Themed collection 2022 Highlight article collection

Fused azolate ligands are hydrolytically-stable linkers for metal–organic frameworks. Their unique geometries and capacity for functionalisation have opened new pathways at the convergence of simple N-heterocycles and biologically relevant purines.

This review classifies the latest developments of MOF-based fluorescence sensors according to the analytes, and discusses the challenges faced by MOF-based fluorescence sensors and promotes some directions for future research.

Lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles have attracted extensive research interest due to their promising applications in various fields.

In this work, recent advances in tellurite molybdate/tungstate crystals have been systematically reviewed, including crystal growth, research of physical properties, theoretical analysis, and some electric/optical devices.

MOF/COF hybrids combine the outstanding features of MOF and COF structures, such as high crystallinities, large surface areas, high porosities, and improved chemical and mechanical stabilities.

Metal halide perovskites have emerged as a new class of colloidal semiconductor nanomaterials. This highlight emphasizes an overview of surface and interface engineering for enhancing their chemical stability and optical properties.

This review summarizes the recent progress in metal oxide charge transporting layers to achieve stable high-performance perovskite solar cells.

This highlight gives an overview of recent advances in production of crystalline materials for high energy density applications for rechargeable batteries and solar cells or energetic compounds in supercritical carbon dioxide medium.

As a post-nanotechnology concept, nanoarchitectonics has emerged from the 20th century to the 21st century. This review summarizes the recent progress in the field of metal-free porous carbon nanoarchitectonics.

Electrospun 1D nanomaterials are highly active towards the electrocatalytic energy conversion reaction.

This highlight summarizes the research progress on the considerable effects of noncovalent interactions on diverse types of energetic materials and enlighten us to explore new factors that affect the key performance of explosives.

This review covers the principles and recent advances in facet and phase engineering of catalysts for photocatalytic, photoelectrochemical, and electrochemical water splitting. It suggests the basis of catalyst design for advanced water splitting.

Recent studies about the design and fabrication of Ln@MOF/COF/HOF luminescent materials and devices have been reviewed systematically.

The research progress on polyoxometalate-based metal–organic complexes and their derivatives as electrocatalysts in sustainable and clean energy conversion applications in aqueous systems is summarized.

Replacing Ba²⁺ by Sr²⁺ stabilizes the high temperature phase and leads to zero or negative thermal expansion. Replacing Zn²⁺ by Mg²⁺ or Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Mn²⁺, Cu²⁺ shifts the phase transition to higher temperatures and leads to high thermal expansion.

In this highlight, the development of donor acceptor (D–A) MOF was briefly reviewed and summarized in the aspects of design, construction, and properties. Also, an outlook about the research and potential application of D–A MOF has been presented.

Pb- and Bi-based perovskite materials have high potential for detecting ionizing radiation but an enhanced research effort is needed to achieve large-size, high-performance single crystals at a competitive cost to accelerate this development.

Despite recent advances, fundamental knowledge of the properties, thermodynamics and kinetics of mesoscale clusters, and their role in nucleation, is still limited.

This work systematically reviewed recent progress of MOF-based solid electrolytes in all solid-state metal batteries which has rarely been summarized.

This article highlighted the recent achievements in crystal engineering of REPO₄ and REVO₄via solution processing, with an emphasis on solution chemistry, the role of chelate ion, crystallization mechanism and luminescence properties.

Typical preparation strategies of layered double hydroxide: top-down approach and bottom-up approach.

Crystal structure of the homologues series of (InGaZnO₃)_m(ZnO)_n.

We describe the use of an integrated methodological approach to study epitaxial phenomena.

Selective examples of isolation of pure cyclobutane compounds via solid-state photochemical reactions of cocrystals, and their utility in engineering crystalline solids are discussed.

Intraband transition and localized surface plasmon resonance of metal chalcogenide nanocrystals that are sensitive to the crystal structure.

Due to the stringent requirements of performance, safety, and cost for the development of new energetic materials (EMs), the synthesis of host–guest inclusion compounds is an attractive way to fully exploit the application potential of existing EMs.

This paper focuses on the recent advances in polyoxometalate-based metal-alkynyl clusters.

This highlight gives an overview of the mechanism development, property tuning and application exploration of photomechanical crystalline materials.

