Themed collection Chemistry for a Sustainable World – Celebrating Our Community Tackling Global Challenges

Direct functionalization of alkenes with C(sp³)–H substrates offers unique opportunities for the rapid construction of pharmaceuticals and natural products.

The COF-based SACs and DACs, including their design, synthesis, applications, and electrocatalysis mechanism, are reviewed by investigating their catalytic mechanisms underlying both the oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction.

The review examines the structure–function relationship and outlines future directions to develop heterogeneous catalysts for C–C and C–O bonds cleavage in plastic waste and upcycling real-world plastic waste into chemicals and fuels.

Progress in chemical recycling of waste polyesters (waste plastic refinery) was reviewed and prospected, newly reported thermal catalysis, photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and biocatalysis in the recycle of waste PET-based product were introduced.

A hydrazone-linked COF (DvDf-C3XJ-COF) with hydrogen-bond reinforcement and abundant coordination sites was synthesized, exhibiting strong fluorescence and high sensitivity/selectivity for Hg²⁺ detection, with a detection limit of 1.65 × 10⁻⁶ M.

We report the RAFT solution polymerisation of bio-based monomer γ-methyl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone in DMSO and the more sustainable solvent Cyrene.

We successfully synthesized Li₂NbHO₂, the first example of a rock-salt-type transition-metal oxyhydride. Galvanostatic charge/discharge tests revealed that Li₂NbHO₂ functions as an electrode for lithium secondary batteries.

We report sulfonated hypercrosslinked polymers (SHCPs) as heterogeneous catalysts for the selective esterification of hexanoic acid with benzyl alcohol.

Extended π-conjugated COPs has been synthesized, containing triazole-linked carbon as the active site accelerating ORR. The push–pull interactions mechanism of the ORR in alkaline medium is explored through the Pauling model and in situ FTIR study.

This study presents the fabrication of vermiculite monolayer membranes of centimeter scales via a modified Langmuir–Blodgett technique to prompt the practical application of H/D separation.

An anatase/TiO₂(B) homojunction with Au nanoparticles achieves an ethane yield of 170 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, as the homojunction provides a more moderate environment for methane dehydrogenation.

A highly conductive and antioxidative MoO₂-doped Li argyrodite electrolyte enables 5000 cycles of the corresponding full cell.

Combinatorial battery-like/capacitor energy storage mechanisms as well as an ultralight current collector have been combined to achieve high performance supercapacitors with superior energy density and cyclic life span.

Exsolved Cu- and Ni-encapsulated silicalite-1 catalysts demonstrate higher activity in the reverse water-gas shift reaction than their impregnated counterparts.

A boronic ester vitrimer with high hydrolytic stability afforded by fluorinated side-chain protection is reported.

Fine-tuning of the p_z orbital of carbon defects by ligand-modulated electronic perturbation can lead to peak ORR catalytic activity.

An AI-assisted continuous flow reactor for CO₂ reduction to methanol using a MOF-derived CuO/TiO₂ photocatalyst.

Two orange-red emission circularly polarized thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitters (R)-ad-PXZ/(S)-ad-PXZ were synthesized. The solution processable device exhibits the maximum external quantum efficiency of 9.0% and g_EL value of 10⁻³.

Sulfonated hierarchical H-ZSM-5 monoliths were synthesized via ice-templating as solid acid catalysts for biodiesel production.

A catalytic amount of TEMPO, mobile in the reaction medium, enhances the hole transfer of NU-1003 photocatalysis for blue light-powered oxidation of organic sulfides with O₂.

Visible light-enhanced coordination of polyphenol–Al³⁺ is uncovered to switch Lewis/Brønsted acid sites for room-temperature cascade upgrading of xylose to furfural in ultrahigh yields.

The hybrid metal halide [(CH₃)₃NOH]₂CoCl₄ exhibits a first-order phase transition at T ∼ 343 K.

Room-temperature atmospheric-pressure ALD enables the deposition of highly dispersed Pt sub-nanometer clusters on a gram-scale quantity of TiO₂ nanopowder.

Yolk-shelled MoS₂/C@Void@C@MoS₂ exhibits superior high-rate sodium/potassium sodium storage capability, owing to the large inner void and ingenious shell.

The controlled nucleation of MoO₃ ultrasmall nanoparticles on defective graphene sheets leads to the achievement of a FE of 43.1%.

One-dimensional hexagonal PdTe nanowires are synthesized using Te nanowires as a template through a two-step hydrothermal process towards high-efficiency ethanol electrooxidation.

An innovative fixed-bed reactor using covalently immobilized Mn(III)-porphyrin on silica gel for continuous flow catalytic degradation of trimethoprim is described. The system uses H₂O₂ as a green oxidant for efficient eco-friendly water treatment.

