Themed collection 2021 Frontier and Perspective articles

The state of the art developments and future prospects of MOFs and their energy-based applications are summarized.

Switchable catalysis is a powerful tool in the polymer chemist's toolbox as it allows on demand access to a variety of polymer architectures.

The reductively disilylated N-heterocyclic systems diligently give up electrons thereby demonstrating as versatile reagents in the salt-free reduction of transition metals, main-group halides, in organic transformations and in materials syntheses.

This review describes the current state of the art in the chemistry of phosphorescent NIR emitters with a particular focus on their application in biomedicine as luminescent probes, sensors and theranostic agents.

The Suzuki–Miyaura reaction (the cross-coupling reaction of boronic acids with organic halides catalysed by Pd complexes) has been recognised as a useful synthetic organic reaction that forms a C(sp²)–C(sp²) bond.

With perovskite materials, rapid progress in power conversion efficiency (PCE) to reach 25% has gained a significant amount of attention from the solar cell industry.

The number of electrons that a metal center provides to the bonding orbitals for coordination of multiple π-acceptor ligands is not a direct function of the number of ligands, and consideration must be given to the availability of metal orbitals.

In this Perspective, some of the criticisms which have been made concerning the use of oxidation states are addressed, particularly in the context of the teaching of inorganic chemistry.

X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) has emerged as a complementary technique for the analysis of spin-crossover in the surface layers of a material.

Area selective deposition by super-cycle alternating atomic layer deposition and etch-back processes.

The aim of this perspective is to help revive studies of the kinetics of formation and exchange in Cu(II)–peptide complexes. Such studies have the power to reveal novel reactive intermediates and set timeframes for actual physiological processes.

Metal nanoclusters (MNCs), including Ag NCs, Cu NCs, and Au NCs, can be used as fluorescent probes for nucleic acid testing. Identification of DNA fragments and trace detection of miRNA (LOD as low as aM) can be achieved.

Regulation of metal coordination in ConA induces its structural conformation and biological functions.

Recent experimental and theoretical results for the title compounds are critically examined by means of interlinked thermodynamic cycles and observed trends in acid and base strength rationalized by using changes in simple chemical concepts.

This Perspective describes the diverse roles played by isocyanides in supporting photoluminescent transition metal complexes.

Contextualising the discovery of metal–organic frameworks for selective sensing and capture of water pollutants, advances in their post-synthetic design approaches are reviewed.

This perspective overviews the developments in deoxygenative hydroboration of carboxamides, focusing on mechanistic aspects of these transformations and advantages of the hydroboration approach over hydrogenation and hydrosilylation reactions.

This review mainly introduces the application of A/A-E MOF materials in drug delivery, sensing, and some materials with unique biomedical applications, and elaborates the challenges, obstacles and developments in future.

A perspective on the development of gold(I/III) anticancer agents is given, covering the core concepts of apoptosis in cancer cell biology and macromolecular drug targets. Design elements that elicit cytotoxicity and stability are highlighted.

An interest in harnessing the oxidizing power of O₂ has led to the synthetic models of Mn-dependent enzyme active sites. Here, we describe the recent advancements to the development of bioinspired mononuclear Mn complexes for O₂ activation.

g-C₃N₄ based materials exhibit considerable potential in Fenton-like reactions. The g-C₃N₄ material helps to enlarge the surface area and to provide more available active sites. g-C₃N₄ is involved in charge transfer. g-C₃N₄ is engaged as a suitable platform.

Constraining metal/main-group bonds within a pincer framework has allowed the elucidation of new and powerful modes of cooperative reactivity. This Perspective highlights recent findings and areas for further development.

The essential role of carbon as coordinating element is evidenced here through the different associations involving carbene and phosphonium ylide ligands.

Intramolecular S-OH or P-OH attack on a coordinated nitrile yields a metallacycle in the proposed mechanism of nitrile hydratase and related synthetic catalysts.

Three different spin carriers inside the same molecular system is a promising strategy towards multi-functional magnetic materials. The possible spin topologies have been reviewed and analysed to identify the most promising one.

Research results on A-site-ordered quadruple perovskite manganites AMn₇O₁₂ are reviewed and unresolved problems and future directions are highlighted.

This review covers the latest advancements of molecular logic gates based on LMOF. The classification, design strategies, related sensing mechanisms, future developments, and challenges of LMOFs-based logic gates are discussed.

This perspective highlights the importance of hydrogen bonds in supramolecular complexes for the recognition and binding of a substrate that subsequently influence and/or control the catalytic outcome.

This perspective provides an overview of the design requirements and fluorogenic mechanisms of enzyme-activatable probes in optical imaging, focusing particularly on detecting enzymatic targets overexpressed in vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque.

Non-lanthanide metal–organic frameworks with flexible structure and luminescence properties are systematically discussed as potential small molecule sensors.

With the highest incidence, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the world.

This perspective article focuses on TEMPO-bearing MOFs and COFs for use in catalytic applications.

Recent progress in the bio-mediated preparation of quantum dots as a greener and efficacious approach towards their surface functionalization in light of their varied applications is summarised.

The chemistry of 1,2-dithietes is compared with 1,2,5,6-tetrathiocins and higher oligomers, providing access to a diversity of sulfur-rich heterocycles and dithiolate complexes.

