Themed collection Photofunctional Materials and Transformations

Guest Editor Li-Zhu Wu introduces this cross-journal themed collection on photofunctional materials and transformations.

COF-based materials with different linkages and strategies for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

The recent developments and applications of metal complexes functionalized nanomaterials for photodynamic cancer therapy are reviewed.

Cross-linking of olefin moieties in branched polymers could furnish gel networks via [2+2] photocycloadditions. And the obtained networks are reversible and self-healing, which show promising applications in biology and biomedical science.

In situ post-synthesis of luminescent Lewis acid–base adducts via inkjet printing is elaborately featured. The applications of this technology were exemplified and compared.

Supramolecular chemistry with its unique properties has received considerable attention in many fields. This paper summarizes recent advances in the supramolecular fluorescence systems based on host–guest interactions and their bio-applications.

This feature article reviews the recent progress of protein labeling in live cells with aryl azides induced by visible-light irradiation.

More and more luminescent lead-free metal halides containing Cu(I), Mn(II), Sb(III), Sn(II) and rare-earth halides are developed toward highly efficient electrically-driven light emitting diodes.

This review focuses on multi-functional photocatalytic systems for solar fuel production by combining photocatalytic water oxidation and proton or CO₂ reduction to pave a new way to produce solar fuels more effectively than natural photosynthesis.

Quantum dots are promising semiconductor nanocrystals in the field of photocatalysis, and their surface ligands play an important role on the overall photocatalytic performance in many aspects.

Singlet fission (SF), which can convert one singlet exciton into two triplet excitons, has the potential to enhance the solar energy conversion efficiency in devices such as photovoltaic cells and processes such as photocatalysis.

Carbon-rich macrocycles and carbon nanoribbons act as unusual optical materials in the free form or when combined with other guests.

This review highlights the integration of molecular guests with MOF architectures, enabling enzyme-like efficacy to isolate or preorganize photo-active and redox-active sites and manipulate the photophysical and photocatalytic properties.

Cu₂ZnSn(S,Se)₄ (CZTSSe) photovoltaic (PV) technology has attracted much attention due to its cost efficiency, non-toxic nature, and use of earth-abundant elements.

Motivated by the advantages of AIEgens in diversifying energy species and modulating energy transformation, the application of AIEgens based on the energy conversion of solar, chemical, mechanical, and electrical energies are summarized.

This review discusses organic room temperature phosphorescent materials for the emitting layer of OLEDs. The existing circumstances, potential and challenges of metal-free phosphorescent OLEDs are summarized.

Newly emerged structural tuning strategies, i.e., singe atom photocatalysts, defect control and S-scheme heterojunctions, display significant advancements for high performance photocatalytic hydrogen production toward the industrialization target.

Herein, we summarize the recent developments in structure optimizations of oxygen evolution reaction catalysts for promoting photoelectrochemical water splitting performances.

A summary of the research progress of diverse organic transformations over semiconductor quantum dot based photofunctional catalysts is provided.

The rising energy crisis and environmental problems are urging the development of more sustainable organic synthetic methods.

A review on metal-free COF photocatalysts from an environmental perspective is presented.

This review focuses on exploring the defect active sites by determining the location and type and semi-quantitative calculation of defect concentrations by a variety of representational methods.

Plastics and microplastics are major environmental pollutants due to wide applications and difficult degradations. Herein, we summarize several studies on degradations of (micro)plastics to value-added products and intermediates via photocatalysis.

Aza-borondipyrromethenes (aza-BODIPYs) possess excellent photophysical properties, and the structurally modified dyes exhibit favourable performance and applications in biomolecular sensing, photoelectric materials, and tumor phototherapy.

We report piperazine as a promising building block for the construction of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) materials by using its electron-donating ability and chair conformation.

A hydrogen-bond organized ionic crystal exhibits CO₂-responsive tunable afterglow.

Targeted inhibition of oncogenic microRNAs provides a promising anti-cancer approach.

The change of refractive index resulting from the isomerization of photochromic molecules under light irradiation reconfigures lattice plasmon resonances, which allows for the realization of dynamically and continuously tunable plasmonic lasers.

Water-soluble squaric acid nanoparticles (SQ-POEGMA) with low toxicity and excellent photothermal effect in living organisms by attaching a water-soluble oligomer (POEGMA) to the small molecule squaric acid through a click chemistry reaction.

The Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) process has been utilized to construct host–guest systems with stimuli-responsive room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP).

We present the first efficient single-dye NIR-II chemiluminescence system with the longest emission maximum around 1000 nm, for which a novel electron transfer mechanism was proposed rather than the generally considered LUMO_DOD–HOMO_Dye model.

An indicator displacement assay for colorimetric/fluorometric dual-mode detection of urinary uric acid was constructed using a naphthalene-based tetralactam macrocycle and phenoxazine dye, resorufin, which realized the visual detection of uric acid levels of volunteers.

Gold-silica drug nanocapsules were fabricated via peptide photowrapping, which respond to an MMP-upregulated tumor microenvironment and achieve chemo-photothermal combination therapy.

An asymmetric cyanation of propargylic C–H bonds via a copper-catalyzed radical relay has been developed, in which the propargylic radical was formed via a photoredox-catalyzed intramolecular 1,5-HAT process.

Pressure-induced white light emission enhancement and bandgap narrowing were achieved in the one-dimensional metal halide (C₆H₁₃N₄)₃Pb₂Br₇.

Described herein is the first example of radical-mediated remote quinoxalinone migration.

A type of carbon dot that possesses tunable fluorescence properties both in liquid and solid states was synthesized and applied to trace water detection.

A silicon nanowire-based fluorescence lifetime thermometer (NWFLT) was fabricated for the simultaneous measurement of intra- and extra-cellular temperatures.

