Here, we show that the stability of imines in water can be significantly enhanced by adding a flanking coordination bond. As a result, imines form with a near-quantitative yield when aldehyde and amine are mixed in a stoichiometric ratio in water buffered at pH 7.

Imine bonds are a cornerstone of supramolecular chemistry because they combine the strength of a covalent bond with the reversibility on a non-covalent bond.

However, the quantitative formation of imine bonds in water has proven challenging due to their low stability in this solvent.

Near-Quantitative Formation of Imines in Water with Allosteric Control We demonstrate the near-quantitative formation of an imine bond in water under physiologically relevant conditions using a stoichiometric ratio of aldehyde and amine. To overcome the low hydrolytic stability of imines in water, a complementary metal coordination bond between the amine and aldehyde monomers is introduced to enhance the thermodynamic stability of the imine. Imine bond formation is substrate-selective, tolerates the presence of a variety of functional groups, and produces imines that are stable in a broad pH range. We also show that the presence of a second metal-ion complex in the building blocks provides a regulatory handle to ‘switch on’ imine-bond formation using ATP as an external allosteric effector.

New paper published on the near-quantitative formation of imines in water !

with Tommaso Marchetti Lorenzo Goldin @benjaminoacid.bsky.social @deepaky25.bsky.social Federico Rastrelli and Luca Gabrielli

pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

#ChemSky

News & Views:

Setting a direction for molecular recognition.

"Directed flow through configurational changes enhancing the specificity of molecular recognition beyond equilibrium conditions has now been demonstrated in a minimal, synthetic, DNA-based system."

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

An information ratchet improves selectivity in molecular recognition… | Nature Nanotechnology YouTube video by SanGiacomoSpazioArte

Here is a video that explains the chemistry behind our recent paper in Nature Nanotechnology

video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnZN...

publication
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

news & views (Ouldridge & Mukherjee - thanks !)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A great start to @esor2025.bsky.social in beauitiful Padova today. An introduction by our conference chair @leonardprins.bsky.social

We are ready !! ESOR2025 will start tomorrow !! 3.5 days of physical-organic reactivity !!

www.esor2025.com

#chemsky

The 20th European Symposium on Organic Reactivity (ESOR2025) is approaching !

Final scientific program is now available at www.esor2025.com

Last minute registrations can still be accepted until 31 August (including poster presentation) !

#ChemSky

Information ratchets rely on the presence of kinetic asymmetry in a chemical reaction network and have been mostly applied for the design of molecular machines, and more recently, materials, and molecules. Here we extend the use of information ratchets to the field of molecular recognition. 5/n

The approach mimics ‘kinetic proofreading’ by error-correcting enzymes that are used by nature for processes in which selectivity based on thermodynamics is insufficient, for example, DNA replication. 4/n

Under non-equilibrium conditions, the distribution between ‘red’ and ‘green’ duplexes is no longer determined by the thermodynamic equilibrium constant, but by the rates at which duplexes are depleted and regenerated in a chemical reaction network. 3/n

In the paper we show that an information ratchet mechanism can be used to improve the selectivity in molecular recognition between DNA strands. By operating under an energy-dissipating kinetic-control regime the selectivity in DNA duplex formation increases from 2:1 at equilibrium to 6:1. 2/n

An information ratchet improves selectivity in molecular recognition under non-equilibrium conditions Nature Nanotechnology - An abiotic information ratchet mechanism increases selectivity for the correct DNA duplex from 2:1 at equilibrium to 6:1 under energy-dissipating conditions.

