Themed collection Most popular 2019-2020 inorganic, main group and crystal engineering chemistry articles

This perspective discusses progress and future directions in metal–organic frameworks with aperiodic structures. Reported quasicrystalline and incommensurate materials are presented, and pathways towards designing new such materials are provided.

Documenting the synthesis and isolation of novel low oxidation state aluminium (Al) compounds, which until recently has seen relatively slow progress over the 30 years since such species were first isolated.

Recent attempts to isolate cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene stabilized radicals of p-block elements have been described here.

The previously reported novel cadmium carbonyl compound, [Cd(CO)₃(C₆H₃Cl)]₄, is better formulated as the rhenium compound, [Re(CO)₃(C₄N₂H₃S)]₄.

Upon irradiation with visible light, an iridium hydride complex undergoes hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) to unactivated olefins in presence of a sacrificial electron donor and a proton source.

The crystal packing and porosity of Cu₄L₄ metal–organic polyhedra can be controlled by exploiting their rich solvatomorphism, structural non-rigidity and amenability to covalent post-assembly modifications.

There is a dire need for new compounds to combat antibiotic resistance: metal complexes might provide the solution. 906 metal complexes were evaluated against dangerous ESKAPE pathogens and found to have a higher hit-rate than organic molecules.

We report the isolation, X-ray crystal structures, reactivity and DFT calculations of iron- and ruthenium-mono(dialkylcarbene) and osmium-bis(dialkylcarbene) porphyrins and diarylcarbene transfer/insertion reactions catalyzed by iron-mono(dialkylcarbene) porphyrin.

A new class of bent amphiphilic alkynylplatinum(II) terpyridine complexes was found to adopt different modes of molecular stacking to give diverse nanostructures.

A detailed study on the uptake and antimicrobial activity of a Ru^II theranostic complex with wild-type S. aureus, MRSA, and other mutants has identified the specific resistance mechanisms that Gram-positive bacteria display against this lead.

New crystal forms of two well-studied organic molecules are identified in a computationally targeted way, by combining structure prediction with a robotic crystallisation screen, including a ‘hidden’ porous polymorph of trimesic acid.

A novel NIR-II theranostic nanoprobe, PSY (∼110 nm), was concisely developed, which demonstrated excellent photostability, high tumor uptake, superior S/N ratios and more efficient cancer treatment with minimal side effects than cisplatin.

Binding energies for H₂ and N₂ at nickel become more exergonic for the larger group 13 sigma-accepting supports.

The combinatorial synthesis of a new library of tetrameric peptoid ligands is introduced, enabling coordination and characterization of f-block metals.

Tuning of relaxation of magnetisation through 3d metal ion variations in 3d₂Dy₂ butterflies.

The tetracationic diketopyrrolopyrrole compound 5M exhibits a σ₂ value of 4560 GM at 740 nm.

The development of low-dimensional perovskite micro/nanostructures with high water stability for novel photonic/electronic applications is highly desirable.

Herein we report two crystalline molecular rotors 1 and 4 that show extremely narrow signals in deuterium solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

Varying the Lu coordination environment tunes the Ni–Lu interaction and the catalytic activity of the Ni site in styrene hydrogenation.

The monomeric molecular aluminium(I) complex 1 [{(ArNCMe)₂CH}Al] (Ar = 2,6-di-iso-propylphenyl) reacts with a series of terminal and strained alkenes including ethylene, propylene, allylbenzene and norbornene to form alkene bound products.

We report here the synthesis of a robust Ti–MOF with novel SBUs and its use as oxo ligands to chelate Co-hydrides for cascade reduction of N-heteroarenes.

Metal–organic frameworks enable the synthesis of arrays of atomically precise qubits.

The unusual ferromagnetically coupled compound was prepared by the use of Me₃SiN₃ with the metal ions being exclusively bridged by end-on N₃⁻. Th cationic molecule is a rare example of a 3d-metal cluster exhibiting a “Janus”-faced SMM behavior for the dried and wet forms.

The NiFe hydrogenase biomimetics are protected from oxygen invaders by sulfur and selenium castle guards.

Metal–organic frameworks incorporating cofacially-aligned redox-active ligands exhibit through-space intervalence charge transfer phenomena.

A FRET-based method was developed for monitoring metal–amyloid-β complexation and identifying inhibitors against such interaction.

Topology and porosity control of Zr6-based MOFs was achieved by introducing steric functionalization into the conformations of substituted tetracarboxylate linkers.

Metal ions initiate peptoids helicity that lead to positive allosteric cooperativity.

The room-temperature phosphorescent DBBZL crystals could exhibit reversible bending and irreversible bending based on one crystal. These flexible crystals exhibit good waveguiding property in straight state, elastic bending state and plastic bending state, demonstrating the application of flexibility.

Two reductive polyoxometalate (POM)-based heterogeneous photo-catalysts display highly selective CO₂-to-CH₄ conversion in water.