Themed collection ChemComm Milestones – First Independent Articles

This highlight summarizes the strategies to improve mechanical and actuation performance of hydrogel actuators, which could broaden their potential applications.

The review paper outlines the current state-of-the-art strategies adopted to fabricate polymeric porous capsules which represent a novel supramolecular construct that broadens the applicability and versatility of self-assembled polymeric systems.

A highlight of recent synthetic methods for selective deuteration of organic molecules using electrochemistry.

Solid-state batteries are configured by deliberation of technology and energy, with material chemistries and processing parameters necessary to target the requirements of the roadmap of future energy-dense and safe batteries.

This feature article summarizes the recent advances in organelle-targeted PTT agents over the past ten years.

We review the current understanding of charge carrier dynamics in carbon nitride heterojunctions and highlight open questions in the field.

We have developed a first catalytic methodology for the synthesis of primary amides by the catalytic dehydrative amidation of α- or β-hydroxycarboxylic acids using inexpensive and safe aqueous ammonia.

Metal–Ligand cooperativity using a well-defined iron(0)complex catalyzes olefin hydroboration.

The FC-PeLED system simulates the natural process of bionics of plant colors from green to brown through a low energy input.

We report a mild, electrochemical trihydrodefluorination (e-THDF) for breaking highly stable C–F bonds in trifluoromethyl arenes to form the corresponding methyl arene products.

We demonstrate the VITAS (Viral polymerase-Inhibition Toxin-Associated Selection) assay for the in vivo selection and discovery of enzymes producing one of the largest groups of antivirals, namely antiviral nucleotide analogues (ANAs).

Oxygen-containing porous CN hollow nanotubes were engineered by facile thermal polycondensation of oxalic acid-assisted supramolecular aggregates and revealed superior photocatalytic hydrogen production.

A nickel-catalyzed dual C(sp²)–H amination of N-quinolylbenzamides using broad-spectrum hydroxylamine as the amino source is developed for the selective synthesis of triarylamines in a single-step manner.

The novel direct C2-addition of azlactones to γ-keto-α,β-unsaturated esters was achieved with excellent stereoselectivities, and revealed an unusual π–π interaction effect between the substrate and catalyst.

A typical synthesis of the FeN₄X-SAzyme (x = F, Cl, Br, I) is based on high-temperature pyrolysis. The results showed that the chlorine-coordinated monatomic iron material (FeN₄Cl-SAzyme) was a promising catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction.

MFM-300(Sc) was explored as a catalyst for the gas-phase hydrogenation of acetone. The reaction was driven by Sc(III) dynamics sites.

Highly efficient synthesis of diverse 2,2-disubstituted 3-methyleneindoline derivatives through a one-pot base-promoted post-Ugi 5-exo-dig “Conia-ene”-type cyclization has been disclosed.

We report the synthesis and characterization of a series of donor–acceptor TADF emitters with a new architecture, where the donor moiety and the dibenzazepine-based acceptor moiety are separated by a phenylene linker in a V-shaped spatial arrangement.

Crystalline thiacalix[4]arene assemblies adsorb cyclic aliphatic vapors preferentially over aromatic vapors. High-purity aliphatics can be easily obtained from aliphatic/aromatic mixtures by exposing the crystals to air after vapor adsorption.

We have demonstrated a facile, scalable, and green synthetic route to produce a novel class of semiconductive 2D-c-MOFs (SA-MOFs). This novel MOF chemistry opens rich opportunities for the exploration of functionally diverse open frameworks.

Local voltammetric analysis (combined with a new data processing protocol) in a scanning electrochemical droplet cell format is used to directly identify previously unseen regions of elevated electrocatalytic activity on the basal plane of 2H-MoS₂.

Deep learning methods, U-Net, UNet++, were applied to the analysis of single molecule movies obtained from liquid-phase electron microscopy.

The square lattice coordination network sql-1-Ni-NCS exhibits adsorbate-dependent switching pressures and sorption uptakes.

A “top-down” strategy has been demonstrated to transform gasification residue carbon into a Ni–N–C single atom catalyst at gram scale.

Chemoselective approach to extract amine-containing natural products from complex matrices. The enzymatic release from the probe affords the underivatised compounds as products.

Myoglobin was subjected to site-directed mutagenesis and transformed into a catalyst able to perform the atom transfer radical reaction.

We report a fluorescent probe strategy that provides the potential to detect and discriminate hydrogen peroxide and peroxynitrite in cells.

Novel cell-targeting ligand structures are constructed with a spikey core scaffold, where multiple copies of coiled-coil peptide nanorods are conjugated on the surface of a peptide nanosheet.

TBN/Na₂S₂O₈-mediated radical cascade reaction of alkenes with aldehydes involving the formation of diverse new bonds in one-pot.

A bicyclic pyrone-type species on carbon catalysts was identified as the active site for the oxygen reduction reaction.

Machine-learned interatomic potential for the estimation of thermal transport properties of Mo_xW_1−xS₂ systems.

A new method for the synthesis of high surface area porous aromatic frameworks that does not use Ni(COD)₂ is described.

This work for the first time introduces hard–soft acid base theory to analyze the counterion-modulated peptide charge transport and rationalizes the enhancement of peptide charge transport by the peptide-counterion interactions.

Lighter analogues of xanthene dyes show near-infrared absorption and emission, strongly redshifted due to the antiaromatic character of the fluorene scaffold.

Radical cations of air-stable bis-BN-based analogues of Thiele's hydrocarbon have been isolated.