Great to see this paper published today !! Phenomenal work by @benjaminoacid.bsky.social in collaboration with Erica Del Grosso and Francesco Ricci at Rome ‘Tor Vergata’. Many thanks to @epenocchio.bsky.social for contributing. 1/n

rdcu.be/eyPBc

👉👉 20th European Symposium on Organic Reactivity

9-12 September 2025 - Padova - Italy

18 July 2025 : Deadline for Oral Communication request approaching

esor2025.com

🐤 🐥 Early Bird deadline approaching : 18 June 2025

ESOR2025 – 20th European Symposium on Organic Reactivity

9-12 September 2025, Padova, Italy 🇮🇹🇪🇺

www.esor2025.com

Meet our Invited Speakers

📢📢 ESOR2025 – 20th European Symposium on Organic Reactivity 🧪⌬

9-12 September 2025 - Padova - Italy 🇮🇹🇮🇹

www.esor2025.com

Meet our Keynote speakers (2/2)

Early Bird deadline: 18 June 2025

📢📢 ESOR2025 – 20th European Symposium on Organic Reactivity 🧪⌬

9-12 September 2025 - Padova - Italy 🇮🇹🇮🇹

www.esor2025.com

Meet our Keynote speakers (1/2)

I’m excited to share that I will be moving to the University of Ulm as a junior group leader and I have a fully-funded open PhD position co-supervised by me and Max von Delius @mvdelius.bsky.social . Apply at benjamin.roberts@unipd.it, any shares would be appreciated!

www.bmwrlab.com/work-with-us

Free-to-view version now available here: rdcu.be/d8zyN

Visit the website www.esor2025.com for topics, speakers, call for abstracts, registration, venue, and more....Follow us on @esor2025.bsky.social to receive updates.

We are happy that prof. E.W. (Bert) Meijer from TU Eindhoven has agreed to deliver the opening lecture of the conference.

The focus of the European Symposium on Organic Reactivity (ESOR) is on physical-organic aspects of organic reactivity in different chemistry disciplines (experimental, computational, supramolecular, systems, bioorganic, prebiotic, surfaces,...)

Looking for a stimulating conference on physical-organic chemistry ? We are organizing the 20th edition of ESOR from 9-12 September 2025 in Padova, Italy. Visit www.esor2025.com for info. Follow us on @esor2025.bsky.social to stay informed. #Chemsky. Reposts appreciated.

Come and join my new group! We have two funded PhD positions available in the areas of supramolecular chemistry and polymer nanotechnology. See fieldengroup.net for more details! Reposts much appreciated!

Peng-Lai, @stefanborsley.bsky.social, Martin & our collaborators Alessandro and @giusepponelab.bsky.social demonstrate how a catalyst transduces chemical energy to perform mechanical work in www.nature.com/articles/s41... in @nature.com. tinyurl.com/jny7nen5. Animation @scicommstudios.bsky.social😀

Transducing chemical energy through catalysis by an artificial molecular motor - Nature A cross-linked polymer gel driven by artificial molecular motors transforms chemical energy into mechanical force, achieving powered contraction and re-expansion, demonstrating a considerable advance in understanding energy transduction mechanisms and informing nanotechnology design principles.

Nature research paper: Transducing chemical energy through catalysis by an artificial molecular motor

https://go.nature.com/4gSOxxC

a man in a suit stands in front of a microphone and says this is the start of your career Alt: a man in a suit speaks into a microphone and says, 'this is the start of your career'

🚨New job opening 🚨

Hey #Chemsky, we have an opening for an editor on the cross-journal team to handle papers in organic chemistry & related fields

📍 Shanghai, Beijing, Heidelberg or Berlin
🗓️ Closing date: Feb 4th
❔ DMs open if you have questions

www.nature.com/naturecareer...

PhD projects available in a range of areas - something for everyone! Join us to do cool chemistry using the mechanical bond in catenanes and rotaxanes for real world applications in the shiny shiny new Molecular Sciences Building @uobchemistry.bsky.social 😊 Reposts appreciated! #chemsky

Now that 2025 is here, just wanted to highlight the opening we have for an Organic Chemistry Lectureship at St Andrews again.

Applications close in about two weeks on 22nd January. All the details in the link.

www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/V2/ViewVacan...

Here is a tentative Supramolecular Chemistry starter kit. Please let me know if you wish to be added ! #ChemSky
go.bsky.app/RjRgi6n