Themed collection ChemComm contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

This review introduces recent advances of covalent triazine framework-based materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion, including supercapacitors, alkali-ion batteries, lithium–sulfur batteries, HER, ORR/OER, and carbon dioxide reduction reaction.

We summarize various effective methods for controlling the film thickness and structural phases in 2D/3D perovskite heterojunction structures and discuss possible solutions to improve the performance of perovskite devices.

Recent advances and challenges in developing electrochemiluminescence biosensors for health analysis are reviewed.

This feature article focuses on introducing three kinds of non-invasive imaging technology, i.e., fluorescence, ultrasonic and photoacoustic imaging, in which optical and/or acoustic signals are employed for diagnosing various diseases.

This article reviews the recent progress in the use of metal–organic frameworks as solid absorbents for hydrogen storage, and their current challenges and future prospects.

This feature article reviews the recent achievements in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as versatile advanced materials for multifunctional water treatment and prospects the current challenges and the future research trends.

Combinational photoimmunotherapy (PIT) is considered to be an ideal strategy for the treatment of malignant cancer, because it can ablate the primary tumor and induce the host immune response to control tumor growth and distal metastasis.

We herein discuss how and when organic photocatalysts can efficiently replace or outperform their metal counterparts.

Electrochemical sensors demonstrate outstanding performance at detecting heavy metal ions, with a high specific surface area and high sensitivity which can excellently complete the on-site detection of trace heavy metal ions in water.

Triboelectric nanogenerator emerges as a cost-effective biotechnology that could convert the subtle skin deformation caused by arterial pressure fluctuation into high voltage output, creating electrical signals with an extremely high signal-to-noise ratio for high-fidelity continuous pulse waveform monitoring.

This review summaries recent progress of perovskite oxides toward supercapacitor applications. Optimization strategies are also discussed.

This review summarizes the recent progress in high performance photovoltaic materials with the aid of intramolecular noncovalent interactions.

A general outlook of the changing face of chemical synthesis is provided in this article through recent applications of continuous flow processing in both industry and academia.

We report an electroreforming strategy to upcycle waste PET into value-added chemicals and H₂ using Pd as the anode and Ni foam as the cathode.

The trans-cleavage activity of the target-activated CRISPR/Cas12a liberated an RNA crosslinker from a molecular transducer, which facilitated the assembly of gold nanoparticles.

A first new porous d–p HMOF has been yielded by the monometallic MOF as the precursor. The results of the gas sorption and CO₂ cycloaddition indicate that this work may supply an effective approach to obtain new functional HMOF materials.

A tripeptide-based supramolecular automatically self-shrinking superhydrogel has been discovered for the efficient removal of toxic organic dyes and Pb²⁺ ions from waste-water.

Fenton's reagent is a very useful preparation method for the efficient and bias-free analysis of microplastics. The catalytic reaction did not affect microplastics chemistry or size, offering a simple, high-speed and low-cost method for processing microplastics present in wastewater or other complex media.

A collaborative sensitization by silyl-anchor and carboxy-anchor dyes (ADEKA-1 + LEG4) in dye-sensitized solar cells realized a high light-to-electric energy conversion efficiency of over 14% under one sun illumination.

A new aluminium-ion battery with high voltage, high safety and low cost, which might light the future.

The in situ synthesis and applications of zero-valent-iron nanoparticles entrapped in filter paper as reactive membranes for bioremediation and catalysis.

Dye-sensitized solar cells fabricated by using a novel metal-free alkoxysilyl carbazole dye and a Co^3+/2+-complex redox electrolyte exhibited light-to-electric energy conversion efficiencies of up to 12.5% under the one sun condition.

A series of bay-linked perylene bisimides with the different degrees of twisting and flexibility are promising as non-fullerene acceptors for organic solar cells.

Herein the first inorganic magnesium salt solution capable of highly reversible magnesium electrodeposition is presented.

A DNA tetrahedron is employed for efficient delivery of doxorubicin into drug-resistant breast cancer cells.

A high energy-density insertion-type Sn anode is considered for use in rechargeable Mg-ion batteries, using conventional battery electrolytes.

