Themed collection 15th Anniversary: Chemical Science Leading Investigators collection

This perspective introduces the fundamentals of surface interrogation scanning electrochemical microscopy, highlights recent advances in probing electrocatalytic processes, and discusses future opportunities for multidisciplinary development.

Imines, a type of dynamic covalent bond, are widely used in responsive materials. Recently, interest has grown in photoresponsive imine systems. Here, we share our perspective on two approaches to render imine systems photoresponsive.

Amorphous materials thinned to the single-layer limit have attracted increasing interest due to their well-defined disorder and emerging unique properties, such as disorder-dominated electronic states, high-density unsaturated coordination, etc.

This perspective presents a comprehensive review of the activation and stabilization mechanism of I⁺ species and discusses the remaining challenges and opportunities for practical high-energy aqueous 4eZIBs.

This article summarizes reconstruction phenomena in electrocatalysis, highlights governing factors and modulation strategies, and emphasizes in situ characterization and theoretical insights for designing ideal electrocatalysts.

Rubber-like synthetic polymers are essential in wearables for their mechanical flexibility, durability, and self-healing. These traits ensure reliable electronic performance under deformation, enabling robust, long-lasting wearable transistors.

Mechanisms, progress, commercialization, and testing methods of mechanically robust adhesive-based superhydrophobic coatings are summarized, while highlighting current challenges and future research directions.

Targeting chimeras (TACs), such as PROTACs, LYTACs, AUTACs, and ATTECs, has emerged as a promising strategy for selectively degrading proteins. The linker of the TACs plays a critical role in determining the spatial arrangement, stabilizing the ternary complex, and determining degradation efficiency.

This review discusses metal phthalocyanine-based single-atom catalysts for electrochemical energy conversions, emphasizing reaction mechanisms and computational methods for mechanism exploration and catalyst screening.

Metal–organic framework (MOF) composites have demonstrated great potential for photocatalysis. This review systematically summarizes the classifications, synergistic mechanisms, applications and prospects of MOF composites in photocatalysis.

This review highlights recent advances in organic mechanoluminescent nanoparticles for ultrasound-triggered neuromodulation, bioimaging, and theranostics, showcasing their potential for biocompatible, remote, control in biomedical applications.

The two major synthetic pathways of 2D MOF nanosheets are reviewed, including the top-down method and bottom-up method, and the applications within the realm of electrocatalysis are discussed.

Mechanistic investigations of the iron-catalysed methyl crotonate dimerisation using in situ NMR monitoring and crystallisation of reaction intermediates showed light-mediated and base-mediated pathways operate dependent on the reaction conditions.

An ultrasound (US)-activated Ru(II) supramolecular ferroptosis inducer, Ru3, as the first example for cancer treatment through near-infrared fluorescence-guided sonodynamic therapy.

A sulfonated terpyridine ligand for palladium enables regioselective anilide fluorination by exploiting ligand-substrate hydrogen bonding interactions.

Positional isomerism plays a pivotal role in governing the assembly pathways of hierarchical architectures through precise spatial control of the constituent units, ultimately dictating the assembly efficacy and structural outcomes.

A bifunctional Pt–MoO₃ catalyst enables selective amino acid hydrogenation via tunable interfacial synergy, achieved through control of composition and the redox state.

Manganese(II) bromide simultaneously achieves near-unity photoluminescence quantum yield (≈ 99.6%) and exceptionally narrow green emission (FWHM = 40 nm). These properties enable high-effect white light-emitting diode (WLED) and 3D X-ray Imaging.

A defect-state Fe_1−xTiO_3−x-NS catalyst with high-activity {012} facets enables efficient non-oxidative conversion of methane under light by lowering C–H activation energy, suppressing methyl over-dehydrogenation, and promoting C–C coupling.

Crystallization-driven two-dimensional (2D) assemblies from hypochlorite-sensing redox-active phenothiazine-functionalized poly(L-lactide) in water-rich media exhibits surface-tunable white-light emission and silver nanoparticle decoration.

Developing multifunctional materials with superior mechanical properties, including high hardness and oxidation resistance, remains essential for aerospace, defense, and industrial applications.

Catalyst Fe-sZ8-N-C, synthesized via sodium borohydride, exhibits twice the active site density of the reference. Boron doping into the Fe–N–C structure promotes direct O–O bond cleavage, lowering ORR overpotential and boosting catalytic activity.

Spatial gradient of chemical functionalities in a ZIF-8 monolith.

Poly(2-oxazoline)-based mRNA delivery vectors, modified via a simple epoxide strategy, show enhanced transfection efficiency and targeted organ delivery, offering potential for mRNA-based vaccines and cancer immunotherapy.

The isomer selective formation of heteroleptic Pd₂L^A₂L^B₂-type coordination cages assembled from low-symmetry ligands was demonstrated through tuning of coordination sphere interactions.

Innovatively co-anchoring Cu nanoparticles and Cu–N/O moieties on an NC catalyst significantly enhances battery performance, addressing key challenges in Li–CO₂ batteries.

Polyphenol-derived vitrimers with mild reprocessability and multifunctional integration can be constructed by directly incorporating commercially available functional motifs via adaptable iminoboronate chemistry.

Topochemical transformation in crystalline solids leads to new structures and emerging photophysical properties.

We show that macroscopic principles can predict the nanoscale behavior of 2D covalent organic frameworks and that rigid molecular groups may weaken their overall strength by inducing local strain imbalance.