Lattice expansion induced by S-doping obviously promotes the electron transport and the diffusion and storage of zinc ions in MnO.

A simple cobalt-catalytic aerobic approach for the direct dithiolation of unactivated alkenes with thiols has been established, enabling efficient access to symmetric and unsymmetric vicinal dithioethers under mild reaction conditions.

Battery-grade FePO₄·2H₂O with a high Fe/P ratio was prepared using high-pressure hydrolyzed precipitates. The significance of the current work is that the developed method is helpful for the resource utilization of solid waste containing iron.

PVDF/SiO₂ composite films with a hierarchical structure were prepared by water bath solvent exchange and they realized the integration of self-cleaning and radiative cooling.

The possibility to detect the conservation status of citrus fruit by using an optical array sensor containing synthetic organic fluorescent probes is reported here. Our device shows high sensitivity and selectivity and is of low-cost.

The reversible insertion of carbon dioxide into the silicon–nitrogen bond of an N-heterocyclic iminosilane is reported.

Fe₃O₄ film is composed of dispersed nanoparticles and irregular nanopores, where photons can be trapped by multi-reflection. The solar-thermal temperature can raise to above 350 °C and meet the temperature requirement for ammonia synthesis.

TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofiber gel electrolyte is used in an attractive rechargeable Zn-ion battery delivering at 1.5 V a capacity exceeding 100 mA h g⁻¹, which is proposed for sustainable energy storage.

Flexible shape-editable transparent wood was prepared by addition reaction and free radical polymerization. The wood skeleton promotes directional enhancement and energy dissipation, and the acetal linkages ensure shape memory and editability.

A photoinduced iron-catalyzed fluoroalkylation-peroxidation of activated and/or unactivated alkenes with fluoroalkyl carboxylic acids and hydroperoxide has been realized.

This study reveals the probing role of fullerenes in identifying the active sites of single-atom catalysts due to steric hindrance.

Diels–Alder dynamic covalent bond-crosslinked liquid crystal elastomers are developed, whose reprogrammable and reconfigurable actuators display reversible deformation between room and body temperature.

An iridium-incorporated ionic MOF was prepared and applied as a highly efficient and stable OER electrocatalyst.

The additive of phenylphosphinamide enhances the mechanical reliability of flexible inverted perovskite solar cells.

Acid–base interactions have been utilized in designing new amine-functional reactive coalescing agents (RCAs), making them ideal for producing VOC-free and emission-free waterborne coatings.

Dehydrogenative coupling – Si–O and Si–N bond formation in the presence of commercially available catalysts and ligands.

Isolated Fe–N_x sites as well as Fe₃C NPs co-embedded in N-doped carbon (Fe₃C/Fe–N–C) was synthesized using PET as carbon precursor. The Fe₃C/Fe–N–C showed excellent ORR performance, realizing the concept of turning trash into treasure.

A ternary iron–cobalt–nickel hydroxide nanoarray catalyst was fabricated, which achieves enhanced performance towards electro-oxidative depolymerization of lignin models to produce benzoic acid and phenol.

A homogeneous, thickness-tunable, and large Stokes-shifted pyridine-based fluorescent nanofilm was developed, which exhibited high sensitivity, low detection limit, and high selectivity in the detection of DCP vapors.

A defect-rich W_0.4Mo_0.6S₂ solid solution is controllably synthesized and exhibits markedly enhanced HER activity and durability in both 0.5 M H₂SO₄ and 2.0 M NaCl, thereby showing outstanding practical prospects.

We present an automated platform for studying electrode corrosion as a function of electrochemical history and electrolyte composition using Pt ORR as a proof-of-concept relevant to next-generation phosphoric acid fuel cells.

The CO₂ conversion efficiency was boosted by the synergistic effect of the dielectric barrier discharge plasma and heterojunction photocatalyst.

CO₂/CS₂ was used to prepare iodoallenyl- and allenyl heterocycles with high yields and diastereoselectivities in a metal-free manner under mild conditions.

In this work, nitrate reduction to ammonia was achieved using P-doped Ti₃C₂T_x nanosheets. Impressively, this catalyst showed ampere-level nitrate reduction in a flow cell, implying its potential for sustainable ammonia production.

In situ X-ray characterizations and electron microscopy observations reveal that lithium deposits in anode-less batteries are more homogeneous in solid electrolytes than in liquid electrolytes, attributed to the diffusional Coble creep process.

CO₂ does not react with the N-heterocyclic carbene possessing two isopropyl N-substituents in deep eutectic solvents composed of ethylene glycol and the imidazolium-based salt [IiPim][Triz].