Themed collection New Talent: Europe

Welcome to this themed issue of Dalton Transactions entitled New Talent: Europe, 2018 guest edited by Richard A. Layfield, Marinella Mazzanti, Nils Metzler-Nolte and Sascha Ott.

Herein, we highlight relevant π-systems based on six-membered phosphorus heterocycles as well as their potential in bio- and optoelectronic applications.

Some inorganic compounds kill cancer cells upon light irradiation without a need for dioxygen to be present. To which clinical needs could these compounds respond?

An induction to the wonders of lanthanides, and a call for standardised methods for characterisation of lanthanide complexes in solution.

New perspectives for dinitrogen activation: an overview of photochemical pathways to cleave the strong N–N bond.

We discuss synthetic strategies and applications of highly ordered bioinorganic materials based on crystalline protein scaffolds.

Recent achievements in the preparation, characterization and reactivity of gold(III) complexes of alkenes, alkynes and arenes are presented and discussed.

Recent developments in main group chemistry towards the activation and conversion of N₂ have lead to the revelation that boron can greatly affect these processes.

Electrochemical carbon mineralisation is facilitated by the separation of the graphite and aluminium anode components.

This communication describes the stabilizing effect of a remote methyl group in the backbone of a cobalamin–protein mimic on intramolecular imidazole–cobalt coordination.

Coordination of Lewis acidic metalloligands Li^I, Cu^I and Zn^II shows a remarkable impact on the CO stretching band in heterobimetallic rhodium complexes.

Several new sila[2]aluminocenophane Lewis base complexes are described, which were synthesized directly from the corresponding sila[2]magnesocenophane and AlX₃·base precursors by transmetalation.

Alkyl-aluminum(III) derivatives supported by a bifunctional alkoxy-NHC ligand display unusual reactivity at the carbene, yielding imidazolium-aluminate zwitterions.

Silk fibroin nanoparticles have been used as platforms of a new photoactive CO-prodrug leading to a hybrid material with enhanced CO-release.

An optimal combination of electron donor strength and electronic communication produces the best performing polyoxmetalate-based NLO chromophore to date.

Particularly basic phosphines form isolable Lewis base adducts with SO₂ that readily release SO at room temperature driven by the formation of the corresponding phosphine oxides.

B-Doping of oligo(hetarene)s led to very robust, air-stable π-conjugated materials that are strong electron-acceptors and blue light emitters.

New aluminium catalysts for room temperature rac-lactide ROP.

Protonation with strong acids at an imine over addition to a phosphaalkene; resulting adducts display hydrogen bonding.

We present highly luminescent borylated 2-phenylpyridines, which exhibit tunable delayed fluorescence due to their donor-spiro-acceptor architecture.

Lanthanide-dependent methanol dehydrogenases show highest activity with early lanthanides.

Covalently linking a Re catalyst to CuInS₂ QDs through a facile click reaction for efficient electron transfer to improve photocatalytic CO₂ reduction is reported.

Chemical and structural transformations at the electrode surface of metal carbodiimides MNCN (M = Co, Ni, Mn, Cu), were studied by operando Raman and XAS spectroscopy during electrocatalytic water oxidation

pH dependent metal binding to a designed hetero bimetallic coiled coil featuring a lanthanide binding site.

Helical peptoids bearing 2,2′-bipyridine, varied in their chiral bulky side chains and their N-terminus form chiral complexes with Cu(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) via intramolecular binding.

Tin phosphide (Sn₄P₃) is here investigated as an anode material in half-cell, symmetrical, and full-cell sodium-ion batteries.

From 1D to 2D: the dimensionality of a coordination polymer based on a luminescent tetrazine and Tb³⁺ ions has been increased using a two step procedure.

One-electron oxidation of the lanthanide complexes affords phenoxyl radical species. Radical formation is accompanied by a quenching of the metal-based luminescence.

Bis(alkyl)iron(III) half-sandwich complexes exhibit solvent dependent reactivity when treated with H₂.