An advanced integrated electrode obtained by directly growing hierarchical NiCo₂O₄@MnO₂ core–shell heterostructured nanowire arrays on nickel foam exhibits improved supercapacitive performance.

3D graphene–CNT hybrid foam can selectively remove oils and organic solvents from water with high absorption capacity and good recyclability.

A nanocomposite Sb/C material can deliver its theoretical 3 Na storage capacity reversibly with a strong rate capability and a long-term cycling stability, offering practical feasibility as a high capacity and cycling-stable alloy anode for room temperature Na-ion batteries.

Prussian blue and its analogues consisting of different transition-metal ions (Fe, Mn, Ni, Cu, Co and Zn) have been synthesized at room temperature.

A novel method for inserting Si nanoparticles into graphene sheets has been realized by combining freeze-drying and thermal reduction.

We report the first example of an Al-ion rechargeable battery comprised of a metallic aluminium anode and a V₂O₅ nano-wire cathode in an ionic liquid electrolyte.

Ag/AgBr/BiOBr hybrid was synthesized through in situ ion exchange reaction followed by photoreduction, which displayed superior visible light photocatalytic activities.

The drug loading capacity and the cytotoxicity of CPT-loaded CNT- and GO-based nanocarriers are originally investigated.

These MoS₂/GNS composites by an in situ solution-phase method exhibit extraordinary capacity, i.e., up to 1300 mA h g⁻¹, and excellent rate capability and cycling stability for LIB.

Micro- and nanoscale coordination polymer particles can be used for encapsulating and delivering drugs. These results open up new avenues for metal–organic capsules to be used as potential drug delivery systems.

Composites of Si nanoparticles highly dispersed between graphene sheets, and supported by a 3-D network of graphite formed by reconstituting regions of graphene stacks exhibit high Li ion storage capacities and cycling stability.

Restacked MoS₂ with enlarged c lattice parameter and surface area was prepared by exfoliation and restacking process, exhibiting high reversible lithium storage capacity and superior rate capability as anode material for lithium ion batteries.

A facile microwave-hydrothermal approach has been used to synthesize single-crystalline Fe₃O₄ nanowires within 15 min at 150 °C. The Fe₃O₄ nanowires, after decorating with carbon, exhibit excellent cyclability and rate performance when employed as an anode in lithium batteries.

A new technology has been developed that accomplishes the direct conversion of urine and urea to pure hydrogen via electrochemical oxidation with an inexpensive nickel catalyst.

Biocompatible, cell-permeable shell cross-linked polymer micelles bearing glutathione-cleavable shell cross-links have been developed for highly effective intracellular delivery of an anticancer drug.

Multiwalled carbon nanotube aqueous dispersions using block copolymers are able to form supramolecular complexes with the aromatic chromophore and anticancer agent doxorubicin via π–π stacking and enhance its cytotoxic activity.

A π-conjugated dye with donor–acceptor moieties exhibited high efficiency for a dye-sensitized solar cell.

A new organic dye with an effective intramolecular charge separation has been synthesized. The overall solar-to-energy conversion efficiency is very promising and the high extinction coefficient together with the triarylamine donor group makes the dye particularly interesting for future use in solid state devices.

Silver nanoparticles fabricated in Hepes buffer exhibit potent cytoprotective and post-infected anti-HIV-1 activities toward Hut/CCR5 cells.

The oxynitride TaON was applied for the first time to the two-step overall splitting of water under visible light through combination with WO₃ using an IO₃⁻/I⁻ shuttle redox mediator.

A series of gold(III) tetraarylporphyrins are stable in the presence of glutathione and exert much higher potency than cisplatin in killing human cancer cells, including drug-resistant variants; the gold-induced cytotoxicity occurs through apoptotic pathway according to laser confocal microscopy and flow cytometric studies.

The conformal growth of an overlayer of Al₂O₃ on a nanocrystalline TiO₂ film is shown to result in a 4-fold retardation of interfacial charge recombination, and a 30% improvement in photovoltaic device efficiency.

A continuous green biocatalysis process by using a lipase immobilized in ionic liquid to synthesize esters in supercritical carbon dioxide at extreme conditions (100 °C, 150 bar) is described.