An enhanced π-type interaction is achieved with a larger π/π* splitting, which stabilizes the anionic redox and thus in turn suppresses oxygen release and phase transitions while preserving the TMO₆ octahedra integrity.

An electron-delocalized and dual redox-active organic electrode enables superior electrochemical desalination performance.

Flexible MOF PCN-128 undergoes π-conjugation extension and metallo-phthalocyanine installation, boosting CO₂ photoreduction. Single-crystal XRD unveils the transformation, highlighting flexibility-driven photocatalyst design.

A copper(I)-catalyzed, highly enantioselective, and diastereoselective borylative cyclization of prochiral cyclic 1,3-dione-tethered 1,3-enynes is reported.

Photocages are photosensitive molecules that can release specific compounds, usually of biological relevance. We found that these compounds are highly phototoxic and may be less innocent than previously thought.

Heterobimetallic compounds offer unique opportunities for activating substrates through cooperative interactions between two distinct metal centers, illustrated here on molybdenym–iridium species promoting a cascade of bond breaking/forming events.

We provide a clear understanding of the strain effect in alkaline HOR using precisely controlled model surfaces. The tensile strained Ru surfaces exhibit a 2.8-fold enhancement in mass activity for the HOR compared to the unstrained Ru surfaces.

Stimuli-responsive anion transporters derived from hydroxyl-functionalised Hamilton-receptors are reported. Transport activity may be switched between on and off states, using photoactivation and competitive inhibition through ligand binding.

Notable photochromic photoluminescence and various photomechanical responses are driven by the cascade photoinduced [2 + 2] cycloaddition of LH⁺ and H₂O sorption in zero-dimensional (LH)₂InCl₅.

This work reports dual additives for high-voltage Li/LiCoO₂ cells, which could simultaneously stabilize the electrode–electrolyte interfaces on both cathode and anodes.

Mass spectrometry and computational chemistry show that, in iridium-catalysed hydrogen isotope exchange, some directing groups lead to doubly-deuterated products after one binding event, while others undergo dissociation and subsequent re-binding.

The reaction of phosphine (tmg)₃P with C₆₀ leads to isolable zwitterionic phosphonium fullerides with reversible P–C dative bonds and increased negative charge on the C₆₀ core, enabling further electrophilic functionalization.

Adding small amounts of CO₂ or H₂O to methane pyrolysis boosts hydrogen and carbon yields via cyclic catalyst regeneration, enabling efficient low-carbon hydrogen and crystalline carbon production.

A highly stereoselective photocatalytic method has been developed to access polysubstituted housanes and spiro-oxa-housanes featuring up to three contiguous all-carbon quaternary centers.

Two organic small molecules were designed and synthesized to serve as memristive artificial nociceptor in memristors.

Guidelines for efficient blue-to-UV upconversion with the lanthanoid ion Pr³⁺ are established and experimentally tested. It turns out that Cs₂NaYCl₆:Pr³⁺ is an interesting candidate for efficient upconversion by this proposed scheme.

We developed a photocatalytic [2π + 2σ] cycloaddition to access 2-oxabicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes promoted by cobalt for the first time. In vitro assessments including physicochemical and pharmacological evaluations are performed.

By combining solubility prediction software and a size-exclusivity prediction algorithm with a down-selection procedure and experimental validation steps, a computational workflow has been developed for the discovery of porous liquid solutions.

The vertical vdW heterostructures innovatively fabricated by a self-assembly synthesis strategy inducing interlayer charge transfer and enhancing the OER catalytic performance, which offers a novel approach for vdW heterojunction catalysts.

A highly nucleophilic aluminium(I) anion is reported, showing exceptional reactivity and selectivity towards the C–H activation of arenes.

Comparison of the optical properties of Co₃O₄ and ZnCo₂O₄ elucidates fundamental differences in mechanisms of photoinduced polaron formation based on the presence or absence of substitutional lattice defects arising from cation inversion.

Low-entropy water near threonine on ice-nucleating proteins promotes ice formation at moderate supercooling, while flexible threonine on antifreeze proteins keeps water bulk-like, preventing ice nucleation.

An iterative exponential growth (IEG) strategy relying on orthogonally protected monomers is developed for the synthesis of peptoids. This is a scalable technique that allows for precise control over sequence, chain length, and stereoconfiguration.

This study successfully synthesised flavylium-containing polymers via RAFT polymerisation and post-modification, demonstrating tuneable multi-stimuli-responsiveness to pH, light, temperature and solvent.

Efficient identification of a molecular adsorbent for CO₂/CH₄ separation using a computation-ready experimental database of macrocycles and cages.

We present a novel luminescent europium(III) probe for highly selective ADP detection with minimal ATP interference. It enables unprecedented ADP sensing in physiologically relevant ranges, facilitating in vitro and cellular imaging applications.

This study explores a Cu–Mg–Ti co-substitution strategy, guided by periodic law, to enhance the stability and performance of O3-NaNi_0.5Mn_0.5O₂, resulting in improved moisture resistance, high-temperature stability, and high-voltage stability.

This article presents the use of dynamic covalent chemistry in liposomal membranes to activate and modulate the transmembrane transport of chloride by addition of different azine-containing compounds.

In diluted solution-based assemblies, the derivatives of perfluoroarenes perform as efficient molecular barriers to perylene building units, lighting up luminescence.