Themed collection ChemComm 60th Anniversary Historic Papers from China

Having high surface areas, tunable pore sizes, large pore volumes, stable and interconnected pore networks, and active pore surfaces, ordered mesoporous materials have shown promising performance for capacious uptake and separation of a wide range of guest species through either simple physisorption or well-designed specific binding. Such adsorption-based process may lead to one of the most efficient routes for pollution control, gas storage and bio-applications in the future.

Recent advances in photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ with H₂O using semiconductor-based catalysts have been highlighted.

This feature article summarizes recent developments of 2D layered composite photocatalysts in photocatalytic hydrogen production, bacterial disinfection and pollutant degradation.

This perspective is focused on the novel fluorescent properties of graphene quantum dots (GQDs). We summarize recent advances in their synthesis, properties and characterization, and discuss potential developments for their use in bioimaging, electrochemical biosensors, catalysis and photovoltaic devices.

This feature article highlights the important contribution of diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) to the development of organic photovoltaics, especially bulk-heterojunction solar cells, and dye-sensitized solar cells. DPP in other fields are also described.

Crystal facet engineering is a promising approach for enhancing the activity and selectivity of semiconductor photocatalysts.

This feature article comments how the solvent element can significantly influence the assemblies, structures, and functions of coordination supramolecular systems in a kinetic or thermodynamic manner.

This short review highlights some of the recent important developments on the synthesis of allenes and its applications on the synthesis of some allenic natural products and allenic-based optoelectronic materials.

This feature article provides a comprehensive summary of recent advances on Pd-catalyzed oxidative coupling with various organometallic reagents via C–H activation along with intensive analysis of the character, efficiency and scope of these methods.

This feature article summarizes the presently known selective difluoromethylation and monofluoromethylation methods, including nucleophilic, electrophilic, and free radical di- and monofluoromethylation reagents and reactions.

The feature article highlights the novel application of triarylamine based optoelectronic materials for organic solar cells, especially dye sensitized solar cells, and host emitting materials.

Non-emissive propeller-shaped luminogens are induced to emit efficiently by aggregate formation, due to the restriction of intramolecular rotation in the aggregates. The AIE luminogens serve as excellent chemosensors, bioprobes and solid-state emitters.

A large variety of switchable TTF-based molecular and supramolecular architectures have been designed recently.

The combination of some three-atom bridges with paramagnetic 3d transition metal ions results in the isolation of systematic molecular magnetic materials, ranging from single-molecule and single-chain magnets to layered weak ferromagnets and three-dimensional porous magnets. The design strategy and role of secondary components, such as co-ligands, templates and other mixed short ligands are discussed.

Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly is a powerful means for fabricating multilayer thin films with controlled architecture and composition. This feature article presents an overview of conventional and unconventional LbL methods, which allow for fabricating different types of building blocks in a designed way, leading to new horizons for surface molecular engineering.

Methods of preparing layered double hydroxides with tailored properties are described and some practical applications of the resulting materials are illustrated.

A NiS microsphere film was grown in situ on Ni foam (NiS/Ni foam) via a sulfurization reaction as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst, with superior activity and durability for both the HER and OER in basic media.

A facile and simple method was proposed for the synthesis of multi-enzyme-containing metal–organic frameworks.

By etching Nb₄AlC₃ powders in hydrofluoric acid, a phase-pure, highly conductive, Nb₄C₃ MXene – the second with formula M₄X₃ – was produced. The latter's structure was investigated using pair distribution function analysis.

A 3D architecture of NiFe-LDH has been found to be very active for electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction.

O-doped g-C₃N₄ synthesized by a facile H₂O₂ hydrothermal treatment exhibits superior photoreactivity under visible light irradiation.

We demonstrated a facile and green approach to synthesize bifunctional fluorescent carbon nanodots via soy milk, which not only show favorable photoluminescent properties, but also exhibit good electrocatalytic activity towards oxygen reduction reaction.

Carbon dots (CDs) with quantum yields up to 30.2% were obtained by microwave-assisted pyrolysis of citric acid and proper amines. The primary amine molecules have been confirmed to serve dual roles as N-doping precursors and surface passivation agents, both of which considerably enhanced the fluorescence yield of the resultant CDs.

A nanocomposite Sb/C material can deliver its theoretical 3 Na storage capacity reversibly with a strong rate capability and a long-term cycling stability, offering practical feasibility as a high capacity and cycling-stable alloy anode for room temperature Na-ion batteries.

We theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that carbon self-doping could induce intrinsic electronic and band structure change of g-C₃N₄via the formation of delocalized big π bonds to increase visible light absorption and electrical conductivity as well as surface area and thus enhance both photooxidation and photoreduction activities.

We demonstrate a simple and scalable strategy for synthesizing hierarchical porous NiCo₂O₄ nanowires which possess a high specific capacitance with excellent rate performance and cycling stability.

ZnO with excellent photocatalytic performance could be easily prepared in large quantity by direct calcination of Zn(Ac)₂·2H₂O.

Lighten multicolor carbon-dot LED lamps from unzipping of photonic crystals.

