In the last issue of 2014, J. Zhi et al. review research on diamond nanowires. How can their exceptional properties, such as negative electron affinity, chemical inertness, high elastic modulus, hardness, and thermal conductivity at room temperature by explained and put to use? The Highlights deal with organocatalytic click chemistry (S. S. V. Ramasastry) and asymmetric redox organocatalysis as a new entry to vitamin E (T. Netscher). In an Essay, J. C. del Valle et al. look back on the life of photochemistry pioneer Michael Kasha.

In the Communications section, T. Livinghouse et al. present an intramolecular metalloamination of N,N-dimethylhydrazinoalkenes as a versatile method to access functionalized nitrogen heterocycles (see picture). P. Londero et al. show how to detect organic colorants in historical paintings by means of UV laser ablation surface-enhanced Raman microspectroscopy. K. V. Gothelf et al. report on the synthesis, dynamic combinatorial chemistry, and PCR amplification of disulfide-linked oligonucleotides.

• Angewandte Chemie 52/2014: Happy Holidays,
  Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014, 53 (52).