Polyoxometalate chemistry at volcanoes: discovery of a novel class of polyoxocuprate nanoclusters in fumarolic minerals.

Polyoxometalate (POM) chemistry is an important avenue of comprehensive chemical research, due to the broad chemical, topological and structural variations of multinuclear polyoxoanions that result in advanced functionality of their derivatives. The majority of compounds in the polyoxometalate kingdom are synthesized under laboratory conditions. However, Nature has its own labs with the conditions often unconceivable to the mankind.

Xenon in oxide frameworks: at the crossroads between inorganic chemistry and planetary science.

The chemistry of noble gases was for a long time dominated by fluoride-bearing compounds of xenon. However, the last two decades have brought new insights into the chemistry of xenon oxides and oxysalts, including insights involving a novel type of non-covalent interaction (aerogen bonding), discoveries of new xenon oxides, oxide perovskite frameworks and evidence for an abrupt increase of xenon reactivity under extreme pressure-temperature conditions. The complex implementation of these findings could facilitate the development of explanations for long-standing interdisciplinary problems, such as the depletion of heavy noble gases in contemporary planetary atmospheres - the cosmochemical enigma known as the "missing xenon" paradox.

Allabogdanite, the high-pressure polymorph of (Fe,Ni)P, a stishovite-grade indicator of impact processes in the Fe-Ni-P system.

Allabogdanite, (Fe,Ni)P, is the only known natural high-pressure phase reported in the Fe-Ni-P system. The mineral, which was previously described from a single meteorite, the Onello iron, is now discovered in the Santa Catharina and Barbianello nickel-rich ataxites. The occurrence of allabogdanite in Santa Catharina, one of the largest and well-studied meteorites, suggests that this mineral is more common than was believed.

Exploiting Coupling of Boronic Acids with Triols for a pH-Dependent "Click-Declick" Chemistry.

Click-like condensation of boronic acids with specifically designed triols (boronate-triol coupling) produces stable diamantane adducts in aqueous medium, which can be controllably cleaved to initial components under acidic conditions or by using boric acid as a chemical trigger. This novel "click-declick" strategy allows for the creation of temporary covalent connections between two or more modular units, which was demonstrated by the synthesis of new fluorophore-labeled natural molecules (peptides, steroids), supramolecular assemblies, modified polymers, boronic acid scavengers, solid-supported organocatalysts, biodegradable COF-like materials, and dynamic combinatorial libraries.

Crystal structure of (1,4)-2,5-diazo-niabi-cyclo[2.2.1]heptane dibromide.

The cage of 2,5-di-aza-bicyclo-[2.2.1]heptane is frequently employed in synthetic chemistry as a rigid bicyclic counterpart of the piperazine ring.