Co₃O₄ nanoparticles have intrinsic peroxidase-like activity and catalase-like activity, and were used as peroxidase mimetics for colorimetric determination of H₂O₂ and glucose.

We have demonstrated that fluorescent carbon nanodots can be used as environmentally-friendly probes for label-free detection of Hg²⁺ and biothiols.

Highly amino-functionalized fluorescent carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) were fabricated by hydrothermal carbonization of chitosan at 180 °C.

Strongly green fluorescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have been prepared, and they are successfully applied to image living cells.

The higher {001} facets percentage of BiOCl nanosheets engenders more oxygen vacancies under UV light irradiation.

Ag/AgBr/BiOBr hybrid was synthesized through in situ ion exchange reaction followed by photoreduction, which displayed superior visible light photocatalytic activities.

We demonstrate that the carbon nanodots (C-Dots) are similar to the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) with intrinsic peroxidase-like activity, and applied to the visual determination of glucose in serum with simplicity, high sensitivity and selectivity.

These MoS₂/GNS composites by an in situ solution-phase method exhibit extraordinary capacity, i.e., up to 1300 mA h g⁻¹, and excellent rate capability and cycling stability for LIB.

We demonstrate the first white light-emitting device originating from single carbon dot components.

We demonstrate that the upconverted PL properties of GQDs are similar to the ASPL, and the δE between the π and σ orbitals is near 1.1 eV.

Positively-charged gold nanoparticles ((+)AuNPs) can catalyze the oxidation of 3,3,5,5-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by H₂O₂, thus providing a simple approach to colorimetric detection of H₂O₂ and glucose.

We have demonstrated a methodology to generate large area graphdiyne films with 3.61 cm² on the surface of copper via a cross-coupling reaction using hexaethynylbenzene. The films show conductivity of 2.516 × 10⁻⁴ S m⁻¹ indicating a semiconductor property.

Blue luminescent carbon nanoparticles with high quantum yield (40.6%) and interesting pH-, solvent-, spin-, and excitation-dependent properties were reported for the first time.

A fluorescence sensor for Ag(I) ions is developed based on the target-induced conformational change of a silver-specific cytosine-rich oligonucleotide (SSO) and the interactions between the fluorogenic SSO probe and graphene oxide.

Graphene oxide/poly(vinyl alcohol) (GO/PVA) composite hydrogel was prepared and utilized for selective drug release at physiological pH.

Individual graphene oxide sheets can be readily reduced under a mild condition using L-ascorbic acid.

Using commercially activated carbon, we developed a simple and effective route to prepare good biocompatible multicolor photoluminescent carbon dots.

In this study, we present a facile, economical microwave pyrolysis approach to synthesize fluorescent carbon nanoparticles with electrochemiluminescence properties.

Polydisperse graphene sheets that are functionalized with ionic liquid have been prepared successfully. The solubility properties and electrostatic charge of the ionic liquid units enable the resulting sheets to be well dispersed in a wide range of media, such as water, DMF, and DMSO.

Coupled ZnO/CdS heterostructures based on the Z-scheme mechanism are demonstrated to be highly active photocatalysts for H₂ evolution from water under simulated solar light irradiation due to the greatly prolonged lifetime of photoexcited carriers.

A binary spacer of orderly conjugated 3,4-ethyldioxythiophene and thienothiophene to construct a wide-spectral response organic chromophore for dye-sensitized solar cells showing a high efficiency of 9.8% and an excellent stability.

Graphene sheets were stably dispersed in water by functionalization with sulfonated polyaniline (SPANI), and the composite film of SPANI-functionalized graphene showed improved electrochemical stability and enhanced electrocatalytic activity.

Poly(anthraquinonyl sulfide) is synthesized and investigated as a novel organic cathode material for rechargeable lithium batteries, which shows excellent reversibility and cyclabilty, and gives important insights into developing a new generation of organic cathode materials with higher performance.

Electrodeposited Ni(OH)₂ on nickel foam with porous and 3D nanostructures has ultrahigh capacitance in the potential range −0.05–0.45 V, and a maximum specific capacitance as high as 3152 F g⁻¹ can be achieved in 3% KOH solution at a charge/discharge current density of 4 A g⁻¹.

A simple and facile method was developed to prepare fluorescent carbon nanocrystals (CNCs) with low cytotoxicity and no photobleaching by electrooxidation of graphite in aqueous solution. The CNCs were monodipserse and stable in solution with high ionic strength, which is promising for biological labeling and imaging in vivo.

Novel organic dyes based on the phenothiazine (PTZ) unit were designed and synthesized for application in dye-sensitized solar cells; a prominent solar energy-to-electricity conversion efficiency (η) of 5.5% was achieved.

A simple and sensitive aptamer-based colorimetric sensor for protein detection (alpha-thrombin in this work) using unmodified gold nanoparticle probes was developed.

Fluorescence of non-emissive 1,2-bis{4-[4-(N,N,N-triethylammonium)butoxy]phenyl}-1,2-diphenylethene dibromide (TPE) is turned “on” by the addition of DNA or BSA into its aqueous phosphate buffer solution.

A novel ZnIn₂S₄ catalyst synthesized by hydrothermal method shows high and stable photocatalytic activity for water reduction under visible light illumination.