Themed collection Chemical Communications HOT Articles 2024

This highlight discusses state-of-the-art mechanism-based modeling and machine-learning approaches in cell-free synthetic biology and their potential for designing and optimizing novel genetic circuits.

In this review, the state-of-the-art advances in radical-involved C(sp³)–N bond formation via metallaphotoredox catalysis have been highlighted, which are organized according to different catalytic modes, reaction types, and substrate classes.

This highlight discusses the advantages of various oxidation methods for improved performance of the electrochemical oxidation of ethylene and propylene, and provides an overview of current challenges and problems requiring further efforts.

This highlight article summarizes the recent developments and challenges in photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide and looks forward to the development direction of this field.

This review provides an electrosynthesis strategy of H₂O₂via the 2e⁻ ORR, covering aspects of reaction mechanisms, performance assessment, catalyst engineering, and setups for scaling up H₂O₂ production.

This highlight demonstrates the state of the art in the field of the enantioselective merged gold/organocatalysis by leveraging the unique reactivity of each catalyst.

Real-time monitoring of biocatalytic-based processes is significantly improved and simplified when they can be visualized.

To cope with the environmental pollution and energy shortage, reducing carbon dioxide molecules and producing fuels and chemicals via electrocatalytic methods, is one of the effective pathways to achieve carbon neutrality.

This manuscript summarized the recent progress of MOF-based pyroptosis inducers in immunotherapy.

This review overviews recent research on circularly polarized luminescence from planar chiral organic compounds, focusing on their synthetic strategies, properties and applications.

There are various interactions that either partially fit or do not fit the currently accepted definitions of the hydrogen bond.

New discoveries on polymer and polyelectrolyte brush systems and the corresponding brush-supported ions and water, arising from employing all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, have been thoroughly reviewed.

We highlighted the recent research progress concerning the molecule engineering strategy of toll-like receptor 7/8 agonists for enhancing immunotherapy, including our research work and some related emerging works.

Recent advances in the development of cascade ring expansion reactions for the synthesis of medium-sized rings and macrocycles are described.

Through the magnifying glass of a suitable computational protocol, both support and guidance of experimental advances in small molecules activation mediated by apolar and weakly polar bonds are made possible.

In this review, we provide the very first comprehensive exposition of artificial potassium transporters developed mostly over the past ten years.

Cucurbit[n]uril functionalized gold nanoparticles and electrodes facilitate the development of sensing platforms based on recognition tunneling, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, single molecule force spectroscopy, and electrochemical methods.

Sample transformation can be used to provide insights into the properties of complex samples.

Through a heterostructure modulation strategy, P2/P3-Na_0.44Mn_0.7Co_0.3O₂ was successfully synthesized as a high-rate and long-cycle cathode material for sodium-ion batteries.

In acetone, powders of the hexagonal perovskite (Me₂NH₂)PbI₃ are rapidly transformed to the iminium-based perovskite (Me₂CNMe₂)PbI₃.

Visible-light photooxidation of sulfinate salts with common alkenes to yield β-hydroxy sulfones on DNA for DNA-encoded library synthesis.

We describe a versatile and tuneable thiol responsive linker system using thiovinylketones, that relies on the conjugate addition–elimination mechanism of Michael acceptors for the traceless release of therapeutics.

Direct photocatalytic C–H activation is achieved with the transition metal oxo complex MoO₂Cl₂(bpy-^tBu). The reoxidation conditions and mechanism, catalytic benchmarking, and stability limiting factors are presented.

A molecular belt [8]NCP incorporating naphthalene moieties was precisely engineered through bottom–up synthesis. It exhibits remarkable selective binding ability for C₇₀ compared to C₆₀, forming a 1 : 1 complex.

A saddle-shaped tetrabenzotetrathia[8]circulene was synthesized by a “fold-in” type oxidative fusion reaction of an ortho-phenylene-bridged cyclic tetrathiophene, which exhibits fluorescence at room temperature and phosphorescence at low temperature.

The cleavage of the CO bond of aldehydes and ketones is achieved by the cooperation of a highly electrophilic P(V)-centre and its supporting tetradentate bis(amidophenolate) ligand.

At 60 °C, a high concentration of H₂O₂ was rapidly produced in a 90 vol% IPA suspension of a cocatalyst-free WO₃ photocatalyst.

We report the first mass photometric characterization of nanoaggregates of atomically precise nanoclusters (NCs) in solution.

A new method to synthesise functionalised cycloheptatrienes was established using the anionic 8π-electrocyclic reaction of β-ketoester-derived dienyne substrates.

Titanium electrodes bearing the naturally-forming native oxide coating are competent for the electroreduction of oxalic acid to glyoxylate and glycolate.

The enantioselective de novo synthesis of pharmacologically important 14-hydroxy-6-oxomorphinans is described. 4,5-Desoxynaltrexone and 4,5-desoxynaloxone were prepared using this route and their biological activities against the opioid receptors were measured.

