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Catalytic assembly of enantiopure aliphatic amines from abundant and readily available precursors has long been recognized as a paramount challenge in synthetic chemistry. Here, we describe a mild and general copper-catalyzed hydroamination that effectively converts unactivated internal olefins—an important yet unexploited class of abundant feedstock chemicals—into highly enantioenriched α-branched amines (≥96% enantiomeric excess) featuring two minimally differentiated aliphatic substituents. This method provides a powerful means to access a broad range of advanced, highly functionalized enantioenriched amines of interest in pharmaceutical research and other areas.

Despite the widespread success of transition-metal-catalysed cross-coupling methodologies, considerable limitations still exist in reactions at sp 3 -hybridized carbon atoms, with most approaches relying on prefunctionalized alkylmetal or bromide coupling partners 1 , 2 . Although the use of native functional groups (for example, carboxylic acids, alkenes and alcohols) has improved the overall efficiency of such transformations by expanding the range of potential feedstocks 3 – 5 , the direct functionalization of carbon–hydrogen (C–H) bonds—the most abundant moiety in organic molecules—represents a more ideal approach to molecular construction. In recent years, an impressive range of reactions that form C( s p 3 )–heteroatom bonds from strong C–H bonds has been reported 6 , 7 . Additionally, valuable technologies have been developed for the formation of carbon–carbon bonds from the corresponding C( sp 3 )–H bonds via substrate-directed transition-metal C–H insertion 8 , undirected C–H insertion by captodative rhodium carbenoid complexes 9 , or hydrogen atom transfer from weak, hydridic C–H bonds by electrophilic open-shell species 10 – 14 . Despite these advances, a mild and general platform for the coupling of strong, neutral C( s p 3 )–H bonds with aryl electrophiles has not been realized. Here we describe a protocol for the direct C( sp 3 ) arylation of a diverse set of aliphatic, C–H bond-containing organic frameworks through the combination of light-driven, polyoxometalate-facilitated hydrogen atom transfer and nickel catalysis. This dual-catalytic manifold enables the generation of carbon-centred radicals from strong, neutral C–H bonds, which thereafter act as nucleophiles in nickel-mediated cross-coupling with aryl bromides to afford C( sp 3 )–C( sp 2 ) cross-coupled products. This technology enables unprecedented, single-step access to a broad array of complex, medicinally relevant molecules directly from natural products and chemical feedstocks through functionalization at sites that are unreactive under traditional methods. Direct coupling of aliphatic C–H nucleophiles to aryl electrophiles is described, through the combination of light-driven polyoxometalate hydrogen atom transfer and nickel catalysis.

Establishing the presence and state of organic matter, including its possible biosignatures, in martian materials has been an elusive quest, despite limited reports of the existence of organic matter on Mars. We report the in situ detection of organic matter preserved in lacustrine mudstones at the base of the ~3.5-billion-year-old Murray formation at Pahrump Hills, Gale crater, by the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite onboard the Curiosity rover. Diverse pyrolysis products, including thiophenic, aromatic, and aliphatic compounds released at high temperatures (500° to 820°C), were directly detected by evolved gas analysis. Thiophenes were also observed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Their presence suggests that sulfurization aided organic matter preservation. At least 50 nanomoles of organic carbon persists, probably as macromolecules containing 5% carbon as organic sulfur molecules.

All-cis-multifluorinated cycloalkanes exhibit intriguing electronic properties. In particular, they display extremely high dipole moments perpendicular to the aliphatic ring, making them highly desired motifs in material science. Very few such motifs have been prepared, as their syntheses require multistep sequences from diastereoselectively prefunctionalized precursors. Herein we report a synthetic strategy to access these valuable materials via the rhodium–cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (CAAC)–catalyzed hydrogenation of readily available fluorinated arenes in hexane. This route enables the scalable single-step preparation of an abundance of multisubstituted and multifluorinated cycloalkanes, including all-cis-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexafluorocyclohexane as well as cis-configured fluorinated aliphatic heterocycles.

The introduction of a trifluoromethyl (CF3) group can dramatically improve a compound’s biological properties. Despite the well-established importance of trifluoromethylated compounds, general methods for the trifluoromethylation of alkyl C–H bonds remain elusive. Here we report the development of a dual-catalytic C(sp3)–H trifluoromethylation through the merger of light-driven, decatungstate-catalysed hydrogen atom transfer and copper catalysis. This metallaphotoredox methodology enables the direct conversion of both strong aliphatic and benzylic C–H bonds into the corresponding C(sp3)–CF3 products in a single step using a bench-stable, commercially available trifluoromethylation reagent. The reaction requires only a single equivalent of substrate and proceeds with excellent selectivity for positions distal to unprotected amines. To demonstrate the utility of this new methodology for late-stage functionalization, we have directly derivatized a broad range of approved drugs and natural products to generate valuable trifluoromethylated analogues. Preliminary mechanistic experiments reveal that a ‘Cu–CF3’ species is formed during this process and the critical C(sp3)–CF3 bond-forming step involves the copper catalyst.Despite the importance of trifluoromethylated compounds, direct catalytic methods for the conversion of C(sp3)–H bonds into the corresponding C(sp3)–CF3 analogues have remained elusive. This transformation has now been achieved by the merger of copper catalysis with decatungstate photocatalysis, enabling the C(sp3)–H trifluoromethylation of abundant feedstocks, natural products and pharmaceuticals.