Antisolvent crystallization is a significant unit operation in the pharmaceutical industry, especially in drug crystal property optimization.

Non-lithium ion (e.g., Al³⁺, Ca²⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, and Zn²⁺) batteries have emerged as a promising platform for next-generation energy storage systems.

We apply a topological approach based on the underlying net and transformation pattern concepts as well as on the ‘supernet–subnet’ formalism to uncover mechanisms of solid-state transformations in coordination polymers and metal–organic frameworks.

The recent advances in three-dimensional electron diffraction (3D ED) are highlighted with a focus on its applications for investigating nanocrystals.

Research progress on metal–organic frameworks and their derivatives as functional materials for lithium-ion battery applications has been presented.

Photoluminescent organic porous crystals can be constructed from organic small molecules based on weak intermolecular interactions.

Various kinds of organic crystals can deform beyond their elastic limit, show unique mechanical properties, and switch directions of anisotropic functions by mechanical twinning based on stress-induced molecular movements.

Gd(III)-based molecular magnetorefrigerants are reviewed and discussed in detail, with an emphasis on the synthetic strategy towards good stability and large magnetocaloric effect.

Nanoscale compositionally graded crystals have huge potential to allow the exploration of new functionalities through crystal lattice modulation.

Some advanced and meaningful work was conducted on halide perovskites for X-ray detectors, and the performance of the corresponding X-ray detectors has reached new heights.

The structure, pore size regulation, and potential applications of MOFs featuring ftw-type connectivity have been reviewed.

In this Highlight the most important approaches in CSP to tackle molecular flexibility are characterized. Their successful use for drug-like molecules emphasizes the maturity of zeroth order CSP, while limitations indicate places for improvement.

Poor nitrogen usage efficiency of urea is one of the serious drawbacks that need urgent attention. This highlight focuses on the recent developments in mechanochemical synthesis of urea cocrystals as enhanced efficiency fertilizers.

TOC diagram illustrates that a change in the degree of polymerization affects the intermolecular distance and promotes electron migration in the g-C₃N₄ framework.

This work highlights recent advances in the diagnosis, prevention, and control of impurity incorporation during solution crystallization.

Cocrystal strategies to achieve excellent physiochemical performance under different environmental stress were highlighted here. The lattice energy and the energy barrier of degradation reactions are two pillars in a stable cocrystal construction.

This study summarizes the process models for the crystallization and sweating process, and several process intensification pathways and novel devices for melt crystallization. Also, the critical concerns for further research are discussed.

Recent developments in ferroic phase transition molecular crystals (ferroelectrics, ferroelastics, and multiferroics) are highlighted.

Advances and limitations in the field of growing large, high optical quality single crystals of AgGaS₂ (AGS), AgGaGeS₄ (AGGS), ZnGeP₂ (ZGP), LiInS₂ (LIS), LiGaS₂ (LGS), LiInSe₂ (LISe), LiGaSe₂ (LGSe) and LiGaTe₂ (LGT) are considered in this article.

Crystalline molecular solid solutions are discussed on the basis of homeomorphism and heteromorphism of blended molecules.

The research progress in the synthesis, structural characterization, and catalytic performance of ultrathin two-dimensional noble metal sheet nanostructures reported in the past decade is summarized.

The importance of C–H⋯NC interactions, which although generally considered weak, are effective in the self-assembly of crystal structures.

Polymorphic organic crystals that can switch their photophysical properties in response to mechanical stimuli are highlighted.

Wet etching is a simple and effective method to identify defects, fabricate patterns, and polish wafers of semiconductors. We highlight recent progress in wet etching of β-Ga₂O₃ substrates with an aim to comprehensively understand the etching behavior and mechanism.

Herein, we review recent developments in the rational design and engineering of various carbon-assisted dispersive nickel-based composites, and boosted properties for protein adsorption and nitroaromatics reduction.

Molecular dynamics simulation shows atoms in action: liquids, crystals, mesophases, nanoparticles trace their paths in time, temperature and pressure in a computing platform designed for organic small molecules.

It is a great route designing new MOF ferroelectrics to enrich the scope of ferroelectrics or improving the ferroelectric performance to enhance the opportunity of applications through the strategy of post-synthetic modification (PSM).

The current development status and future perspectives of Tl-based inorganic scintillators are highlighted in this study.