The novel spectral changes from the coordination polymers of Ag⁺ with a chiral cysteine-based ligand containing a TPE AIEgen.

Two LD-targeting photosensitizers (CCOH and CCN) were designed and synthesized by introducing coumarin into the curcumin structure, which could generate reactive oxygen species in type I and II synergy upon light irradiation.

In terms of facilitated photogenerated charge carrier dynamics and induced proton reduction potential, photocatalytic H₂ evolution could be improved by dimensionality tuning from 3D nanocubes to 1D nanorods.

A synergistic photocatalytic system using a bisphosphonium catalyst and a cobalt catalyst has been developed, enabling the selective oxidation of benzylic alcohols under oxidant-free and environmentally benign conditions.

A hypoxia-activated photothermal agent to suppress the expression of multiple heat shock proteins was synthesized for low-temperature photothermal therapy.

Radical defluorinative functionalization of α-trifluoromethyl styrenes represents an effective way toward gem-difluoroalkenes.

We devised single-EML SP-WOLEDs with luminescent gold(III) emitters featuring high EQE_max of 12.72%, CIE coordinates of (0.40, 0.40), and CRI of 93, which is among the best values for the single-EML SP-WOLEDs with CRI > 90 reported in the literature.

Triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) and triphenylphosphine (TPP) can form a complex in solution, promoting visible light absorption to trigger electron transfer within the complex and generate radicals suitable to drive the desulfurization of mercaptans.

Axisymmetric bis-tridentate Ir(III) complex with strong synergetic type I/II photosensitization and photocatalytic were constructed for anticancer phototherapy under hypoxia and normoxia.

A macrocyclization-induced phosphorescence enhancement (MIPE) strategy involving macrocyclization of phosphorescent pyridine/pyridinium units by methylene linkers is reported and proved to have good effectiveness and universality.

A dehydrogenative amidation reaction of aldehydes and amines via an iron-mediated photoinduced ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) process is herein reported.

The constructed NIR luminogen efficiently triggered the down-regulation of the HSP90α protein through photo-thermal conversion based on a gene interference strategy both in vitro and in vivo.

The fusion of multiple B/O-heterocycles onto hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene has led to the generation of two B/O-containing nanographenes that exhibit distorted geometries, red-shifted absorptions and fluorescence.

Two photoswitchable polymers are synthesized by incorporating photochromic dithienylethene into main chains, pattern encoding and STORM imaging were realized.

A discrete hexacarbene cage [Au₃(1)₂](PF₆)₃ containing Lewis acidic triarylborane-bridged NHC ligands was synthesized, which shows reversible binding of fluorides.

The encapsulation of Au₂₅ nanoclusters in Cu₃(BTC)₂ metal–organic frameworks can achieve CO₂ photoreduction for selective CO production in a gas–solid reaction system with remarkably enhanced durability.

In terms of electronic structure change, surface anion vacancies in II–VI semiconductors could promote CO generation rates, which have been confirmed as active sites for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction.

An unprecedented cobaloxime-based zirconium metal–organic framework (Zr-TCPCo) is designed and synthesized, which exhibits excellent catalytic activity for aerobic oxidation of arylboronic acids to phenols as a photocatalyst.

Multi-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) emitters based on a novel indole-fused BN-heteroarene (InBN) are developed via a π-truncation strategy. Narrowband blue-emitting OLEDs are demonstrated with high EQEs of up to 16.8%.

Photocatalytic C–H bond scission over ZnS is promoted by metallic Cd, allowing for the reductive scission of the weakened C–O bond near the C–H bond.

The synthesis of oxazolidinone-fused isoquinolinones has been developed through visible-light promoted intramolecular carboamination of alkynes and benzamides under mild conditions.

This study demonstrates high-efficiency OSCs by combining dithieno[3,2-f:2′,3′-h]quinoxaline-based terpolymer and ternary strategies.

Near-infrared 850 nm Cr(III) emissions with handedness in degassed solutions were induced by ligand carbon-centred chirality.

A commercially-available metal-free photocatalyst induces lignin C–C bond cleavage through consecutive two-photon excitation in additive-free ambient air conditions.

A supramolecular organic framework was fabricated through encapsulation-enhanced donor–acceptor interaction for the construction of artificial light-harvesting systems for photocatalysis.

Minisci reaction of heteroarenes and unactivated C(sp³)–H alkanes via a photogenerated chlorine radical from FeCl₃ and seawater.

Unlike benzophenone's phosphorescence lifetime of around 1 ms at 77 K, here the benzophenone-containing phosphor exhibits an ambient lifetime of 1.8 s.

Two chiral hosts, named (R/S)-BN-mCP and (R/S)-BN-2mCP, are prepared. The solution processable CP-OLED based on chiral host and achiral phosphorescent emitter presents the best performance with an EQE_max of 17.1% and the g_EL of﹣1.3 × 10⁻³.

Three polymorphs of a N,S-chelated four-coordinated difluoroboron-based emitter display high contrast green (G), yellow (Y) and red (R) emissions with TADF character for the G- and R-Crystals, and RTP for the Y-Crystal, tuned by different molecular conformations and packings.

A dual photoredox/palladium catalyzed regio- and enantioselective reductive cross-coupling of allylic acetates with alkyl bromides has been achieved.

Optically active platinum(II) metallotweezers demonstrate both self-complexation and host–guest complexation capabilities, leading to two distinct supramolecular chirogenic signals in the visible region.

In a dynamically changing chiral environment, chirality and excited energy transfer are described in a self-organized cholesteric texture. The cascade energy transfer process appears to turn “on” and “off” in response to external light stimuli.