Themed collection Chemical Communications HOT Articles

The recent progress and future prospects of the application of cucurbiturils in nucleic acids research are highlighted.

The preparation, reactivity and catalytic applications of cobalt fluorides in fluorination and C–F functionalization have been highlighted.

We summarize the developments of hypervalent iodine reagents-mediated reactions involving [1,2]-migration, Hofmann rearrangement, Beckmann rearrangement, ring contraction/expansion, [3,3]-sigmatropic/iodonium-Claisen rearrangement and some miscellaneous rearrangements.

Intercalation and flexibility as two new chemical perspectives are introduced in soft layered materials for designing the structures and dynamic functions.

The electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has attracted substantial attention owing to its important role in realizing economic and sustainable hydrogen production via water electrolysis.

Metal–organic frameworks with enzyme-like catalytic features (MOF nanozymes) exhibit great promise in detecting various analytes with amplified signal outputs.

Thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione (TPD) based conjugated polymers as an electron donor, acceptor and single-component for application in organic solar cells in the past ten years have been intensively reviewed in this Feature Article.

Theoretical methods and models for the description of thermodynamics and kinetics in electro-catalysis, including solvent effects, externally applied potentials, and many-body interactions, are discussed.

This review highlights the strategies employed to load and release gasotransmitters such as NO, CO and H₂S from different kinds of porous materials, including zeolites, mesoporous silica, metal–organic frameworks and protein assemblies.

The application of imines as electrophiles (acceptors) or as a source of nucleophiles (donors) in N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis for the synthesis of various nitrogen heterocycles and functionalized amines is presented.

This article summarizes recent progress on biomimetic subcellular structures and discusses integration of these isolated systems.

This feature article summarizes the recent contributions of the authors in the synthesis, characterization, and applications of SASCs.

Acid strength and proton affinity, the independent properties of catalysts and molecules, are incomplete descriptors of because cations and conjugate anions reorganize their charges as they interact as bound intermediates and transition states.

Recent advances in various metal-catalysed asymmetric sequential double hydrofunctionalizations of alkynes have been highlighted in this feature article.

Providing unique structural insights, regioselective zincation of a range of fluoroarenes has been accomplished using a novel heterobimetallic K/Zn amide base.

We have developed a C2-selective mono-silylation of a variety of pyridines using a Rh–Al complex.

A subtle structure–direction allows the crystallization of the ordered and fully connected zeolite NUD-3 instead of disordered or interrupted versions.

Two scissor-shaped azobenzene dyads bearing either linear alkyl or perfluoroalkyl side chains undergo distinct assembly pathways.

Synthetic molecules consisting of a small-molecule ligand and a tri-N-methylated myristoyl-Gly-Cys lipopeptide serve as chemical tools to rapidly recruit their target proteins from the cytoplasm to the Golgi surface in living cells.

Recombinant in vitro translation systems can regenerate essential protein components that maintain protein synthesis during serial dilution.

Direct structural transformation between 2D covalent organic frameworks (COFs) via exchange of molecular building blocks with different symmetries has been realized, which gives rise to the conversion between 2D COFs with distinct pore hierarchy.

On-surface investigations of pentacene molecules functionalized with four dibromomethylene groups reveal, after an annealing step, the formation of π-conjugated ladder polymers doubly-linked by ethynylene bridges on a Au(111) surface.

A novel phthalocyanine has been designed and synthesised whose response towards different stimuli can be manipulated to enable it to function as a four-input molecular keypad lock.

The synthesis of lithium and silver propargylidyne reagents allow the installation of main group elements (Si, Sn, Pb, P, As) as propargylidyne termini.

Radical-doped coordination compounds—generated as a result of lone pair–π interactions and having a long-lived charge-separated state—display photochromism and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, even against multi-drug-resistant bacteria.

A simple and sensitive method for exosome detection based on steric hindrance-controlled signal amplification.

[(CH₂)₃NH₂S]₂BiCl₅ has dielectric switching and Pd uptake functions, and its adsorption can be monitored by changes in dielectric properties.

The global minimum of XMg₄Y⁻ (X = Si, Ge; Y = In, Tl) and SiMg₃In₂ contains a planar pentacoordinate atom of group 14 other than carbon.

Herein we report a diaminocyclopentadienone iron tricarbonyl complex catalyzed synthesis of substituted cyclopentane, cyclohexane and cycloheptane compounds using the borrowing hydrogen strategy in the presence of various substituted primary and secondary 1,n diols as alkylating reagents.

Hydrophobicity-driven folding of cystine-based dimeric diamides with aromatic substituents at the C- and N-termini slows their spontaneous assembly and thus seeded supramolecular polymerization was achieved in aqueous media.

Multicomponent reactions can efficiently construct complex molecular structures from simple precursors.

Metal cyanurates K₄Cu₃(C₃N₃O₃)₂X (X = Cl, Br) containing π-conjugated anions are synthesized in flame-sealed silica tubes and they exhibit 2D graphene-like layered structures and intriguing semiconductor behaviors.

We have proven that Baird's rule can also be applied to a series of all-metal species with both σ- and π-aromaticity.

Strongly solubilising multibranched aliphatic side chains for π-conjugated polymers are reported, enabling soluble polymers with a high density of unsubstituted, ‘unshielded’ aromatics.

A facile synthetic strategy for in situ cyclisation of peptides and conjugation with functional boron dipyrromethenes (BODIPYs) using a bifunctional linker is reported.

A redox-active polyoxometalate, V₁₀O₂₈, was immobilized into a water-stable zirconium-based metal–organic framework, NU-902. The V₁₀O₂₈@NU-902 can show redox hopping-based charge transport and electrocatalytic activity for dopamine sensing.

