Themed collection 2021 Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers Review-type Articles

With the “Criticality Score” used as a benchmark for sustainability – potentials, strategies and challenges are discussed to replace noble metal compounds in photosensitizers by the sustainable alternative iron.

Improving thermal stability of nitride phosphors has become an important material challenge. Our review describes three thermal phenomena, lists strategies for enhancing thermal stability of nitride phosphors, and discusses prospects in the future.

Lithium-rich and manganese-based cathodes deliver extraordinary specific capacity with a unique anion redox, and the structural changes during the reaction from the anion keep it reversible and are accompanied by irreversible oxygen loss.

This critical review summarises the recent biological applications of transition metal complexes as cellular probes, bioimaging reagents and phototherapeutics.

Lithium-rich layered oxide materials xLi₂MnO₃·(1 − x)LiMO₂ (M = Mn, Co, Ni, Fe, Cr, etc.) as promising cathode candidates for high energy Li-ion batteries have been summarized in this review.

This review talks about recent advances in RE co-doped tungsten oxygen complexes, including synthesis strategies associated with the luminescent mechanism, structural features and related applications.

Porous framework materials such as metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs) can be considered promising materials for solar-to-chemical energy conversion.

The role of deuterium in disentangling key steps of the mechanisms of H₂ activation by mimics of hydrogenases is presented. These studies have allowed to a better understanding of the mode of action of the natural enzymes and their mimics.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a valuable group of porous crystalline solids with inorganic and organic parts that can be used in dual catalysis.

This review illustrates a variety of luminescent chemosensors for the selective detection of assorted phosphates via the “Turn-On” emission mechanism with focus on their design aspects, chemical structures and sensing mechanism.

This review focuses on the important roles of varied metal types over MOF-based photocatalysts. The basic principles, types of MOF photocatalysts and roles of the reaction system to achieve efficient MOFs for CO₂ photoreduction are discussed.

The synthesis, structures and reactivity of isolable Ln^II (Ln = Sm, Eu, Yb) alkyl complexes are discussed. The application of Ln^II alkyl derivatives in a variety of catalytic reactions is considered as well.

The structural variation of self-assembled lanthanide supramolecular complexes which can be induced by different factors such as concentration, anion and solvent, cationic radii, stoichiometric ratio and light.

A variety of bismuth oxides have been synthesized by hydrothermal reactions using NaBiO₃·nH₂O as a starting material.

Recent spectroscopic and computational studies concerning the oxygen evolution reaction over iridium oxides are reviewed to provide the state-of-the-art understanding of its reaction mechanism.

A review on ferroelectric phase formation and reliability in HfO₂-based thin films and semiconductor devices.

Heterometallic coordination polymers have been rapidly developed as heterogeneous electrocatalysts. This review highlights the synthesis strategies of these polymers and the relationships between structures and electrocatalytic performances.

In this review, DNA and nanomaterial based catalysts for porphyrin metalation reactions are summarized, including the selection of DNAzymes, choice of nanomaterials, their catalytic mechanisms, and applications of the reactions.

This work provides a comprehensive review focusing on the current research on the stability of MXenes and the methods to improve their stability.

An integrated instrumental/computational approach to characterize metallodrug–protein adducts at the molecular level is reviewed. A series of applications are described, focusing on potential vanadium drugs with a generalization to other metals.

This review highlights the important role of several organic–inorganic hybrid systems. The fundamental mechanism, design principles, and enhancement strategies to achieve high performance room temperature phosphorescence have been discussed.

POM-based MOFs simultaneously possessing the virtues of POMs and MOFs exhibit excellent heterogeneous catalytic properties.

We have now a better understanding of the mechanisms of thermal decomposition of ammonia borane, a widely studied hydrogen storage material.

Solvent-induced color-changing phenomena exhibited by some metal complexes can illuminate key aspects of their switchable behavior.

This review focuses on the possible synthesis route, characterization techniques, and mechanistic pathways involved in the photocatalytic applications of MO@MOFs.

Oxyfluorides exhibit rich crystal structures that provide a new perspective for designing new NLO materials.

Rare-earth-elements-based oxide ion conductors with various structures and their structure-property relationships were systematically presented and summarized, which can provide new insight and guidance for the development of new oxide ion conductors.

This review illustrates designs and structures of various coordination frameworks constructed using assorted organic ligands and metalloligands offering pyridyl donors to evaluate the impact of flexibility versus rigidity on material design.

The latest progress relating to the development of porous frameworks for water harvesting has been summarized, highlighting design strategies for next-generation sorbent materials.

We discuss the synthesis and luminescence mechanisms of CuInS₂ QDs, the strategies to improve their luminous performance and their potential application in light-emitting devices, solar energy conversion, and the biomedical field.

We summarize and illustrate the recent developments of MOF- and COF-based nanomedicines for PDT and its combined antitumor treatments. Furthermore, major challenges and future development prospects in this field are also discussed.

Research progress in lanthanide metal–organic frameworks and their derivatives in the field of catalysis has been presented on the basis of different organic reactions.

