Themed collection New Developments in Photofunctional Materials and Transformations

This review provides a comprehensive, up-to-date analysis of strategies for generating α-amino radicals via visible-light photoredox catalysis, integrating mechanistic insights with synthetic applications.

The convergence of photoelectrode engineering and organic synthesis offers a new paradigm for sustainable chemical transformations.

Porous organic cages (POCs) are a class of covalently-linked three-dimensional materials with precise molecular structures, well-defined intrinsic cavities, and versatile tunabilities.

We highlight for the first time the recent developments of stimuli-responsive conjugated organic macrocycles beyond calix[n]arenes, and pillar[n]arenes, where the design strategies, exciting properties and stimuli-responsive mechanisms are discussed.

This review summarizes photo-responsive polymeric materials over the past three years based on host–guest interactions between azobenzene and molecular containers, categorized by polymerized component: azobenzene, molecular container, or both.

This review summarizes the fundamental mechanisms of photocatalytic C–H bond activation and recent advances in ethane-to-ethylene and propane-to-propylene conversion, with emphasis on the catalyst engineering strategies involved.

This review shows how QD photophysics, interfacial charge transfer, and microbial metabolism together govern QMH performance. It outlines multiscale design principles for programmable, selective, and scalable semi-artificial photosynthesis.

Plastics threaten ecosystems but possess untapped hydrocarbon potential. This review summarizes the mechanisms, diverse photocatalysts, typical conversion examples, challenges, and prospects of photocatalytic plastic conversion.

This review presents a multi-scale design framework for ordered small-molecule assemblies, highlighting how molecular features, supramolecular arrangement, and exciton dynamics jointly govern charge separation and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

π-Extended viologen derivatives with improved properties were summarized, followed by the design and synthesis and photofunctional applications of related macrocycles, such as covalent cyclophanes, coordinated assemblies, and other macrocyclic hosts.

This review highlights recent advances in metal-free organic photocatalysts that operate under red to near-infrared (NIR) light.

This review summarizes recent advances in visible-light-driven asymmetric functionalization of 1,3-dienes via photoredox/Pd, Cu, or Cr catalysis, focusing on mechanisms, scope, and synthetic applications.

Spiral groups have unique three-dimensional structures, strong rigidity, non-conjugation, and high dipole orientation potential, demonstrating broad application possibilities in creating various high-performance organic electroluminescent materials.

An acid-free, neutral photodynamic film composed of CMCS–BDP and glycerol was fabricated.

Targeted deuterated donor integration boosts PLQY and efficiency, enabling BN-pCzPhD with Φ_PL = 98% and 37.6% EQE in OLEDs.

We fabricated an antimony(III)-based halide glass-ceramic scintillation screen via in situ recrystallization from its corresponding glass, exhibiting a high light yield and excellent spatial resolution for X-ray imaging.

Supramolecular polymerization couples CC/CN metathesis in a dynamic covalent library, enabling solvent/temperature-responsive constitutional adaptation directly transduced into fluorescence readout via an AIE-active tetraphenylethene reporter.

This work reveals the dual regulatory effects of protonation to lengthen the triplet lifetime of 6-thioguanosine, by suppressing ribose interaction and triplet self-quenching.

The second-generation visible-light-driven o-dione and vinyl amide photocycloaddition reaction (DVPC 2.0) enables faster, a broader substrate scope, longer-wavelength excitation, and sequential bioorthogonal protein labeling with temporal control.

A remarkable bathochromic shift of solid-state emission from 569 nm to 734 nm is achieved by precisely tuning π–π overlap (0–64.5%) in five crystals through competitive hydrogen bond and dative B ← N bond.

New blue MR-TADF emitters are developed by combining sulfonyl-locking and steric hindrance engineering on a carbonyl/nitrogen framework, exhibiting blue electroluminescence at 458–468 nm, narrow FWHMs of 25–30 nm, and EQE_maxs of 9.2–15.8%.

A series of bis-BN [4]helicenes were synthesized through a sequential nitrogen-directed electrophilic borylation strategy, and their properties were investigated.

A TADF emitter is designed by grafting a triazatruxene donor onto a multi-resonance framework. The emitter showed narrowband deep-blue emission with enhanced photophysical properties and enabled efficient electroluminescence.

