Themed collection 2020 Reviews in RSC Advances

Biosourced polyamide/cellulose composites are promising engineering piezoelectric materials large-scale processable by sustainable, cost-efficient, and solvent-free wet-assisted melt-compounding.

Alteration in the pattern of epigenetic marking leads to cancer, neurological disorders, inflammatory problems etc.

Among the many industrially important zeolites, mordenite is found to be interesting because of its unique and exceptional physical and chemical properties.

Dermal/transdermal drug delivery continues to grow in importance as a means of enhancing treatment activity while reducing toxicity by avoiding the systemic absorption of the drug.

Microfluidics application for core–shell drug carrier particles synthesis and the advantages of using this technique compared to conventional bulk methods.

Due to the wide importance of β-phosphorylated ketones as key building-blocks in the fabrication of various pharmaceutically active organophosphorus compounds, finding new and truly efficient methods for their preparation.

Solar energy has been used for decades for the direct production of electricity in various industries and devices. However, harnessing and storing this energy in the form of chemical bonds has emerged as a promising alternative to fossil fuels.

Sea buckthorn (SB), also named sea berry, has been used in daily life for centuries with kinds of purposes ranging from a beverage with a pleasant taste and flavor, to an agent for treatment of many disorders and diseases.

Graphene-based materials can produce high performance and sustainable DSSCs, through tuning of their excellent optoelectronic, mechanical, thermal and chemical properties for use as photoanodes, photosensitizers, electrolytes and counter electrodes.

In this review, we try to present a comprehensive overview on top prescribed drugs containing nitrogen heterocycles, describing their pharmacological properties, medical applications and their selected synthetic pathways.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been recognised as a promising material in a wide range of applications, from safety to energy-related devices.

The present analysis focuses on the synthetic methods used for the application of supercapacitors with various mysterious architectures derived from zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs).

Hydrogel-based artificial scaffolds and its incorporation with microfluidic devices play a vital role in shifting in vitro models from two-dimensional (2D) cell culture to in vivo like three-dimensional (3D) cell culture

In this paper, the research progress of catalysts for selective oligomerization of ethylene was reviewed in terms of the cocatalysts, ligand structure, oxidation state of the iron metal atom center and immobilization of homogeneous catalysts.

This review describes the recent advances in the transition metal-free hydroelementation of alkynes with various metalloid hydrides.

An overview of the synthetic strategies to access aza-diketopiperazines, a unique class of N-heterocycles with potential applications in medicinal chemistry.

The review describes the synthesis and properties of various forms of polyphenylsilsesquioxane (PPSQ).

Zinc oxide (ZnO) has been considered as one of the potential materials in solar cell applications, owing to its relatively high conductivity, electron mobility, stability against photo-corrosion and availability at low-cost.

This review highlights the efforts made to date to promote greener peptide synthesis, from an industrial perspective.

The review summarizes the usage of tert-butanesulfinamide for the construction of diverse N-heterocycles through sulfinimine intermediate over the last decade.

We highlight the recent advances of the Ugi reaction in the last two decades from 2000–2019, mainly in the synthesis of linear or cyclic peptides, heterocyclic compounds with versatile ring sizes, and natural products, as well as the enantioselective Ugi reactions.

Amphiphiles in action: self-assembled nanostructures for drug delivery and imaging.

In recent years, some natural products isolated from the fungus of the genus Ganoderma have been found to have anti-tumor, liver protection, anti-inflammatory, immune regulation, anti-oxidation, anti-viral, anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic effects.

Representative molecular structures of four N-type polymer semiconductors materials (a: N2000; b: PPDI-DTT, c: TBDI-DT and d: PDTzTIT) based on NDI, PDI, BTI and BTzI, respectively.

This review highlights the various photo diagnostic and treatment methods utilized for CRC, over the last seven years.

An ever-increasing energy demand and environmental problems associated with exhaustible fossil fuels have led to the search for an alternative energy. In this context, biodiesel has attracted attention worldwide as an alternative to fossil fuel.

Recent advances in quinazoline/quinazolinone hybrid heterocycles in medicinal chemistry and their pharmacological diversification.

Plant-mediated sythesis of nanostructured hydroxyapatite for multifunctional biomedical applications.

Organocatalytic benzannulation represents one of the most efficient transformations for assembling polysubstituted arenes, this review presents recent advances in organocatalytic benzannulation strategies to construct functionalized benzenes.

Oxazolomycin A and neooxazolomycin were firstly isolated in 1985 by the group of Uemura et al. from the Streptomyces sp. bacteria.

The passive transportation of liquids is comprehensively reviewed specifically for low surface tension fluids.

The process of two-photon-induced isomerization occurring in various organic molecules, among which azobenzene derivatives hold a prominent position, offers a wide range of functionalities, which can be used in both material and life sciences.

SARS-CoV-2 virus invades the host through angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors by decreasing the ACE2 expression of the host.