An innovative, facile and efficient synthetic route to the functionalization of metallodrugs with carbohydrates in high yields and purity is reported.

The replacement of the secondary amide linker that carries the sensitizing carbostyril antenna with a tertiary amide in luminescent Eu and Tb complexes dramatically increases the lanthanide emission quantum yields.

This study highlights the importance of proton coupled electron transfer (PCET) during electrochemical-driven water oxidation catalysis employing a copper complex.

The redox-active bridging ligand 1,10-phenathroline-5,6-dione, acts as the template for this modular synthetic route to f–d heterobimetallic complexes.

The coordination chemistry of selenoureas derived from N-heterocyclic carbenes with copper and silver is explored, and compared to previous work with gold.

Reproducible hydrogen measurements from molecular photocathodes were made by combining gas chromatography for headspace and a Clark-type electrode for solution.

In this work we present a viologen-modified electrode providing protection for hydrogenases against high potential inactivation.

Monomeric and 1D reduced Keggin polyoxometalates have been isolated as black crystals soluble in DMSO; DFT calculations allowed the explanation of the magnetic behavior.

An in–depth view on the water oxidation mechanism of Py5-derived Ru catalysts, paving the way for rational design of analogous water oxidation catalysts.

Reported examples of aggregated initiators for the ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) of lactide often lack detailed investigations as to the nature of the active species, making it difficult to reconcile ligand design with performance.

The Mn²⁺ complexes of amphiphilic derivatives of EDTA and 1,4-DO2A ligands show a strong increase in relaxivity upon micellar aggregation and human serum albumin binding.

A new metal–organic framework features a combination of open metal sites and charged ligand leading to a high CO₂/N₂ selectivity.

A new approach to the development of photoactive hybrid polyoxometalates is reported, combining inorganic and organic functionalisation strategies.

The preparation and structural characterisation of three new heterobimetallic hydride complexes containing 3-centre,2-electron W–H–Cu bonds is reported.

The peptidic linker in Zn(GlyTyr)₂ provides a compressible cushion that allows for accommodating large distortions in the framework whilst avoiding amorphization.

Amphiphilic lanthanide(III) complexes self-assemble into monodisperse micelles with favourable properties for optical and high field magnetic resonance imaging.

The novel series of heteroleptic Sm(III) halide complexes provides the backdrop for a fluorescence-detected Lα₁ X-ray absorption spectroscopic study.

[U^IIII{κ³-H(R)B(tim^Me)₂}₂(thf)₂] (R = H, Ph) complexes have been prepared by the salt ligand metathesis reaction with [UI₃(thf)₄]. Oxidation reactions of the uranium(III) complexes afforded the first structurally characterized U(IV) and U(VI) complexes supported by hydrobis(mercaptoimidazolyl)borates.

Revealing the reasons why the lattice solvent stabilises one spin form over the other in [Fe(bpp)₂]²⁺ complexes bearing anions with different charge/size ratios.

Redox-active bismuth complexes based on a new aminotroponiminate ligand with ferrocenyl substituents have been synthesised and characterised.

This diagnostic study aims to shed light on the catalytic activity of a library of Cu(II) based coordination compounds with benzotriazole-based ligands.

The isolation of component EPR spectra and identification of electron spin multiplicity is explored in an industrially relevant precatalyst system.

Blue and blue-green-emitting cationic Ir(III) complexes bearing a nonconjugated N^N ligand have been studied.

We report our investigations into the first examples of copper-free 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (click) reactions of electrophiles with a Pt(IV) azido complex.

The chemical bond between a Lewis-acidic metal and a Brønsted/Lewis-basic sulphur donor provides M–S structures with functional properties that are relevant for a variety of processes such as the heterolytic cleavage of H₂.

For a series of carbodiphosphorane-based Ni-pincer complexes, theoretical and experimental data is investigated and points towards carbodiphosphorane-based donor groups as potential proton relays in catalytic applications.

Combining single-source precursors in aerosol assisted CVD allows control of the composition of mixed anion titanium oxynitride thin films.