Cucurbit[7]uril accelerates acid hydrolysis and screens the reaction centre from the neighbouring group. The coordination of alkali metal cations to the macrocycle portal uncompetitively reduces the catalytic activity.

An efficient Rh(III)-catalyzed 1 : 2 coupling of 3-aryl-2H-benzo[b][1,4]oxazines with diazo ketoesters has been realized via twofold C–H activation followed by unusual [3+3] and [4+2] annulation, providing a straightforward strategy to access polycyclic spiropyrans.

The light sensitivity of many silver compounds has restricted the observation of silver-based chemical gardens.

A structurally perfect kagomé antiferromagnet {[Cu₃(bpy)₆](SiF₆)₃(melamine)₈(H₂O)₄}_n was synthesized by introducing C₃ symmetrical melamine molecules.

Novel two-dimensional Zr/Hf-hydroxamate MOFs, featuring chelated mononuclear nodes, were synthesized and exhibited great chemical stability and morphological tunability.

Regioselective β- and γ-deuteration of pyridine was achieved under mild condition through a carbanion pathway with dimsyl-d₅ intermediate.

A convenient, sensitive and reliable laccase-mimicking CuCoFe-LDHzyme was fabricated for the smartphone-based colorimetric detection of pheochromocytoma biomarkers.

Vapor-triggered crystal-to-crystal transformation between a discrete trinuclear complex [Ni₃(sih)₂(py)₈] and a two-dimensional (2D) coordination polymer [Ni₃(sih)₂(py)₂]_n·2DMF·2H₂O was demonstrated, showing a solid-state coordination-induced spin state switch behavior.

A customized aggregation-induced emission luminogen allows the direct visualization of catalytic retro-Diels–Alder reaction and catalyst screening.

Fully soft organic electrochemical transistors and a skin-mountable electrophysiological signal amplifier were developed by all soft components based on, particularly stretchable PEDOT:PSS enabled by crosslinking between PEG and DVS.

A novel tactic for the regioselective O-alkylation of 2-pyridones has been realized through palladium catalysis facilitated by silver carbonate in moderate to high yields, the coordination effect between palladium and nitrogen on the pyridine ring plays a versatile role.

A new solvothermal reconstruction method recovers the original morphology of the catalyst and the product presents extraordinary stability.

Helical α/β/γ-peptidomimetics in an αγααβα-hexad repeat competes out the Bak peptide from Bcl-x_L with significant resistance towards proteolytic digestion.

A new cyclic diborylamide ligand has been developed and successfully employed to synthesize low-coordinate iron(II) complexes.

A novel three-dimensional (3D) 5-fold interpenetrated hydrogen-bonded quadruplex framework with helical H₃O⁺/H₂O chains in 1D pore channels shows a single-crystal superprotonic conductivity.

A biomimetic tautomerization/intermolecular inverse-electron-demand hetero Diels–Alder reaction cascade to construct sterically hindered dihydropyran scaffolds was established and allowed the first total syntheses of ericifolione and analogues.

The ultrathin (~1 nm) emissive layer of a TADF emitter shows 2.6 times higher EQE with high brightness than conventional (30 nm) non-doped OLED devices.

A unique photo-oxidation of various alcohols induced by an unprecedented NAD⁺-type zinc(II) complex has been successful.

Polymer nanoparticle hydrogels made of deoxyribonucleic acid and silica have been prepared and shown to display shear thinning and self-healing properties, sustained release of cargo and enzymatic degradation.

Carbazole- and thiophene-containing CMPs with different degrees of planarity were constructed to enhance photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water.

A mono-mercapto-functionalized pillar[5]arene and its dimer, capable of being reversibly interconverted, were successfully synthesized.

The ligand binding to the telomeric G-quadruplex enhanced susceptibility to S1 nuclease through the base flipping.

Charge decoration provides a new synthetic strategy to integrate discrete coordination cages into an extended permanently porous material.

A novel miniaturized and sustainable platform exploiting two merged paper-based substrates has been applied for the programmable pre-concentration of analytes of interest and electrochemical detection of mercury traces in drinking water using printable sensor strips.

We present here the first example of the direct synthesis of polyureas from the dehydrogenative coupling of diamines and methanol.

The parent organometallic complex, methyllithium, is synthesized and characterised in its monomeric form for the first time. This is enabled by a bespoke multidentate neutral amine ligand, namely DETAN.

A series of rare-earth based UiO-66 analogues is synthesised through different approaches with the aid of two different solvents.

A series of crystalline porous materials was prepared by self-assembly of cationic metal–organic polyhedra with polyoxometalates.

Tetraphenylethylene-substituted fused-ring electron acceptors present enhanced emission with reduced nonradiative energy loss, improving open circuit voltages in solar cells.

Within one hour at room temperature, 2D lead iodide perovskites (R-NH₃)₂PbI₄ with semiconductivity were transformed into colloidal liquid crystalline phases exhibiting optical anisotropy and photoluminescence.

N-Atom is delivered to an amine to synthesize α-diazo compounds through triazene fragmentation.

A rapid, low cost sensor for Covid-19 was developed using a perfluorodecanthiol layer and ACE2.

Highly enantioselective binding of amino-acid esters in water by a small molecule receptor based on a glucose scaffold.

Collapse of peptoid–gold nanoparticle composite layers at the liquid–liquid interface produces a new class of 2D plasmonic arrays that freely float in water.

Pathogenic E. coli pose a significant threat to public health by causing both foodborne illness and urinary tract infections. A sensitive electrochemical method to detect these pathogens can be used for surveillance and to prevent illness.