A comprehensive review on designs and mechanisms of ZnO-based NO₂ gas sensors operated at low temperature.

Interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) hydrogels are crosslinked by two or more polymer networks, providing free volume space in the three-dimensional network structure, and providing conditions for the sustained and controlled release of drugs.

Organ-on-a-chip technology has great potential for the next generation risk estimation of low dose internal irradiation, due to its success in mimicking human organs/tissues, which possibly can significantly improve on current animal models.

The recent applications of Rose Bengal as a photocatalyst for the synthesis and functionalization of N-heterocycles have been discussed.

Nitroacetonitrile is a useful synthetic precursor capable of participating in a wide range of reactions and enables the simple synthesis of annulated heterocyclic systems which are rapidly becoming promising new energetic materials.

Transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have become one of the recent frontiers and focuses in two-dimensional (2D) materials fields thanks to their superior electronic, optical, and photoelectric properties.

This review surveys the structural characterization, synthetic methods, chemical transformations and mechanisms of methyleneaziridines, especially the advances achieved over the past decade.

Over the last 30 years, the successful implementation of the anammox process has attracted research interest from all over the world.

The significant increase of people who join in sport exercises brings significantly increasing exercise-induced muscle injuries, making timely diagnosis and prognosis of muscle injuries important for recovery.

Killing or inhibition actions of (a) antibiotics and (b) bacteriocin on gut microbiota.

Among many soil problems, heavy metal accumulation is one of the major agronomic challenges that has seriously threatened food safety.

Electroreduction of CO₂ to CO using molecular catalysis.

Scientists have categorized conductive polymers as materials having strongly reversible redox behavior and uncommon combined features of plastics and metal.

Synthesis and modification of ZIF-8 and its application in drug delivery, stimulus response-controlled drug release and tumor therapy.

This review presents a systematic summarization of nine chemotypes of small-molecule SIRT2 inhibitors, which will be useful for future efforts to develop new inhibitors targeting SIRT2 and associated target proteins.

The demand for lightweight, high specific strength alloys has drastically increased in the last two decades.

N-Aryl sulfonamides belong to a highly important class of organosulfur compounds which are found in a number of FDA-approved drugs such as dofetilide, dronedarone, ibutilide, sotalol, sulfadiazine, sulfamethizole, vemurafenib, and many more.

The unique blocking and immobilization of electrospinning nanofibers play an important role in tissue engineering, wound dressings, drug delivery systems and other fields.

Dendritic fibrous nanosilica (DFNS) , with multi-component and hierarchically complex structures, has recently been receiving significant attention in various fields of nano-biomedicine.

Pharmaceutical co-crystals of isoniazid and pyrazinamide could improve the stability of fixed-dose combinations used in TB treatment.

Tuberculosis, leads to numerous deaths worldwide. New drug discovery strategies are need of the hour. In the current review, we focused on the discovery of new antitubercular drugs targeting pantothenate synthetase.

Recent progress in transition-metal-free functionalization of allenamides is reviewed, providing a powerful approach to rapidly access complex molecules.

The primary objective of this review was to demonstrate the significance of artificial sugar saccharin and its derivatives as catalysts for a wide variety of organic transformation.

Contact lens as controllable route for ocular drug delivery.

A wide range of semiconductor photocatalysts have been used over the years in water treatment to eliminate toxic organic substances from wastewater.

The strong in-plane anisotropy and quasi-1D electronic structures of transition-metal trichalcogenides (MX₃; M = group IV or V transition metal; X = S, Se, or Te) have pronounced influence on moulding the properties of MX₃ materials.

Regulation of stress response in cells by autophagy.

The G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) superfamily comprise similar proteins arranged into families or classes thus making it one of the largest in the mammalian genome.

There are many limitations within three-dimensional (3D) printing that hinder its adaptation into industries such as biomedical, cosmetic, processing, automotive, aerospace, and electronics.

Over the past three decades, enzymatic polymerization has dramatically developed and gradually broadened as a creative methodology in the construction of polymeric materials with tailor-made structures and properties.

Green and low-cost electro-generation of hydrogen in molten salts provides unique opportunities for the sustainable production of a range of advanced materials from high quality graphene to metal/alloy powders.

Microwave assisted synthesis of N-heterocycles with short reaction time, high yields and high product purities along with a decrease in the rate of by-product formation.

An overview of bio-inspired aldehyde catalysis is presented. High and sustainable catalytic activities of aldehydes are shown in different reactions.

Catalysts are empowered with proper support materials (SM). The proximity effect, in other word ‘synergism’ between the two, is still necessary to be explored at the molecular level to revamp this never ending field of catalysis.

Summary of the latest research progress on detection methods of SARS-CoV-2, providing a reference to develop rapid and accurate diagnostic strategies for COVID-19.

Multiple constituents from Consolida species showed great research significance for their novel structures and broad bioactivities.

Marine organisms have been considered an interesting target for the discovery of different classes of secondary natural products with wide-ranging biological activities.