Marine symbioses are a rich source of chemical diversity, yet the biosynthetic origins of many bioactive metabolites remain unclear. Here, the authors uncover the ability of opisthobranch mollusks to sequester and remodel sponge-derived bis-tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids, leading to jorumycidine, a structurally unprecedented member of this family with potential therapeutic relevance.

Hydrated electrons are expected to exhibit diverse structural motifs, however, the full framework of hydrated electron isomers remains underexplored. Here, the authors use photoelectron and electronic absorption spectroscopies to reexamine hydrated electron motifs in water cluster anions, reporting motif-dependent relaxation dynamics, with certain surface-bound species undergoing more efficient excited-state autodetachment than others.

Ambiguity and inconsistency in the chemistry literature often hinder the reproducibility of synthetic experiments using programmable chemical robots. Here, the authors introduce an LLM-based workflow that autonomously extracts, translates, and executes synthetic procedures on robotic platforms, enhancing the reproducibility and reliability of chemical syntheses by automating the verification of published methods.

Inorganic pyrophosphatases are crucial for intracellular phosphate metabolism, with bacterial Family II PPases showing higher catalytic activity due to their trinuclear metal centers. Here, the authors use X-ray crystallography, mutagenesis, and DFT calculations to reveal a catalytic μ₃-oxo nucleophile as the key to enhanced hydrolytic efficiency, highlighting the sophisticated catalytic strategies of metalloenzymes.

Inducible amphipathic helices, unstructured domains found in cytosolic proteins that form an amphipathic helix upon binding to specific membranes, often play a role in organelle recognition and subsequent protein function, but tools used to characterize affinity towards specific membranes are low-throughput. Here, the authors present a modular recombinant protein platform which allows for stable expression of inducible amphipathic helices of choice and enables rapid measurement of their binding affinity towards a variety of membrane compositions and curvatures using high-throughput fluorescence anisotropy.

The presence of all canonical nucleobases in samples from Bennu has previously provided evidence that some of life’s ingredients were synthesized abiotically in the parent body of this asteroid and/or its precedent components. Here, the authors extend research on the distribution of nucleobases and other N-heterocycles in Bennu by using a larger sample and an updated analytical protocol, reporting the concentrations of a diverse suite of N-heterocycles including nucleobases and their precursors extracted from a homogenized Bennu sample.

Mechanoradicals are known to be sources of damage during polymer processing, and it remains challenging to stabilize, repair or utilize them. Recently, mechanoradicals formed during chain scission were intercepted directly by bis(butyl trithiocarbonate) in the solid state, redirecting the degradation pathways to repolymerization (repair) and complete depolymerization (recovery).

We are pleased to present our Editors’ Highlights Collection, featuring some of our favourite content published in Communications Chemistry in 2025. Here, we highlight why each paper was selected by our Editors and Editorial Board Members.

Mental health should be a priority for all and especially for underrepresented groups, including the women in chemistry. Here, the authors discuss and propose supportive mechanisms within academia for the mental health of undergraduate women in chemistry.

Dr Laura Cattaneo is a group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. She has an interdisciplinary research background in chemical physics, connecting materials science, liquid crystals, and ultrafast processes in matter.

Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction is widely studied, but under a range of conditions, with implications on catalyst performance. Here, the authors highlight potential pitfalls in comparing across (and within) existing literature and suggest approaches to assess electrocatalysts under common conditions.

Communications Chemistry is pleased to present a Collection of articles on triplet-harvesting materials. Here, the Guest Editors introduce the topic and look towards the future of the field.