Themed collection 130th Anniversary of Wuhan University

Lin Zhuang, Qiu Wang, Aiwen Lei and Qianghui Zhou introduce the Chemical Science and Green Chemistry joint themed collection celebrating the 130th Anniversary of Wuhan University.

This perspective highlights recent advances and provides an outlook on future developments in the first-row transition metal catalysed enantioconvergent radical Suzuki–Miyaura C(sp³)−C coupling of racemic alkyl halides.

In response to societal developments and the growing demand for high-energy-density battery systems, alkali metal batteries (AMBs) have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation energy storage.

Molecular imaging, including quantification and molecular interaction studies, plays a crucial role in visualizing and analysing molecular events. Aptamers are wildly employed in molecular imaging with a wide range of targets and imaging modalities.

The state-of-the-art salt-thermal method to recycle spent LIBs enables preferential Li recovery, recovery of anode/cathode material, direct regeneration of degraded anode/cathode material, and one-step re-synthesis of advanced functional materials.

By employing well-defined isoguanosine self-assembled pentamer formation and post-assembly modification, covalently tethered isoG-star through olefin metathesis was prepared as a recyclable receptor for selective cesium separation.

Reported herein is an organocatalyzed photoelectrochemical C(aryl)–H amination reaction for direct access to anilides from easily available and stable arenes and carbamates without the need for sacrificial oxidants.

Herein, a direct and efficient electrochemical method for the synthesis of monofluoroalkene products was promoted using gem-difluoroalkenes and unactivated alkyl halides as starting materials with a nickel catalyst.

A novel and efficient approach utilizing I₂/DMSO catalytic systems for the Baeyer–Villiger oxidative rearrangement of cyclobutenones was developed.

A convenient method for synthesizing trisubstituted alkenes through direct alkylation of alkenes was achieved under solvent-free and catalyst-free conditions. This reaction highlighted by a low E-factor and a high atom- and step-economy.

Electrochemical oxidation enables direct 1,3-dihydroxylation of cyclopropanes with H₂O as the ultimately green hydroxyl source.

Herein, we report a photocatalytic defluorocarboxylation of benzylic C(sp³)–F bonds using formate salts as both a reductant and a carbon dioxide source.

An enantioconvergent strategy for the synthesis of chiral fluorenols from racemic secondary alcohols has been disclosed enabled by Pd(II)/NBE* cooperative catalysis. The reaction has good functional group compatibility and high enantioselectivity.

The heterogeneous electron transfer reactivity of single layer graphene can be regulated by defect engineering via electrochemically induced bromination which offers new possibilities for leveraging graphene in various electrochemical applications.

The Hamiltonian model reveals that ion–electron coupled transfer is the optimal reaction pathway with the lowest activation barrier, compared with separate electron tunneling or ion transport.

A phenazine-mediated ambient chemical sodiation strategy is first proposed to controllably synthesize a Na-enriched Na₄V₂(PO₄)₃ cathode, which serves as an endogenous Na⁺ reservoir to compensate for irreversible sodium loss of sodium-ion full cells.

The first organocatalytic atroposelective synthesis of chiral N,N′-pyrrolylindoles based on CPA-catalyzed asymmetric 5-endo-dig cyclization of well-designed o-alkynylanilines bearing pyrrolyl unit was established via de novo indole formation.

The cation degradation of ionomers in the catalyst layer in anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) was found to be much more severe than that of the membrane, addressing the effect of electrochemical environments on cation degradation.

The first biomimetic total syntheses of indolotetrahydroquinolizinium-type bis-β-carboline alkaloids were accomplished via a unique umpolung type-III aza-[4 + 2] cycloaddition and late-stage C–H functionalization strategy.

An efficient strategy for dehydroalanine cycloaddition modification was reported, which enables rapid generation of fluorescent pyrazoline-modified peptides and proteins under mild, non-catalytic reaction conditions.

Macrocyclization via palladium-catalyzed intramolecular meta-selective C–H olefination was achieved through utilizing a readily accessible and cleavable indolyl template.

δ-VOPO₄ is proposed for the first time as a high-performance cathode material for zinc-ion batteries, exhibiting a high operating voltage of 1.46 V, a specific capacity of 122.6 mA h g⁻¹ and excellent cycling performance.

Helical fused 1,2:8,9-dibenzozethrene oligomers with up to 201° end-to-end twist were synthesized by “one-pot” nickel-catalyzed cyclo-oligomerization. Their fundamental structures, electronic properties, and chiroptical properties were investigated.

Herein, a new reaction for the site-selective carbonylation of arenes via C(sp²)–H thianthrenation under mild conditions has been developed.

A sulphate functionalized Ru catalyst (Ru-SO₄) with a decreased energy barrier of water formation has been constructed for effective alkaline hydrogen oxidation electrocatalysis.

An online electrochemical mass spectrometry (MS) methodology has been developed and utilized to probe the short-lived intermediates in electrochemical oxidative α-C(sp³)–H functionalization of tertiary amines.

The high selectivities of FA (Sel. 99.9% for Pd₁Cu₉) and THFA (Sel. 96.2% for Pd₁Ni₃) were obtained under mild reaction conditions in environmentally benign micellar catalytic systems.

The oxone–halide green oxidation system is extended to the oxidation of primary amides and aromatic aldehydes (with sodium azide) to generate N-haloamide and acyl azides, respectively, for subsequent Hofmann and Curtius rearrangements.

A cooperative rhodium-catalyzed electrochemical 1,3-butadiyne [2 + 2 + 2] cyclotrimerization to selectively produce hexasubstituted arenes is presented.

Efficient formation of (hetero)aryl thioethers via a simple nucleophilic aromatic substitution or a Cu-catalyzed coupling reaction under mild conditions is achieved.