Continuous and scalable synthesis of nano-stirbars is achieved by combining electrospinning and ultrasonic breaking.

Protein/RNA droplet formation by liquid–liquid phase separation has emerged as a key mechanism for cellular organization. We show that binding of antimicrobial peptides such as LL-III can lead to loss of droplet function.

An autonomously catalytic assembly of an HCR-DNAzyme circuit was facilely constructed for reliable intracellular miR-21 imaging.

A new organocatalytic bicyclization of α-alkynylnaphthalen-2-ols with nitrones was first reported, leading to the convergent synthesis of polycyclic indoles with substantial substitution diversity in generally good yields.

Increasing the steric pressure in a low-valent β-diketiminate Mg(I) did not lead to radical formation but gave Mg–N bond cleavage and formation of an asymmetrically substituted Mg–Mg complex.

A new tin-supported iron complex catalyzes N₂ fixation. The role of this heavy main group element in the catalysis is evaluated.

A divergent photocatalytic system for the reaction of α-bromo nitroalkanes with styrene derivatives is established.

Cluster anions [Cp*RuPb₁₁]³⁻ (1) and [Cu@Cp*RuPb₁₁]²⁻ (2) represent the first vertex-substituted zintl icosahedra and 1 is the first non-centered zintl icosahedron isolated in the condensed phase.

Supramolecular glyco-nanovesicles (SeSe-(P5)₂⊃Man-NH₃⁺) were successfully constructed via the self-assembly of a diselenium-bridged pillar[5]arene dimer and a mannose derivative, which exhibited tumor microenvironment-responsiveness and targetability.

The minidumbbell containing an abasic site is used to construct a Mg²⁺/EDTA-controlled molecular switch for regulating DNA duplex formation and dissociation instantly and reversibly.

A new fluorescent peptide provides a quick and simple method of identifying areas of high MMP activity allowing ‘tumour painting’.

Activated carbon nanospheres were embedded into polymer-derived porous carbon to form heterostructures with improved surface area and ORR performance.

A diagram to show the differences between wild-type and deamidated hIAPPs interaction with site specific and non-specific inhibitors.

Fe(II)-Fenton reaction in bicarbonate buffer yields CO₃˙⁻, not HO˙, oxidizing 2′-deoxyguanosine to yield 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine with no ribose damage.

An Fe^II complex, 1, having a pentadentate ligand with an NHC moiety catalyzes substrate oxidation to afford 2e⁻-oxidized products with high selectivity by suppression of overoxidation in water.

Polyoxometalate-functionalized macroporous polymer microspheres were synthesized and applied for highly selective separation/enrichment of glycoproteins from a complex matrix.

Polytetrafluoroethylene submicro-rod, serving as “oxygen tanks” and binders, have been mixed into Os redox polymer-based bilirubin oxidase cathodes, leading to enhanced performance.

The incorporation of sterically hindered boron centers into MOFs allows the recyclable adsorption of NH₃ vapour from aqueous solution.

We analyse 3D coordination networks in 33 790 coordination polymers and discuss relations between their topological and porosity properties.

A mononuclear cobalt(III)–bis(tert-butylperoxo) adduct (Co^III–(OO^tBu)₂) bearing a tetraazamacrocyclic ligand was synthesized and characterized using various physicochemical methods, such as X-ray, UV-vis, ESI-MS, EPR, and NMR analyses.

Synthesis, magnetic studies and, theoretical calculations of a new family of transition metal complexes bridged by a quinoxaline-based radical.

Isolated single-atom sites metals/nitrogen-doped porous carbon (ISAS M/NPC, M = Fe, Co, Ni) are prepared by a polymerization-pyrolysis-etching-activation strategy, which can be used as high efficiency and selectivity benzene oxidation catalysts.

We report the synthesis of a cyclic hexavanadate polyoxovanadate-alkoxide cluster, [VO(OC₂H₅)₂]₆, and its conversion, under solvothermal conditions, to an oxygen-deficient Lindqvist assembly, [V₆O₆(OC₂H₅)₁₂]ⁿ (n = 1−, 0).

Polymer dots emitting in the red, green and blue color regions, have been successfully applied as lysosome-targeting nanoprobes for the simultaneous detection and multicolor imaging of pH and Cu²⁺ in HeLa cells and zebrafish.

A Ce³⁺-based layered perovskite compound, Dion–Jacobson type RbCeTa₂O₇, has been discovered for the first time by introducing only a trivalent cerium ion to form [CeTa₂O₇]⁻ layers.

Quasi-static quantum calculations of the mechanochemical decomposition rate of methyl thiolate species on Cu(100) accurately reproduce the experimental kinetics measured in ultrahigh vacuum by an atomic force microscopy tip.

A novel gold(I)-catalyzed protocol for the synthesis of 4H-1,3-dioxin-3-ones is presented.

Color-tunable green and yellow room temperature phosphorescence is realized through a ratiometric co-crystal strategy.

Stereogenic osmium center mediates enantioselective ring-closing C(sp³)–H aminations of sulfonylazides and azidoformates.

Hybrid ultramicroporous ZU-36-Ni (GeFSIX-3-Ni) synthesized by a mechano-assisted thermal transformation method exhibits excellent trace CO₂ capture performance through strong host–guest interactions.

A porous fence-like MOF transforms into a dense pillared-layer coordination polymer, improving its chemical stability and exhibiting an excellent electrolytic OER performance.

Hydro-Si-oxazines were exploited as NIR fluorescent probes to monitor HClO/ONOO⁻ produced by phagocytes in inflammation-related diseases.

A two-photon fluorescent probe NPClA was developed for imaging mitochondrial stress.

An efficient enzymatic modular assembly strategy was developed for the preparative-scale synthesis of poly-LacNAc glycans with defined fucosylation and sialylation patterns.