This review divides the active sites of COFs into four categories: carbonyl, phenyl, imine bonds and other groups, and introduces their applications in LIBs.

The synthesis methods, structures and applications of Bi(III)-based MOFs in catalysis, adsorption, fluorescence, etc. are reviewed.

This review discusses the correlation of the local and whole molecular structure of iron(III) complexes with the magnetic properties including the light-induced excited spin-state trapping (LIESST) effect.

In this review, we highlighted Pd nanocatalysts which have been used in the development of sustainable organic transformations including transfer hydrogenation, C–H bond activation, and some carbon–carbon couplings in the last five years.

The combination of rare-earth metal complexes and hexacyanidometallates of transition metals is a fruitful pathway for achieving functional materials exhibiting a wide scope of mechanical, magnetic, optical, and electrochemical properties.

In this review, various forms of Cu based nanostructures have been explored in terms of improvise and enhancing their activity and durability with vast investigation for OER, HER and TWS applications.

This comprehensive review systematically summarizes the luminescence response mode and chemical sensing mechanism for lanthanide-functionalized MOF hybrids (abbreviated as LnFMOFH).

Recent advances on preparing single-crystal metals and their crucial roles in controlled growth of high-quality 2D materials are reviewed.

Two molybdenyl carbonates with different dimensional structures exhibit huge differences in band gaps, 0D Cs₃MoO₄(HCO₃) exhibiting a much larger band gap than 1D Cs₂MoO₃(CO₃).

Acyclic carbene–ruthenium catalysts were developed for the ethenolysis. Remarkable catalytic efficiency (turnover numbers of 100 000) and excellent α-olefin selectivity (up to 98%) were exhibited.

Based on three pairs of 2D homochiral Ag(I) enantiomers, we demonstrate that both the symmetry and degree of π-conjugation of the ligands have a significant effect on the type and intensity of their NLO responses.

We report a highly efficient synthesis of NaBH₄ by optimizing the uses of a hydrogen source and low-cost Mg–Al alloy.

We have investigated the effect of the concentration of single Ag atoms on the electronic structure of C₃N₄, and the relationship between the energy band structure and photocatalytic performance has been analysed in depth as well.

The depletion layer and more active sites are the key factors for improving the gas sensitivity of an Fe₂O₃/ZnO sensor.

Phosphomolybdic acid was encapsulated within a ZIF-8-based porous ionic liquid (HPMo@ZIF-8-PIL) for ultradeep reactive extraction desulfurization.

A novel brown mesoporous carbon nitride photocatalyst is synthesized by a doping strategy. The excellent visible light response and stable mesoporous structure lead to an efficient hydrogen evolution activity.

A novel photoactive MOF was prepared based on an electron-deficient perylenediimide derivative, which exhibits excellent photocatalytic activities towards the iodoperfluoroalkylation of alkenes and the oxidation of amines to imines.

Complexation of metal ions by a ligand bearing a azobenzene linker yielded two types of complexes: an [M₂L₂]⁴⁺ metallocycle and an [M₄L₆]⁸⁺ tetrahedral cage, which can be further converted into libraries of mononuclear [M(L′/L′′)_n]²⁺ species.

Cr³⁺-Doped BaMSi₃O₉ (M = Zr, Sn, Hf) NIR-emitting phosphors have been developed, which exhibit a broad NIR emission band over 650–1200 nm with a tunable band maximum longer than 800 nm and a FWHM of more than 155 nm upon blue light excitation.

First Mo^IV₃-Keggin anions [Mo^IV_xM^VI_12−xO_40−xpy_x]⁸⁻ (M = Mo, W; x = 3, 6) display unprecedented empty Keggin structure caused by the weak u₃-O coordinating capability of the [Mo^IV₃O₄] triads and LCF-dependent hydrogen transfer catalysis.

A superhydrophobic microenvironment in MIL-101(Cr) was constructed via coating polystyrene, resulting in improved Cu^I stability and adsorptive desulfurization performance.

Magnetic anisotropy is generated in two related d⁷ single-molecule magnets; (1) via 3d-4s orbital mixing in Fe^I; and (2) a non-Aufbau ground state in Co^II, demonstrating that the electronic configurations are large retained independent of geometry.

A COF with a large pore size was incorporated into a MOF matrix to construct an all-nanoporous composite membrane for high-permeance gas separation.

First icosahedral clusters built of polyantimony were prepared from the reactions of K₂ZnSb and Ni(CO)₂(PPh₃)₂. Sb₈⁴⁻-linked dimer provides a new way of thinking for the synthesis of hybrid clusters datively coordinated by polydentate Zintl anions.

A study of 6 families (42 members) demonstrates that within a family the easily calculated ¹⁵N-NMR values of ligands enable predictable tuning of T_1/2 in the corresponding complexes, except for 2 families with weakly influencing meta-substituents.

One-dimensional coordination polymer [(C₂H₄OH)C₄H₉NS]CdCl₃ has the performance of dielectric switching and SHG response. And the compound can adsorb precious Pd(II) and the adsorption could be monitored by dielectric anomaly and SHG signal.