 5-Aminopyrimidines as Recognition Elements

Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA (USA)

44/2006

Please Exhale
Quick and easy breath analysis (PDF)

Rapid In Vivo Fingerprinting of Nonvolatile Compounds in Breath by Extractive Electrospray Ionization Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

Renato Zenobi, ETH Zürich (Switzerland)

43/2006

Platinum Cages
Liposomes as blueprints for hollow platinum nanospheres (PDF)

Synthesis of Platinum Nanocages by Using Liposomes Containing Photocatalyst Molecules

John A. Shelnutt, University of Georgia, Athens (USA)

42/2006

Twisted Molecule
Large and folded like a protein—but completely synthetic (PDF)

Proteomorphous Objects from Abiotic Backbones

Ivan Huc, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, Pessac (France)

41/2006

The Smell of Iron
“Metallic” odor of iron, iron-containing water, and blood derives from the decomposition of skin oil (PDF)

The Two Odors of Iron when Touched or Pickled: (Skin) Carbonyl Compounds and Organophosphines

Dietmar Glindemann, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg (USA)

40/2006

Killing Resistant Germs
Total synthesis successful: Platensimycin, a new antibiotic (PDF)

Total Synthesis of Platensimycin

K. C. Nicolaou, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla (USA)

39/2006

Electromagnetic Miniatures
Simultaneous production of microchannels with parallel, electrically conducting metal wires (PDF)

Cofabrication of Electromagnets and Microfluidic Systems in Poly(dimethylsiloxane)

George M. Whitesides, Harvard University, Cambridge (USA)

38/2006

Built-in Blocker
Drug and antidote in the same molecule: New blood-clotting inhibitor that can be switched off by irradiation (PDF)

An Anticoagulant with Light-Triggered Antidote Activity

Alexander Heckel, Universität Bonn (Germany)

37/2006

Molecules Dress for Success
Suitanes: mechanically interlocked molecules (PDF)

Suitanes

J. Fraser Stoddart, University of California, Los Angeles (USA)

36/2006

Form Determines Function
Nerve Regeneration: cyclopeptides imitate the structure and effect of the HNK-1 carbohydrate (PDF)

Glycomimetic Cyclic Peptides Stimulate Neurite Outgrowth

Norbert Sewald, Universität Bielefeld (Germany)

35/2006

From Bubbles to Capsules
Making silicon dioxide nanocapsules by frothing polymers with supercritical carbon dioxide (PDF)

Nanoscale Silica Capsules Ordered on a Substrate: Oxidation of Nanocellular Thin Films of Poly(styrene-b-dimethylsiloxane)

Hideaki Yokoyama, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba (Japan)

34/2006

Switchable Lotus Effect
Material with light-switchable super-water-repellent properties (PDF)

Photoinduced Reversible Formation of Microfibrils on a Photochromic Diarylethene Microcrystalline Surface

Kingo Uchida, Ryukoku University, Otsu (Japan)

33/2006

Unusual Rods
Get thicker when stretched, thinner when compressed: simulations identify auxetic molecules (PDF)

Auxetics at the Molecular Level: A Negative Poisson's Ratio in Molecular Rods

Shmaryahu Hoz, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan (Israel)

32/2006

Anthrax Detector Developed
Monoclonal antibody recognizes a specific sugar on the surface of anthrax bacteria spores (PDF)

Anti-Carbohydrate Antibodies for the Detection of Anthrax Spores

Peter Seeberger, ETH Zürich (Switzerland)

31/2006

Encoded Metallic Nanowires Reveal Bioweapons
Striped nanowires of silver and gold for parallel detection of various pathogens (PDF)

Metallic Striped Nanowires as Multiplexed Immunoassay Platforms for Pathogen Detection

Jeffrey B.-H. Tok, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (USA)

30/2006

Well-Packaged Drugs
Metal–organic crystals with large pores store drugs and release them over time (PDF)