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is one of the most abundantly produced synthetic polymers and is accumulating in the environment at a staggering rate as discarded packaging and textiles. The properties that make PET so useful also endow it with an alarming resistance to biodegradation, likely lasting centuries in the environment. Our collective reliance on PET and other plastics means that this buildup will continue unless solutions are found. Recently, a newly discovered bacterium, Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6, was shown to exhibit the rare ability to grow on PET as a major carbon and energy source. Central to its PET biodegradation capability is a secreted PETase (PET-digesting enzyme). Here, we present a 0.92 Å resolution X-ray crystal structure of PETase, which reveals features common to both cutinases and lipases. PETase retains the ancestral α/β-hydrolase fold but exhibits a more open active-site cleft than homologous cutinases. By narrowing the binding cleft via mutation of two active-site residues to conserved amino acids in cutinases, we surprisingly observe improved PET degradation, suggesting that PETase is not fully optimized for crystalline PET degradation, despite presumably evolving in a PET-rich environment. Additionally, we show that PETase degrades another semiaromatic polyester, polyethylene-2,5-furandicarboxylate (PEF), which is an emerging, bioderived PET replacement with improved barrier properties. In contrast, PETase does not degrade aliphatic polyesters, suggesting that it is generally an aromatic polyesterase. These findings suggest that additional protein engineering to increase PETase performance is realistic and highlight the need for further developments of structure/activity relationships for biodegradation of synthetic polyesters.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse class of industrial chemicals with widespread environmental occurrence. Exposure to long-chain PFAS is associated with developmental toxicity, prompting their replacement with short-chain and fluoroether compounds. There is growing public concern over the safety of replacement PFAS. We aimed to group PFAS based on shared toxicity phenotypes. Zebrafish were developmentally exposed to 4,8-dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoate (ADONA), perfluoro-2-propoxypropanoic acid (GenX Free Acid), perfluoro-3,6-dioxa-4-methyl-7-octene-1-sulfonic acid (PFESA1), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluoro- -octanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), or 0.4% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) daily from 0-5 d post fertilization (dpf). At 6 dpf, developmental toxicity and developmental neurotoxicity assays were performed, and targeted analytical chemistry was used to measure media and tissue doses. To test whether aliphatic sulfonic acid PFAS cause the same toxicity phenotypes, perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS; 4-carbon), perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS; 5-carbon), PFHxS (6-carbon), perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS; 7-carbon), and PFOS (8-carbon) were evaluated. PFHxS or PFOS exposure caused failed swim bladder inflation, abnormal ventroflexion of the tail, and hyperactivity at nonteratogenic concentrations. Exposure to PFHxA resulted in a unique hyperactivity signature. ADONA, PFESA1, or PFOA exposure resulted in detectable levels of parent compound in larval tissue but yielded negative toxicity results. GenX was unstable in DMSO, but stable and negative for toxicity when diluted in deionized water. Exposure to PFPeS, PFHxS, PFHpS, or PFOS resulted in a shared toxicity phenotype characterized by body axis and swim bladder defects and hyperactivity. All emerging fluoroether PFAS tested were negative for evaluated outcomes. Two unique toxicity signatures were identified arising from structurally dissimilar PFAS. Among sulfonic acid aliphatic PFAS, chemical potencies were correlated with increasing carbon chain length for developmental neurotoxicity, but not developmental toxicity. This study identified relationships between chemical structures and phenotypes that may arise from shared mechanisms of PFAS toxicity. These data suggest that developmental neurotoxicity is an important end point to consider for this class of widely occurring environmental chemicals. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5843.

Despite decades of ground-breaking research in academia, organic synthesis is still a rate-limiting factor in drug-discovery projects. Here we present some current challenges in synthetic organic chemistry from the perspective of the pharmaceutical industry and highlight problematic steps that, if overcome, would find extensive application in the discovery of transformational medicines. Significant synthesis challenges arise from the fact that drug molecules typically contain amines and N-heterocycles, as well as unprotected polar groups. There is also a need for new reactions that enable non-traditional disconnections, more C–H bond activation and late-stage functionalization, as well as stereoselectively substituted aliphatic heterocyclic ring synthesis, C–X or C–C bond formation. We also emphasize that syntheses compatible with biomacromolecules will find increasing use, while new technologies such as machine-assisted approaches and artificial intelligence for synthesis planning have the potential to dramatically accelerate the drug-discovery process. We believe that increasing collaboration between academic and industrial chemists is crucial to address the challenges outlined here.