Pin the tail on the hydrogens: X-ray diffraction has been the method of choice for determining the positions of atoms within a crystal. However, the technique works better for atoms with higher atomic numbers and requires single crystals of a minimum size. Palatinus et al. used electron diffraction, a technique of increasing importance for analyzing very small crystals, to identify the positions of hydrogen atoms in organic and inorganic materials (see the Perspective by McCusker). Science , this issue p. 166 ; see also p. 136

Palladium-catalysed direct 5-arylation of metallated thiophenes of fac-Ir(N⁁C^3′-thpy)₃ with aryl bromides via C–H bond functionalisation allows the synthesis of a variety of new Ir complexes in only one step (thpyH = 2,2′-thienylpyridine). The method offers simple modification of the nature of the ligand and hence of the photophysical properties of such complexes.

The confinement of silver ions and nanoparticles within ultrasmall EMT zeolite (Ag⁺-EMT and Ag⁰-EMT samples) and qualitative comparison of their antibacterial properties are reported.