Metal-Organic Frameworks as Efficient Materials for Drug Delivery

Christian Serre, Gérard Férey, Inst. Lavoisier, Versailles (France)

29/2006

Proteins as Parents
Construction of proteins with new mechanical properties through recombination of protein fragments (PDF)

Engineering Proteins with Novel Mechanical Properties by Recombination of Protein Fragments

Hongbin Li, University of British Columbia, Vancouver (Canada)

28/2006

Gluing Cells
Precise sticking of living cells on carriers by microelectrochemical methods (PDF)

Switching On Cell Adhesion with Microelectrodes

Gunther Wittstock, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Universität Oldenburg (Germany)

27/2006

Two-Stage Amplifier
Coupling two enzymatic reactions: sensitive detection for immunological ELISA tests (PDF)

Biocatalytic Evolution of a Biocatalyst Marker: Towards the Ultrasensitive Detection of Immunocomplexes and DNA Analysis

Itamar Willner, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel)

26/2006

Precious metal gets picky
Gold nanoparticles adhere to only certain faces of crystals of the amino acid cystine (PDF)

Anisotropic Decoration of Gold Nanoparticles onto Specific Crystal Faces of Organic Single Crystals

Kazuki Sada, Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan)

25/2006

Remote Control
Microcapsules enter cells and an external flash of light triggers release of their contents (PDF)

Laser-Induced Release of Encapsulated Materials inside Living Cells

Andre G. Skirtach, Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung, Golm/Potsdam (Germany)

24/2006

Field Games
Electric field provides stimulus: chemical system responds by forming liquid crystals (PDF)

Electric-Field Modulation of Phase-Transition Temperature in Constitutional Dynamic Liquid Crystals

Jean-Marie Lehn, Institut de Science et d�Ingénierie Supramoléculaires, Strasbourg (France)

23/2006

Chip Indicates Mutation
DNA chips for the rapid and reliable identification of point mutations (PDF)

SNP Genotyping by Using Photochemical Ligation

Kenzo Fujimoto, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

22/2006

Hot off the Press
Universal ink for microcontact printing (PDF)

Universal Ink for Microcontact Printing

Dirk Burdinski, Philips Research, Eindhoven (The Netherlands)

21/2006

Renewable Raw Materials
Glycerol produced in the fermentation of sugar is used in the synthesis of hydrocarbons (PDF)

Glycerol as a Source for Fuels and Chemicals by Low-Temperature Catalytic Processing

James A. Dumesic, University of Wisconsin, Madison (USA)

20/2006

Your Monitor as an Analytical Tool
Detection of amines, CO, and NO_x by computer monitor and web camera (PDF)

Chemical Sensing with Familiar Devices

Ingemar Lundström, Linköpings Universitet (Sweden)

19/2006

Molecule Within a Molecule
Macrocyclic cyclophanes form tubular structures that can enclose smaller molecules (PDF)

Cyclophanes Within Cyclophanes: The Synthesis of a Pyromellitic Diimide-Based Macrocycle as a Structural Unit in a Molecular Tube and Its Inclusion Phenomena

Teruo Shinmyozu, Kyushu University, Kukuoka (Japan)

18/2006

Making Cancer Cells Visible
Tumor proteases change the magnetic properties of nanoparticles (PDF)

Proteolytic Actuation of Nanoparticle Self-Assembly

Sangeeta N. Bhatia, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge (USA)

17/2006

DNA Taxi
Photosensitive gold nanoparticles can electrostatically bind DNA and then release it under UV light (PDF)

Light-Regulated Release of DNA and its Delivery to Nuclei by Means of Photolabile Gold Nanoparticles

Vincent M. Rotello, University of Massachusetts, Amherst (USA)

16/2006

Molecular Switches
Optoelectronic components based on a dye-sensitized TiO₂ solar cell (PDF)

TiO₂-Based Light-Driven XOR/INH Logic Gates

Koiti Araki, Universidade de São Paulo (Brazil)