The advances of 2D materials such as graphene, MoS₂ and 2D MOF nanosheets as solid-state nanopores for analyzing biomolecules are discussed.

This review highlights the importance of 3D transition metal based heterostructures with improved active sites for metal hydroxides, LDHs, oxides, sulfides and metal phosphides and the influencing roles of 3D foams in water splitting.

Organoselenium compounds find versatile applications in organic synthesis, materials synthesis, and ligand chemistry.

Insights into the past and future of Janus-head di-NHC ligands.

This perspective illustrates the recent conceptual advancements in the growth of layered vdW TMDCs using either multi-source precursors or single-source precursors and provides a critical evaluation of these two approaches.

This review reports a survey on the progress in developing highly efficient platinum nanocatalysts for the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane (AB).

This perspective describes the survey of the family of mechanochromic luminescent cubane copper iodide clusters. Studies of their mechanochromic luminescence properties are presented along with investigations to elucidate the underlying mechanism.

The design of dissymmetric organic ligands has been exploited to produce heterometallic dinuclear and trinuclear lanthanide-based coordination compounds with the requirements to act as logical quantum gates for spin-based quantum computing.

The analytical novelty and sensing mechanisms of some important ferrocene based fluorescent chemosensors are discussed to open new scopes for future research.

An overview on the latest advances in dehydrohalogenation and hydrohalogenation reactions in the solid-state involving hydrogen bonded outer sphere halometallates salts is reported.

Recent progress on 2D conductive MOFs and 2D layered MOFs containing pillar-layered MOFs and 2D nanosheets as electrode materials in SCs is reviewed, including synthetic design strategies, electrochemical performances, and working mechanisms.

The emerging picturesque landscape of anion–π systems involving d-block metalates (cyanidometalates, halogenometalates, polyoxometalates) is presented based on a literature review and the personal research experience of the authors.

Various innovative strategies and methodologies for the development of MOFs and coordination polymers based materials for high performance solid state proton conductors and proton exchange membranes are outlined.

This review summarizes the recent developments in the field of silylene–coinage metal chemistry.

This perspective article summarizes current computational approaches used in molecular catalyst design, highlights their main advantages and limitations as well as the opportunities for automation and advanced machine learning algorithms.

This review focuses on the advances in thermally-chargeable supercapacitors for flexible/wearable applications, starting from an overview of thermoelectric generators and supercapacitors up to the rational design of all-in-one hybrid technologies.

Research progress of MOF-derived anode materials for potassium ion batteries has been presented based on different organic ligands.

This review describes synthetic concepts and breakthroughs in 1,4-diphosphinine and related P-bridged bis(NHCs). Starting from monocyclic 1,4-dihydro-1,4-diphosphinines the most promising achievements of tricyclic 1,4-diphosphinines and related bis(NHCs) are covered.

Recent advances of mechanochemical methods in the field of zeolite science are reviewed and their future potential highlighted.

Organoselenium ligands have attracted great attention among researchers during the past two decades.

The latest progress on polyoxovanadates modified with organic ligands or transition metals and organic ligands is summarized. Not only the structural features and main applications but also the challenges and the focus of future research on POV-based materials are discussed.

Bismuth species in the coordination sphere of transition metals show widely tunable bonding situations, impacting their stoichiometric and catalytic reactivity.

A summary of Fe³⁺ detection by luminescent MOFs and their mechanistic approaches are highlighted in this article based on recent publications.

This short review describes the recent developments in organophosphorus–chalcogen and organophosphorus–pincer macrocycles and their metal complexes with emphasis on synthetic methodologies.

Liquid atomic layer deposition (LALD) has emerged as a complementary technology of atomic layer deposition (ALD) to help overcome some of the challenges currently faced from working in the gas-phase.

Stereochemical properties and flexibility of organic spacer in oligodentate phosphine ligand and spatial separation of phosphorus atoms one relative to other regulate the composition and architecture of multinuclear compounds of coinage metals.

Coordination sphere hydrogen bonding in coordination polymers and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is examined as a structurally and chemically stabilising influence, accessible through ligand design strategies.

This review focuses on the recent developments in the field of In-MOFs constructed from pyridylcarboxylate ligands, including their synthesis, crystal structures, stability and potential applications.

In this review, we have underlined the application of transition metal chemistry in biological systems.

This perspective provides an overview of ion-conductive metal–organic frameworks with various ionic carriers, such as protons, hydroxide ions, lithium ions and other ions.

Chirality generation, induced chirality transfer, and the functionalization of polyoxometalate-based complexes and their self-assembly constructed through supramolecular approach are systematically reviewed.

This review presents a discussion of soft metal complexes with a focus on spin crossover behaviours that are associated with structural phase transition, including liquid crystal LC transition.

This review article summarizes the assembly, structures, and topologies of gyroidal metal–organic frameworks. Their applications in gas adsorption, catalysis, sensors, and luminescent materials are also discussed in detail.

One of the most crucial attributes of synthetic organic chemistry is to design organic reactions under the facets of green chemistry for the sustainable production of chemicals.

Structural transformation driven by ligand exchange was effectively utilized to control the host–guest binding behavior of metal-containing host molecules.

This review summarizes the crystal structures, modification methods, application prospects, and electron transfer mechanisms of different Cu₂O-based photocatalysts.