Leveraging microgram-level techniques, we here present the first transplutonium bis-pentatungstate complex: NaCs₈Cm(W₅O₁₈)₂·14H₂O (CmW₅).

UV irradiation is used for the efficient production of dinitrogen pentoxide.

Using thiol–ene chemistry, polymerization-induced phase separation, and DLP 3D printing, we present a method for manufacturing reactive macroporous 3D structures.

The cross-linking of redox-reversible artificial metalloenzyme aggregates produces recyclable protein microparticles that enable catalyst replacement and hence catalyst-controlled enantioselectivity switching.

Composites with excellent performances for dopamine electrochemical sensing were prepared by in situ synthesis of metal–organic frameworks in presence of exfoliated Nb₄C₃T_x MXenes.

A bench-top stable borane with an appended redox-active phenothiazine motif can be oxidized by a single-electron oxidant to “unlock” a potent radical cationic Lewis acid catalyst for dimerization and hydrosilylation reactions.

The construction of S–C–N glycosidic bonds via the organocatalytic sulfa-Michael/aldol reaction of (E)-β-nucleobase acrylketone and 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol was achieved, and diverse 4′-thionucleosides were obtained with excellent results.

Described herein is a Cu-catalyzed diarylation of aromatic alkynes via radical docking-migration pathways, leading to a broad range of valuable triarylethenes.

A heart-on-a-particle model based on a multicompartmental microgel is proposed to simulate the heart microenvironment and study the cardiotoxicity of drugs.

A small-molecule Fenton reagent was developed to self-augment chemodynamic therapy by intelligently regulating intracellular acidosis.

Triphenyl phosphane (TPP) and an epoxide as a fuel system transiently transformed a non-catalytic six-component turnstile into a four-component catalytic rotor releasing N-methyl pyrrolidine and a copper(I) complex.

A three-component carbonylation that provides a new method for the synthesis of ketones from Hantzsch esters has been developed.

An unusual benzofuran synthesis from 2,6-disubstituted phenols and alkynyl sulfoxides is disclosed. Various highly-substituted benzofurans were synthesized via a charge-accelerated [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement and subsequent substituent migration.

Minute structural variations in Py-BT-COF isomers can generate significant differences in redox and photophysical properties, resulting in divergent photocatalytic performances in H₂ reduction and rhodamine B degradation.

A new armchair carbon nanobelt is successfully synthesized by tuning the regioselectivity of the Scholl reaction of the quinquephenyl units in the arylated [12]cycloparaphenylene substrate.

Co–Fe perovskite fluoride, which is easily oxidized to highly active (Co³⁺Fe³⁺)OOH, was prepared as an efficient catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction.

A simple and effective strategy for hydroxylating the ITO surface with hydroxyl radicals produced by electrochemical oxidation of hydroxide anions at the gas bubble adherent electrode.

A novel ionized heavy-atom-free two-dimensional organic nanosheet was prepared and exhibited highly selective generation of singlet oxygen under both light and ultrasound excitation.

Two-dimensional (2D) Cs₃Sb₂Br₉ inducing a transformation of three-dimensional (3D) CsPbBr₃ to 2D nanoplates (NPLs) to achieve a deep-blue emission at a wavelength of 464 nm with good stability.

Electronic modification of SnO₂ using doping to enhance electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction to formate.

Selenophen-annulated pyrazines were synthesized in a simple two-step approach under mild conditions.

Space-confined twin-polymerization enables homogeneous integration of ultrafine TiO₂ nanoparticles into an S-doped carbon skeleton to craft a robust hetero-architecture for boosting lithium storage.

A new synthetic route to sydnonimines allows the preparation of probes to release isocyanates inside living cells.

A silver-catalyzed highly para-selective phosphonation of 2-aryloxazolines has been achieved.

The highly efficient reductive amination of aldehydes with ammonia (NH₃) and hydrogen (H₂) to form secondary imines is described, as well as the dehydrogenative homocoupling of benzyl amines.

An efficient, metal-free electrocatalytic desulfurative strategy for the construction of C–N bonds by selectively activating inert C(sp³)–S bonds of alkyl thioethers.

Artificial spinal dura mater was designed by combining solution blow-spun gelatin microfibers and dopamine-capped polyurethane bioadhesive.

Semiconducting polymer dots and hemin functionalized DNA nanoflowers are prepared for the construction of a fluorescent/colorimetric dual-mode biosensor, achieving the detection of dopamine and glutathione in complex biological samples.

A lipid cubic phase encompassing a cross-linked siloxane structure was formed by the self-assembly of a synthetic organoalkoxysilane lipid.

Chiral liquid-crystalline emitters based on 9,9-dimethyl-10-(4-(phenylsulfonyl)phenyl)-9,10-dihydroacridine and binaphthol show smectic mesophases and circularly polarised blue fluorescence with a high luminescence dissymmetry factor |g_lum| of 0.13.

Chemiresitive sensing allows the affordable and facile detection of small molecules such as H₂O and CO₂.