15/2006

Chemical Storage Units
Oscillating chemical reactions can retain patterns produced by light (PDF)

A Reaction–Diffusion Memory Device

Irving R. Epstein, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA (USA)

14/2006

Good Memory
On the way to plastic electronics: polymer-based dynamic random access memory (DRAM) (PDF)

A Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) Based on a Conjugated Copolymer Containing Electron-Donor and -Acceptor Moieties

En-Tang Kang, National University of Singapore (Singapore)

13/2006

Hula-Hoop Nanotechnique
Periodic nanostructures made of gold nanoparticles and long DNA strands with repeated sequences (PDF)

DNA Polymerization on Gold Nanoparticles through Rolling Circle Amplification: Towards Novel Scaffolds for Three-Dimensional Periodic Nanoassemblies

Yingfu Li, McMaster University, Hamilton (Canada)

12/2006

Footprints of a Blood Cell
Determination of blood types with a microbalance and embossed plastic surfaces (PDF)

Biomimetic ABO Blood-Group Typing

Franz L. Dickert, Universität Wien (Austria)

11/2006

Starving Out Malaria Parasites
New class of selective inhibitors paralyze essential plasmodium enzymes (PDF)

Starving the Malaria Parasite: Inhibitors Active against the Aspartic Proteases Plasmepsins I, II, and IV

François Diederich, ETH Zürich (Switzerland)

10/2006

Tracking Genetic Variation
“Electronic” DNA sequencing: Changes in molecular charge act as signal (PDF)

DNA Sequencing Based on Intrinsic Molecular Charges

Yuji Miyahara, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba (Japan)

09/2006

Hard Shell – Soft Core
Polymeric microspheres have a shell whose density is dependent on the temperature (PDF)

Temperature-Sensitive Core–Shell Microgel Particles with Dense Shell

Walter Richtering, RWTH Aachen (Germany)

08/2006

Organic Hydrogen Storage
Microporous polymers made of fused hydrocarbon rings can adsorb hydrogen (PDF)

Towards Polymer-based Hydrogen Storage Materials: Engineering Ultramicroporous Cavities Within Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity

Neil B. McKeown, Cardiff University (UK)

07/2006

Computing with Enzymes
Coupled enzyme systems are models for simple circuits (PDF)

Elementary Arithmetic Operations by Enzymes: A Model for Metabolic Pathway Based Computing

Itamar Willner, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel)

06/2006

Telltale Swelling
Soft microlenses as biosensors: change in focal distance signals presence of analyte molecules (PDF)

Label-Free Biosensing with Hydrogel Microlenses

L. Andrew Lyon, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta (USA)

05/2006

Searching for Traces
Detection of the tiniest quantities of proteins by means of aptamers and PCR (PDF)

Ultrasensitive Detection of Proteins by Amplification of Affinity Aptamers

Chris Le, University of Alberta, Edmonton (Canada)

04/2006

In Good Shape
Metal atom dictates the structure: new concept for the construction of enzyme inhibitors (PDF)

Ruthenium Half-Sandwich Complexes Bound to Protein Kinase Pim-1

Eric Meggers, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (USA)

03/2006

Unfolded
A molecule that changes its conformation when irradiated with light: prototype of a light-controlled foldamer (PDF)

Prototype of a Photoswitchable Foldamer

Stefan Hecht, Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr (Germany)

02/2006

Coal Liquefaction
Hydration in the presence of borane or iodine catalysts smoothes the way for the liquefaction of semianthracite coal (PDF)

The First Liquefaction of High-Grade Bituminous Coals by Preceding Hydrogenation with Homogeneous Borane or Iodine Catalysts

Matthias W. Haenel, Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr (Germany)

02/2006

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01/2006

Fixing by Filtration
New testing strips for detecting heavy metals (PDF)

Test Strips for Heavy-Metal Ions Fabricated from Nanosized Dye Compounds

Toshishige M. Suzuki, AIST Tohoku (Japan)