Double-helix small molecules synthesized via selective Negishi coupling exhibit tunable and enhanced emission through controlled intramolecular through-space conjugation.

Highly efficient narrowband green emitters with a contorted double-boron framework and cyano modification enable non-sensitized OLEDs with a maximum external quantum efficiency of 36.5% and low efficiency roll-off.

A biosynthesis-inspired Diels–Alder cascade enables the first 13-step total synthesis of (±)-arnebidin, forging its cyclopropane-rich heptacyclic framework under ambient conditions and supporting the proposed biosynthetic pathway.

We have reported a C–H bond activation approach for the synthesis of polysubstituted naphthols between 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and alkynes via photoredox and cobaloxime catalysis.

A porphyrin-based covalent organic framework system doped with iron and dihydroartemisinin has been developed to collectively amplify oxidative stress and significantly improve therapeutic efficacy.

A single-fluorophore sensing array was developed through excited-state modulation via intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), enabling effective discrimination of seven volatile organic compound (VOC) vapors across a wide polarity range.

We developed a polarized Mo–O unit on a graphitic carbon nitride catalyst. High-efficiency photo-Fenton catalytic performance was achieved through synergistic regulation of photoexcited dynamics and surface activation pathways.

A photoredox-catalysed (2+1+2) cyclisation strategy for the synthesis of dihydrofurans is reported. Single-electron reduction of a hypervalent iodine reagent provides a diazomethyl radical, which couples with alkenes and aldehydes.

Here, we report a strategy to access 5-aryl-6-amino derivatives of monosaccharides from 5,6-glycals with N-protected aryl sulfinamides under photoredox catalysis.

Donor–acceptor type near-infrared luminescent radicals were synthesized in high yields via an iodinated building block.

We propose a multifunctional interfacial modification strategy using FPPB at the HTL/QD interface, in which the –CHO groups passivate the surface of QDs, while the deep HOMO level improves carrier balance, thereby enabling a peak EQE of 22.9%.

APTES-modified ZnO QDs with blue fluorescence and green phosphorescence are prepared. When composited with CMC, the formed film shows phosphorescent lifetime of 0.995 s and excellent UV shielding, promising for smart packaging and security antifake.

A novel amphiphilic thionaphthalimide-based photosensitizer with aggregation-enhanced Type I and Type II ROS generation has been developed.

We developed ionic organic phototheranostic agents by molecular engineering of positive charges and hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity balance for achieving highly efficient NIR-II imaging-guided synergistic phototherapy.

O- and S-doped perylene-core quadruple helicenes were synthesized. Heteroatom doping tunes molecular geometry and energy levels, giving NIR absorption and fluorescence with high quantum yield and strong charge-transfer response, advancing chiral nanographene design.

α-Aminophosphonate bridges enhance through-space conjugation in polyphosphates, enabling red-shifted emission via improved electronic communication within aggregates.

Electron-rich Au anchored on In₂O₃ nanosheets promote the formation of the key intermediate (*OCCO), enabling selective CO₂ photoreduction to C₂H₆.

Halogen positional isomerism provides an effective strategy to regulate the solid-state organization of non-fullerene acceptors.

An asymmetric architecture featuring a rigid, planar, and linear topology was developed. This synergistic effect enabled a horizontal dipole ratio of 91% and a PLQY of 80%, thus enabling a yellow-orange TADF OLED with a maximum EQE of 26.4%.

This work demonstrates a kinetic strategy for efficient two-electron accumulation leveraging high-concentration sacrificial electron donors. Pseudo-first-order PDI˙⁻* reduction outcompetes its intrinsic deactivation, enabling long-lived PDI²⁻.

ClO₄⁻ disrupts the interfacial hydrogen-bond network in the electrolyte, and this disruption accelerates interfacial charge transfer and improves performance of a n-Si/PNMPy-based solar rechargeable device.

Hydrophobic ligand-modified CdSe QDs allows facile encapsulation of the QDs into SDS micelles, creating a hydrophobic, CO₂-enriched microreactor for highly selective CO₂–to–CO photoconversion in an aqueous solution.

