{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.029017857142857144, 'fraction_numerical': 0.011160714285714286, 'mean_word_length': 5.529126213592233, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Spotlights on Recent JACS Publications.

The ability of molecules to bind to one another with enormous specificity is central to nearly all biological processes. For this reason, scientists have long been interested in better understanding the process of molecular recognition and the myriad interactions that take place between molecules to make it possible. Some of the least-well-understood aspects of molecular recognition include weak non-covalent interactions, such as dispersion and halogen-bonding interactions. Franco̧is Diederich, Markus Reiher, and colleagues reveal new insights into the interactions between a class of receptors, known as alleno-acetylenic cage (ACC) receptors, and small molecules that interact with ACCs via dispersion and halogen bonding(DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b05461). The team characterizes the elusive conformers of these small molecules at the atomic level both in the solid state and in solution, to show, for example, that the diaxial molecules exhibit dihedral angles that deviate substantially from the commonly accepted value of 180°. Additionally, they perform theoretical calculations finding minimal influence of the host on the innate angles. This is the first study on chiral recognition based purely on shape complementarity, weak dispersion, and halogen-bonding interactions. Christine Herman, Ph.D.