Themed collection Celebrating the Chemical Sciences in India - Leaders in the Field Symposium 2020

Transition metal catalyzed C(sp³)–H functionalization is a rapidly growing field.

This review article documents the key developments in the metal-free catalytic reduction of CO₂ into various energy intensive chemicals and fuels, and reductive functionalization of CO₂ for the formation of new C–N bonds.

This perspective links the synthesis of MOF Gels to the formation of MOF-monoliths and their resultant properties and application.

A doubly reduced redox non-innocent phenalenyl based transition metal free catalyst has been designed and utilized in the development of the C–C cross coupling reaction through the activation of aryl halides at room temperature.

The origin of high enantioselectivity in the formation of quaternary stereogenic carbon.

We report the kinetically controlled supramolecular polymerization of organic two-dimensional charge-transfer nanostructures via a chemical reaction (imine)-driven approach.

A modified Vilsmeier–Haack reaction resulted in the synthesis of a pyrylium based turn-on fluorescent pH probe. The probe can monitor minute acidification and dynamic pH variation in cells during apoptosis with therapeutic chemo drugs.

A lower temperature route to metal–organic framework crystal–glass composites is presented. Specifically, the annealing pre-formed ZIF-62 glass with a crystalline MOF above T_g will enable formation of a greatly expanded range of materials.

Six and seven membered lactones have been synthesized directly from readily available aliphatic acids.

Oligomer chain length and backbone twisting were found to have a strong effect on optoelectronic properties but a trimer of dibenzo[b,d]thiophene sulfone was found to have high photocatalytic activity approaching that of its polymer analogue.

Twin screw extrusion (TSE) is demonstrated as an alternative synthetic method for preparing a prolific porous organic cage.

We introduce a representation for the geometric features of the pores of porous molecular crystals. This representation provides a good basis for supervised (predict adsorption properties) and unsupervised (polymorph classification) tasks.

Post formation modification of protein-based materials can attenuate the proton conduction efficiency resulting from change in conduction mechanism, charge carrier mobility, carrier concentrations and inner hydration layer.

An abnormal N-heterocyclic carbene (aNHC) based potassium complex was used as a transition metal-free catalyst for reduction of primary amides to corresponding primary amines under ambient conditions.

A metal-decorated alkene-linked covalent organic framework is a robust, selective photocatalyst for CO₂ reduction.

We disclose an intriguing and a potentially general role for one of the most commonly used silver salt additives whose molecular understanding continues to remain rather vague in the contemporary practice of palladium catalysis.

New crystal forms of two well-studied organic molecules are identified in a computationally targeted way, by combining structure prediction with a robotic crystallisation screen, including a ‘hidden’ porous polymorph of trimesic acid.

Aqueous CT complexes of donor and acceptor molecules with reactive thiol groups were frozen and lyophilized to get alternate D–A assemblies in the solid state. Oxidation of the thiols resulted in asymmetric disulfides exclusively.

High-throughput automation was used to streamline the synthesis, characterisation, and solubility testing, of new Type II porous liquids, accelerating their discovery.

We have demonstrated a hydroquinone stitched β-ketoenamine COF acting as an efficient organic cathode in an aqueous rechargeable zinc ion battery.

Metal-free acceptorless-dehydrogenative cyclization of N-tosylhydrazones and aromatic amines produces both symmetrical and unsymmetrical 1,2,4-triazoles in high yields and selectivities.

Spontaneously aggregation of a carboxylic acid appended NDI can be retarted by intra-molecular H-bonding. With catalytic DMAP or DBU, the meta-stable monomer exhibits living supramolecular polymerization and generates ultra-thin 2D sheet.

We report first example of template assisted rhodium catalyzed para-C–H alkenylation.

Redox equivalent storage in the phenalenyl backbone towards catalytic multi-electron reduction.

Stereoselectivity in the asymmetric diamination of styrene catalyzed by chiral hypercoordinate iodine originates from the prochiral face recognition when the substrate binds to the catalyst.

Plasmonic black gold converts CO₂ to methane using solar energy.

A water insoluble peptide-hydrogel that shows unique compartmentalization by not allowing any exchange to and from the hydrogel and can protect enzymes from denaturation.

How a series of noncovalent interactions (NCIs) determine the regiochemical outcome in a distal sp² C–H functionalization reaction is presented.

We show flux melting by using a liquid MOF as a solvent for a secondary, non-melting MOF component.

The present work established the metal-free approach to capture CO₂ from air and its reduction into alternative fuel under ambient conditions.

The detailed mechanism of CO₂ reduction by a cobalt(I) complex is investigated using computations and kinetics.

Increasing use of two chiral catalysts in cooperative asymmetric catalysis in recent years raises some fundamental questions on chiral compatibility between the catalysts, modes of activation, and relative disposition of substrates within the chiral environment of the catalysts for effective asymmetric induction.

Synthetic non-heme iron-oxo and iron-halide complexes promote selective halogenation of the sp³-C–H bonds via hydrogen atom abstraction and halide rebound phenomenon.

Transition state models are proposed for chiral counterion induced stereoselectivity in cooperative dual catalysis access to the amination of alcohols.

Activation of the responsive organocatalyst proline by three different signals allows temporal control over chemical reaction kinetics.

Three different benzodithiophene derivatives were designed to isolate the effects of bond topology from that of functional groups in quantum interference to examine the role of the quinone functionality separate from cross-conjugation.

The composite membranes with defective metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) show a significant increase in water flux, without compromising the high salt rejection.

The hydrosilylation of olefins by a nickel(II) catalyst assisted by a redox non-innocent phenalenyl (PLY) ligand is reported.