Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Cordes, Meike; Köttgen, Angnieszka; Jasper, Christian; Jacques, Olivier; Boudebous, Hassen; Giese, Bernd

doi: 10.1002/anie.200890079pmid: N/A

Relay amino acids forward electrons through peptides, as described by B. Giese and co‐workers in their Communication on page 3461 ff. The cover picture shows a baton change in a relay race, which symbolizes electron transfer from one peptide sequence to the next via a relay amino acid. The olympic rings reflect the five participating sequences in the peptide molecule. Such an “electron relay” can explain long‐distance electron transfer through enzymes.

Ferri, Violetta; Elbing, Mark; Pace, Giuseppina; Dickey, Michael D.; Zharnikov, Michael; Samorì, Paolo; Mayor, Marcel; Rampi, Maria Anita

doi: 10.1002/anie.200890080pmid: N/A

A molecular cargo lifter based on tightly packed monolayers (SAMs) of rigid azobenzene rods is described by M. A. Rampi et al. in their Communication on page 3407 ff. The monolayer, sandwiched between Hg and Au electrodes, is irradiated in situ through a transparent gold surface. The current flowing through the electrodes increases and decreases reversibly under alternating irradiation at 370 and 450 nm. The azobenzene SAM exerts a mechanical force and lifts the Hg drop electrode, and thus the system operates as a photoswitch.

doi: 10.1002/anie.200890081pmid: N/A

doi: 10.1002/anie.200890082pmid: N/A

doi: 10.1002/anie.200801275pmid: N/A

Metternich, Rainer E.; Nantermet, Philippe G.

doi: 10.1002/anie.200885602pmid: N/A

Seeman, Jeffrey I.

doi: 10.1002/anie.200785552pmid: N/A

Hausch, Felix

doi: 10.1002/anie.200705971pmid: 18348114

Rational drug design is still limited for many membrane proteins. For the β2‐adrenergic receptor, a prototype of the class A GPCR family, structures with up to 2.4‐Å resolution have now been solved. The structure (see figure) shows detailed contacts of the receptor (green) with its ligand carazolol (pink), and makes possible the formulation of hypotheses for the mode of action of G‐protein‐coupled receptors.

Enthaler, Stephan; Junge, Kathrin; Beller, Matthias

doi: 10.1002/anie.200800012pmid: 18412184

Among the shades! With respect to its availability, low toxicity, and price, iron should be one of the most used metals in homogeneous catalysis. Surprisingly, so far the application of iron is underdeveloped in comparison with other transition metals. Some promising attempts obtained in redox reactions and coupling chemistry which nicely illustrate the potential of iron and hopefully initialize a ferric future for catalysis are highlighted.

Crespy, Daniel; Bozonnet, Marianne; Meier, Martin

doi: 10.1002/anie.200704281pmid: 18318037

The beginning of the plastics age: Just over one hundred years ago, on July 13 1907, Leo H. Baekeland applied for a patent for the processing of a product that had an enormous influence on the development of our technology, and which changed our habits forever. The patent described Bakelite, the first synthetic plastic, which heralded our entrance into the plastics age.