For thousands of years, the concept of food‑medicine homology (FMH) has guided health practice in Traditional Chinese Medicine, yet its underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly defined. A new opinion piece puts forward the “5R Principle” framework and outlines how multiple chemistry disciplines can transform empirical ancient wisdom into precise, testable molecular‑level health strategies, bridging traditional experience with modern quantitative science.

Biodiesel is a promising bridge technology for enhancing sustainability of the transport industry while renewable energy infrastructure scales up. However, the sustainability of biodiesel varies dramatically with feedstock choice. In a new study, researchers conduct a comprehensive life-cycle assessment of biodiesel production from different feedstocks, revealing significant variability in greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution characteristics, and emission mitigation potential between plant-based and waste-derived feedstocks.

Researchers at Ritsumeikan University report a halogen-guided method for transforming accessible hydroxycoumarins into coumaranones, valuable heterocyclic structures in medicinal chemistry. Inspired by halogenation-driven bond cleavage in natural product biosynthesis, the method deletes a carbonyl group through simultaneous C–C and C–O bond cleavage under room temperature without the need for transition metals. The approach offers a practical strategy for molecular scaffold editing and potentially streamlining synthesis of biologically relevant compounds.

Traditional approaches for designing primary coolant pipes in nuclear power plants consider highly unlikely, extreme scenarios. Estimating pipe rupture frequency is a more practical approach. In a new study, researchers investigated the pipe rupture frequency of coolant pipes using a probabilistic framework that accounts for material properties, degradation pathway, and even inspection performance, offering a risk-informed approach to design and evaluation.

By regulating coordination angles of two carbazole-pyridine ligands (L1, L2) and building blocks (E1(OTf)₂, E2(OTf)₂), successfully obtained four architectures: a molecular-tweezer-like compound, a snowflake-shaped fold assembly, an 8₁₈ knot, and a closed three-link chain. SC-XRD validated the structures and showed that the ligand angle determines whether the assembly is interlocked or folded. NMR and ESI-TOF-MS verified solution-phase formation and purity. Furthermore, the closed three-link chain exhibits high photothermal conversion performance. Its efficiency is directly influenced by π–π stacking interactions, and EPR experiments further confirm that the radical character of the building blocks also contributes to the photothermal properties.

Researchers have developed a membrane-based strategy that separates complex light naphtha into valuable chemical streams at the molecular level. By mildly etching a metal–organic framework membrane with tannic acid, the team created complementary membranes that sort hydrocarbons by size and chemical affinity. The membrane cascade separated a 15-component petroleum mixture into three product streams while potentially reducing energy consumption by about 91% compared with conventional distillation.