Zinc-based zero-dimensional halides are promising for blue-light applications but limited by low quantum yield. High-pressure treatments can modulate the quantum yield and broaden their application scope.

NIR CDs were constructed through an ultrasonic levitation method, which resulted in redshifts of the emission over 150 nm and enhanced Pd²⁺ content with improved sensitivity. The CDs can serve as promising probes for the sensing and imaging of CO.

Conformational preorganization enables efficient through-space charge transfer in heavy-atom-free photosensitizers. This strategy facilitates effective photocatalytic polymerization without requiring heavy atoms.

The influence of thermodynamic and kinetic differences on the degradation efficiency of CIP at different concentrations.

Hybridizing DABNA with HBT/HBO yields multi-functional narrow-band emitters featuring multi-dimensional responsiveness, RTP, and OLED applications.

Transient spectroscopy of a B←O bond-cleavage-induced intramolecular charge-transfer molecule reveals the dissociation activation energy and the process of the concerted bond cleavage/charge transfer.

Through the synergistic effect of dynamic diselenide bonds and MXene, the film-forming property and mechanical property of epoxy resin were improved, while endowing it with photothermal conversion capability and outstanding self-healing performance.

Perfluoroalkyl chains form a fluorocarbon microphase that stabilizes nanomicelles assembled with a trianionic porphyrin amphiphile and enriches O₂ in the nanomicelles, leading to the enhancement of photodynamic activity.

A heptazine-based CMP achieves enhanced photocatalysis for H₂O₂ production via improved light absorption and charge separation.

A 2D/2D β-Ga₂O₃/PdSe₂ heterojunction enables solar-blind UV detection with an ultralow dark current (∼1 pA) and a record-high responsivity of 6.17 × 10⁴ A W⁻¹.

Regioisomer-free monomethylated end groups and a selenium-substituted core are employed, two fused-ring small molecular acceptors (FR-SMA) are synthesized. BIT-M-γ-based binary devices exhibit a higher PCE among methylated A–D–A-type FR-SMAs.

Chiral stereochemistry modulates the crystal packing to rationally regulate the photophysical properties of nonconventional luminophores.

A one-pot living block copolymerization strategy was developed for well-defined PS-b-PPI. The resulting polymers exhibit polymerization-induced chiral self-assembly, excellent CPL performance and outstanding enantioseparation performance.

This work presents a conformation-regulated donor–acceptor–donor (D–A–D) platform based on thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole (TTz) and triphenylamine (TPA) to reveal how kinetic accessibility controls photoinduced electron transfer (PET) toward butyl nitrite.

A host–guest constructed two-dimensional phenothiazine supramolecular framework reprograms oxygen reactivity, enabling synergistic singlet oxygen and superoxide generation for efficient visible-light-driven green synthesis of benzothiazoles.

We fabricated BiVO₄/TDA/NiFe₂O₄ photoanodes by immersion and spin-coating, achieving a photocurrent density of 6.5 mA cm⁻² at 1.23 V vs. RHE with 50 hours stability under AM 1.5G illumination.

Introducing glycine (Gly) into the SnO₂ ETL simultaneously passivates buried-interface defects and optimizes the phase composition in Q-2D DJ perovskite films, enabling an excellent PCE of 18.20% for Q-2D PSCs.

A Gd³⁺-AMP hydrogel could serve as an efficient universal matrix for room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) induction of guest dyes. A visible afterglow (>1 s) was observed for the thioflavin T (ThT)-encapsulated hydrogel (ThT gel).

Quinone-engineered π-conjugated COFs promote charge separation and O₂ activation for selective two-electron photosynthesis of H₂O₂.

Rigid molecules devoid of flexible chains exhibit polymorphism arising from varying degrees of conformational distortion in the crystal lattice and display distinct responsive behaviors to external stimuli, including water vapor, heating, and light.

Halogenated thioanisole additives modulate donor–acceptor intermolecular interactions by tuning dispersion-dominated π–π stacking and short-range contacts, enabling compact molecular packing and 20.21% efficiency for organic solar cells.

Incorporating inorganic electrolyte fillers within solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) is generally considered an efficient strategy for constructing rapid Li⁺ transport channels, thereby markedly enhancing ionic conductivity.