Themed collection 2024 Frontier and Perspective articles

The impact of various solid supports on the catalytic performance of self-supported catalysts has been reviewed.

Metals in medicine is a distinct and mature field of investigation to which platinum drugs design makes valuable contributions. Here, we outline the chemical pathways to maximize efficiency in their preparation.

The relevance of the fluorinated thiolate 2,3,5,6-S(C₆F₄H-4) to serve as a reliable motif for the construction of π_F–π_F stacking interactions in a series of metal complexes in the solid state for its application in crystal engineering is Illustrated.

The influence of dopant molecules on the structure and functionality of spin-crossover materials is surveyed.

Polyols are a versatile solvent for colloidal solution synthesis to yield high-quality 2D nanoplates.

Recent developments of polyoxometalate (POM)-derived electrocatalysts, their application to the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), the catalytic HER mechanism, structure–performance correlations, and challenges for the future are reported.

Alpha-metalated N,N-dimethylbenzylamine rare-earth metal complexes have proven highly versatile for phosphine addition and dehydrogenative coupling reactions.

Analysis of C(acyl)–N functionalisation mechanisms with a focus on recent developments involving mechanisms unique to the late transition metals.

A perspective on complexes of the heaviest and lightest elements; we elucidate how the f-element environment can affect hydride formation, oligomerisation and reactivity, including in catalysis and expose differences between the Ln and An series.

All-solid-state batteries offer secure energy storage. Nanomaterials boost performance, but challenges include reducing electrolyte size while maintaining conductivity. This review highlights recent advances in electrode-electrolyte interfaces.

Herein, we present a general overview of the design of intercalation layered compounds (ILCs) and their applications devoted to the field of energy.

Intercalation compounds represent a unique class of materials that can be anisotropic (1D and 2D-based topology) or isotropic (3D) through their guest/host superlattice repetitive organisation.

Various physical properties reversibly driven by solid-state electrochemical reactions are comprehensively reviewed, and their mechanisms are mentioned thoroughly.

The Ru-based single atom catalysts have been extensively applied in electrocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production, in which single-atom Ru acts as either a single site or a combination site depending on the type of catalyst used.

The review article highlights the advancements in the synthesis and applications of triazine-based covalent organic polymers in various domains.

The composition and recognition elements of a PEC detection system and the classification of carbon materials.

Prussian blue and Prussian blue analogues have attracted increasing attention as versatile framework materials with a wide range of applications in catalysis, energy conversion and storage, and biomedical and environmental fields.

Bismuth-based semiconductors possess promising optical and electrical properties, making them suitable for photoelectrochemical applications in marine engineering.

An overview of transition metal-based CORMs with cytotoxic properties is here reported.

This review summarizes recent progress in organometallic molecular junctions.

Mixed-anion coordination around Eu³⁺ ions affects the luminescence properties related to the 4f–4f and charge transfer transitions.

The preparation, heterostructure and application of hybrids containing layered double hydroxides as the main component are overviewed.

Plasma materials preparation technology can effectively affect the materials preparation processing by reactive species and multiple effects in plasma, which ensures it as a promising method for supercapacitor electrode mateirals preparation.

Polar cyano and their isomeric isocyano counterparts have attracted great attention as stimuli-responsive luminescent materials in recent years. This article reviewed their development from structural tailoring and self-assembly perspectives.

Metal dioxo chemistry and its diverse reactivity are presented with an emphasis on reaction mechanism.

This review highlights the recent progress in hydrogen production from methanol and formaldehyde over a wide range of molecular transition metal catalysts, with primary focus on the structure–activity relationship in the dehydrogenation pathway.

The Cu-phenolate complexes show various electronic structures, such as phenoxyl radical binding Cu^I complexes and Cu^IV–phenolate species in the formal oxidation state, which give rise to characteristic properties and reactivities of the complexes.

The reactions of open-cage fullerenes with various metal complexes show a remarkable range of unanticipated behaviors, which are compared to the corresponding reactions with intact fullerenes.

Bacterial infections can lead to the development of large-scale outbreaks of diseases that pose a serious threat to human life and health.

Silver clusters composed exclusively of fused tetrahedra are analogous to simple saturated organic compounds. Copper clusters with central cuboctahedra and silver clusters with central icosahedra having interstitial metal atoms provide examples of metal superatoms.

The coordination of small molecules to low valent titanium complexes provides a powerful platform for the transformation of challenging substrates either through PCET reactions or bond-weakening induced by π-back donation of electrons from Ti.

A comprehensive review by summarizing the fundamental concepts in the field of ZABs and the recent advances in the reported NBM SACs is organized.

This review focuses on the latest developments in luminescent lanthanide-based molecular materials as photosensitizers and their applications in photodynamic therapy.

Herein we contrast the growingly endorsed naming of supramolecular interactions according to the electrophilic atom with deeper and long-lasting discussion about fundamental aspects of bonding. The new nomenclature as a whole is put in question.

The activation of C–H bonds by heterobimetallic compounds is a rich area of research that has recently received increased attention. This perspective highlights recent advances and aims to guide the reader in this rapidly evolving field.

Typical nanoparticles functionalized by DNA (e.g. AuNPs, UCNPs, MOFs, MONPs and QDs).

This perspective highlights the potential of gold(II) complexes in catalysis, shedding light on the pivotal roles played by mononuclear and dinuclear gold(II) complexes, whether as isolated entities or proposed intermediates, in catalytic reactions.

