Themed collection Celebrating Excellence in Research: Women at the Frontiers of Chemistry

This review discusses various synthetic methods of Au–Cu alloy nanoparticles and their plasmonic, catalytic and photothermal properties.

This review provides an in-depth understanding and introduces recent progress in the design and applications of DNA nanomaterials which possess intriguing structures and functions.

In this study, a new mechanism on CO₂-responsiveness of protein microtubules constructed by dual non-covalent interactions has been demonstrated.

A Cu-catalyzed synthesis of 5-arylsubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles via an oxidative interrupted click reaction with arylboronic acids in air at room temperature is disclosed.

ZIF-8 derived N-doped microporous carbon/selenium composites as cathodes for Na–Se batteries deliver a superior long-term cycling performance and rate capability.

Through empirical determination of precursor consumption rates for growing nanorods, a comprehensive rubric for the colloidal synthesis of customizable nanorods and their heterostructures is established.

Pseudo single atom Au/MOF catalysts are synthesized using a facile wet-chemistry approach on a large scale and show excellent performance in p-nitrophenol hydrogenation.

A photoredox-catalyzed cascade annulation of methyl(2-(phenylethynyl)phenyl)sulfanes and methyl(2-(phenylethynyl)phenyl)selanes with sulfonyl chlorides was developed.

We report a metal-free method for the synthesis of vicinal chloroamines by intermolecular aminochlorination of unactivated alkenes.

An efficient Cp₂TiCl₂-catalyzed one-pot two-step hydroamination procedure that allows the direct formation of tertiary amines from styrenes and an electrophilic nitrogen source has been reported with high regioselectivity.

The first de novo total synthesis of (−)-curcumol was accomplished using a rhodium-catalyzed cyclization–cycloaddition cascade reaction as the key step.

MAX phases V₂AlC and (V/Mn)₂AlC were non-conventionally synthesized, (micro)-structurally characterized and their electronic and magnetic properties were discussed.

A cobalt-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative coupling of 2-arylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines with isochroman is developed using molecular oxygen as the oxidant.

A carbon dots@germanate composite has been synthesized by embedding carbon dots into a double-layered germanate in situ, which exhibits excitation-dependent and temperature-responsive photoluminescence.

Small bandgap 2D perovskites were synthesized with desired orientation and the corresponding solar cells presented high efficiency and good stability.

A photolithography compatible way for the fabrication of Micro-OLED devices via area-selective growth is developed.

Blue-green-emitting solution-processable OLEDs have been realized by the incorporation of a saturated dendrimer onto alkynylgold(III) complexes.

An efficient, convenient and mild Ru-catalyzed reductive amination reaction was developed by employing H₂O as both hydrogen source and solvent via B₂(OH)₄/H₂O systems. α-Deuterated amines were also obtained expediently by employing D₂O in our catalytic systems.

Catalytic asymmetric C2-nucleophilic substitutions of C3-substituted indoles such as tryptophols or tryptamines with ortho-hydroxybenzyl alcohols have been established, leading to the generation of triaryl methane products in generally high yields and excellent enantioselectivities.

The synthesis and characterization of (thiolfan*)Zr(O^tBu)₂ (thiolfan* = 1,1′-di(2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-thiophenoxide)ferrocene) is reported, as well as its activity toward the ring-opening polymerizations of L-lactide and ε-caprolactone.

We test the potential of resonance energy transfer to enhance the performance of conjugated copolyelectrolyte donor–acceptor luminescent solar concentrators immobilised within a photoactive organic–inorganic ureasil waveguide.

Dimethylamino β-diketones with electron donating and withdrawing substituents displayed solvatochromism and aggregation induced emission. In the solid state, a blue to orange color range and thermal and mechanoresponsive properties were achieved.

High-quality Au/CeO₂ nanotubes were synthesized through an oriented attachment-Ostwald ripening process and they showed excellent performance in catalytic CO oxidation.

We report organic nanoparticles for efficient photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy, based on the small molecule BTPETTQ which has a propeller structure and a donor–acceptor–donor configuration.

Background-free and high-throughput information encryption on paper is realized by the inkjet printing of upconversion nanoparticles.

Intramolecular rotation around the vinyl moiety plays an important role in the whole AIE process of DSA derivatives.

Non-substituted and alkyl-substituted triphenylamine–dibenzo[a,c]phenazine adducts (Q1–Q3) showed the combined features of ICT plus AEE, while the alkoxy-substituted Q4–Q5 exhibited obvious AIE effects.

The distinct stacking behaviour of two related 2D covalent organic frameworks is traced back to geometric and electronic features of their building blocks. Self-complementarity and donor–acceptor-type interactions are identified as design principles to access highly crystalline COFs.

The role of metal iodides on the thermoelectric properties of Bi₂Te₃ is investigated by conducting comparative studies of CuI, CsI and KI-doped Bi₂Te₃ analogs. The CuI dopant is superior to CsI and KI dopants in showing a larger power factor and lower lattice thermal conductivity.

5 nm-sized Ni₂P nanoparticles entrapped in 3D mesoporous graphene (Ni₂P@mesoG) were synthesized in situ via [Ni₂(EDTA)] thermolysis, followed by phosphidation.

An AIE/ESIPT-based nanoprobe has been developed for the specific detection and imaging of H₂S in vitro and in vivo.

The AFU level in the HCC model of zebrafish can be mapped by using a novel single-fluorophore based ratiometric fluorescent probe.

AIEgen-functionalised mesoporous silica nanoparticles can be used for cell imaging and monitoring the drug release process by different emission colours based on the FRET mechanism.

The first catalytic asymmetric substitution of ortho-hydroxybenzyl alcohols with enamines has been established.

Grids were integrated onto a top-illumination device with ultra-thin Ag as the TE: grid B further improved the device efficiency by ∼7% compared with grid A due to the shadow loss reduction.

Four new cesium selenido mercurates, synthesized aminothermally in 1,2-diaminoethane (en), show a diversity of complex crystal structures and a close relationship of the latter with their optical band gap.