Morphology of MXene-based composites in the form of MXene/0D, 1D and 2D structures and their enhanced physicochemical properties thereof.

Transition metal complexes act as monitoring devices for environmental changes, utilizing changes in colour/luminescence to detect these changes.

Nanozyme-based composites with efficient reactive oxygen species-scavenging activity can be designed by heteroaggregation as well as surface or structural modification of nanomaterials.

The Keggin-based metal-organic compounds show excellent sensing and catalytic properties.

A survey of recent theoretical treatments of Al–M bonds that activate CO₂ is given, with an emphasis on extracting lessons to guide future studies.

Singlet oxygen production and its reactivity have significant implications in fields ranging from polymer science to photodynamic therapy.

The in situ generation of the highly reactive organocalcium reagent and its immediate application offers not only a loophole to organocalcium reagents but opens the entry to a rich organic chemistry of this non-toxic and globally abundant element.

The development of novel narrow-band emitting phosphors with high efficiency and stability is of great significance for WLED backlights.

This paper provides an overview of three major EMOFs suitable for explosives and propellant. Additionally, future development directions and prospects for EMOFs are discussed, providing valuable insights for the application of EMOFs.

The use of metal catalysts along with Lewis acids to accelerate an organic transformation has proven indispensable for access to structural motifs having applications across medicinal, polymer, materials chemistry, and more.

Comprehensive studies concerning the synthesis of PCL–PLA copolymers towards generating novel biodegradable materials by controlling their macromolecular architecture using well-defined organometallic catalysts.

Halide double perovskites (HDPs) offer a versatile platform for property tuning. This article describes recent advancements in optimizing structures and electronic properties of HDPs for light conversion.

High-quality porous metal oxides are synthesized using amphiphilic organic compounds by utilizing a general-purpose spray-dryer, resulting in the smart optimization of synthetic conditions by combining several EISA processes.

Noncentrosymmetric galloborates show rich structural chemistry with various B–O anionic units and the [GaO₄] tetrahedron and are suitable candidates as ultraviolet nonlinear optical crystals.

This Frontier article highlights the key advances in electrocatalytic formate and alcohol oxidation using first-row transition metal-hydride catalysts, and offers insights into the remaining challenges and future research directions for this field.

This scientific review delves into the innovative realm of polyolefins/light alkanes valorization through their catalytic dehydrogenation employing pincer-ligated iridium organometallic complexes.

Recent progress of electrochemical and fluorescent biosensors of selenotungstate-based materials was summarized. This overview could provide insights for the continuous development of polyoxometalate-based biosensors.

This Frontier highlights the recent progress in the synthesis of MOF-derived LDH electrode materials, including pristine LDH powders, LDH composites and LDH-based arrays, and their applications in SCs.

This review summarizes various syntheses and structural characterization of metal sulfide/polysulfide intercalated LDHs and their sorption properties with mechanisms for various chemically toxic inorganic species (heavy metal cations and oxo-anions).

Exploring the influence of different reducing agents and their corresponding reaction conditions on the synthesis of copper nanoclusters, this study aims to provide valuable insights that can steer future research efforts in this field.

This article describes solid-state excimer-emitting materials based on aryl-modified o-carborane derivatives. Recent progress in stimuli-responsive materials with solid-state excimer emission based on modified o-carboranes is explained.

This article surveys the recent frontier advancements in layered metal oxide (LMO)–based catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The design rationales, mechanism, and future perspectives of LMOs for efficient OER catalysis are delineated.

The synthetic strategies employed to isolate monomeric stibinidene chalcogenides (RSbCh) and monomeric stibine chalcogenides (R₃SbCh) are discussed, and a perspective on the outcomes and future directions of this exciting area is provided.

This Frontier presents a comprehensive overview of the moisture-sensitive mechanism of organolead halide perovskites and the enhancement strategies for their structural stability and photocatalytic performance.

The covalent, post-synthesis modification of metal–organic frameworks is an efficient strategy for producing complex pore environments, bringing us closer to the goal of constructing enzyme-like catalysts.

Lanthanoid oxysulphides exhibit great versatility in their chemical compositions which allow for their optoelectronic properties to be tuned by the relative amounts of oxygen and sulphur present in their crystal structures.

This Frontier article highlights the advancements in POM-based reticular materials for proton conduction and offers insights into the future development of advanced proton conductors for emerging technologies.

A more significant percentage of reactive radicals are produced via piezo-photocatalysis associated with vibrational energy for CO₂ reduction than those produced by photocatalysis.

Magnetic anisotropy and spin–phonon coupling are key properties of single-molecule magnets. The use of far-IR and Raman magneto-spectroscopies (FIRMS and RaMS), and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) to determine the magnetic properties is highlighted.

This paper summarizes five strategies for improving the activity and stability of transition metal sulfide self-supported electrodes. The key problems and challenges for the future development of electrocatalysts for the HER are also presented.

This frontier presents Ln-based POMs in photoluminescence applications, focusing mainly on multi-color emission, fluorescent probes, fluorescent switch, drug activity, biomedical imaging, pH sensing and temperature sensing.

This article focuses on elucidating the fabrication and design of metal-organic framework derived metal-carbon nanostructures for oxygen evolution. It is categorized into three following topics: MOF selection, metal introduction and carbon structure.

Rare-earth (RE) metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) offer unique optical, electronic, and magnetic properties.