Themed collection Celebrating the scientific accomplishments of RSC Fellows

This viewpoint focuses on electrocatalytic NW reduction and highlights the challenges in its practical application. It also discusses future directions to meet the requirements of upstream and downstream industries by optimizing production processes.

Synthetic strategies towards pyrroles within chiral frameworks are summarised, focussing on reports published 2010–2023.

A deep understanding of electrode–electrolyte interfaces requires the development of modelling protocols spanning from the local microscale to system-level macroscopic sizes which can be validated by comparison with high-quality experimental results.

The global ambition is to reach a net zero waste and emissions society by 2050.

We introduce a contemporary perspective in molecular design and synthesis, named "Chemical Chartographisis".

Ammonia (NH₃) production by N₂ reduction is deemed as a green revolution in the fertilizer industry. The choice of optimal electrolyte is necessary to interpret the actual future of NH₃ production i.e. either aqueous or non-aqueous?

We examine drivers and benefits of adopting circular economy practices for perovskite solar cells (PSCs), a promising low-cost PV technology, identifying key challenges and reviewing research progress towards achieving a circular economy for PSCs.

Classification of non-covalent bonds in main group elements using the correlation between binding energy and electron density.

In this perspective, we discuss some major aspects of the current theoretical understanding of solid-state enhanced luminescence (SLE) and we outline a set of general characteristics that many materials expressing this behaviour share.

This Perspective illustrates the growing use of ultrafast laser induced Coulomb explosion imaging methods for tracking time-evolving molecular structures and advancing understanding of gas phase molecular fragmentation processes.

This review presents the progress and outlook of smart integrated seawater purification and electrolysis systems, which have the potential to circumvent the difficulties associated with direct seawater electrolysis.

The replacement of the main components with a small amount of heteroelements in a material affects its properties and imparts novel functions, similar to “wasabi” giving the important taste for “sushi”.

This review focuses on the synthesis and characterization of defective electrocatalysts, the internal correlation between defects and catalytic activity, and the development and application of defective electrocatalysts in various catalytic fields.

This review discusses the structural diversity of the dichapetalins and related compounds from the genera Dichapetalum and Phyllanthus, their manifestation in the diversity of their biological activities, and areas of potential future research.

This review covers recent advances in tumour microenvironment-mediated therapies using nanostructured materials, and strategies for creating nanostructures with cancer cell-specific cytotoxicity.

Efficiently harnessing big data by combining molecular modelling and machine learning accelerates rational enzyme design for its applications in fine chemical synthesis and waste valorization, to address global environmental issues and sustainable development.

The general principles in terms of reactivity and stability to design efficient electrocatalysts for the alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction are reviewed. The performance of catalysts in anion-exchange membrane fuel cells is further discussed.

The synergy of supramolecular interactions and covalent polymer chains enables semi-crystalline polymers with enhanced mechanical performance and dynamic adaptivity.

A critical review of the recent developments in the recycling of spent Li-ion batteries using five major technologies (direct recycling, pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, bioleaching and electrometallurgy) and evaluation of their sustainability.

Soft-oxometalates as a tool of chemical science for designing sustainable solutions.

This review highlights the preparation and regulation strategies of alumina materials from different dimensions and summarizes the preparation, metal–support interaction, and application of Pd/Al₂O₃ catalysts on important industrial catalysis.

Protein misfolding and amyloid aggregation, linked to neurodegenerative diseases, can result from liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) and a subsequent liquid-to-solid transition. This represents LLPS as a generic mechanism in amyloid nucleation.

This review summarizes the recent progress, key design principles and prospects of dimer and multimer acceptors for developing polymer solar cells (PSCs) with high efficiency and long-term stability.

This article reviews the methods for synthesizing high-entropy alloy nanoparticles, which fall into five categories based on their commonality.

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest nanochemistry advancements in the design, synthesis, and utilization of engineered gold nanostructures (GNSs) for dental healthcare applications.

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) based on peptides represent a reproducible platform for screening and studying peptide functions and facilitating their translation into multidisciplinary applications.

This review categorizes subnanometer pores/channels (SNPCs) from structural perspective and demonstrates electrochemical couplings in SNPCs for batteries while proposing corresponding challenges and future research directions.

Engineered 2D nanomaterials-based smartphone-assisted detection approaches integrated with IoMT, focusing on reliable, sensitive, and rapid diagnostics for COVID-19.

We highlight the recent progress and design strategies of polymeric materials with tailored functions to overcome the highly movable and wet, microbial and inflammatory environment in the oral cavity for treatment of oral diseases.

After sixty years of development, electrochemical optical spectroscopy has evolved from the early phase of proof-of-concept to an advanced phase with various spectroscopic modes and has contributed significantly to the field of electrochemistry.

This review assesses diverse strategies to enhance the actuation performance and durability of soft tactile actuators, enabling optimal functionality in real-world conditions.

From aggregation-induced emission to super-resolution imaging: the significance of reversible dynamic interaction.

Organelle optogenetics is an approach to control cell physiology by targeted expression of microbial rhodopsins in membranes of subcellular organelles.

We highlight key results and outstanding questions emerging from recent literature, aiming to provide readers with a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in understanding the conformation and dynamics of polyelectrolytes in dilute solutions.

Silver and gold nanoparticles have found extensive biomedical applications due to their strong localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and intriguing plasmonic properties.

(Poly)phenol metabotyping as a tool for tailored nutrition advice. Created with https://BioRender.com.

This review summarizes the significant advances in endohedral metallofullerene-based molecular nanomagnets, with a particular emphasis on their unique structures and intriguing magnetic properties arising from such structural peculiarity.

Different activation modes, including chemiluminescence, NIR, X-ray and ultrasound, have been employed to trigger specific light-mediated therapeutics, such as photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy and drug delivery.

An overview of sialic acid involvement in infection and exploitation in diagnostics and therapeutics.

Recent advances in prolonging the shelf life of LSBs are summarized. Furthermore, the challenges of current strategies, and research prospects for LSBs with high performance and sustained shelf life under lean electrolytes are proposed.

Every real material system on the Earth's surface is a mosaic of electric charges supporting unexpected chemical reactions and electricity.

In this work, the theoretical basis, catalyst design and in situ application of DSHP are comprehensively summarized. It has certain guiding significance for the design of future catalysts.

There's no single way to find new drugs; multiple targets for new medicines are effective and encourage innovation.

This comprehensive review describes discovery, synthesis, structure activity relationship, and anticancer activity of six series of 22 natural products as well as clinical studies of several candidates.

Leveraging the dimensionality-modulation method to further boost the device efficiency and stability is the future roadmap for the development of lead-free perovskite solar cells.

We discuss how living organisms utilize the catalysed assembly (catassembly) way to construct and control complex assembly systems with high efficiency and selectivity, and how we can harness catassembly to design functional molecular assemblies.

This review surveys glycans as biomarkers and challenges in using glycan-binding receptors for cancer diagnosis. We highlight merits, applications, and future directions of using molecularly imprinted polymers as effective glycan-binding receptors.

This review analyses recent advances and strategies employed in the Pd-AAA of nucleophilic prochiral heterocycles. Each section is focused on a specific heterocycle, where optimisation data and reaction scope have been carefully analysed.

This review summarizes the advancements of 2D polymers and highlights their unique advantages, focusing on their recent research progress in the design, synthesis, assembly and processing, as well as their energy-related applications.

This review discusses the balance of inflammation in immunity and biomaterials strategies to modulate immunity in cases of imbalance such as autoimmune disease, infection, and cancer. Adapted from “Balanced Energy State”, by BioRender.com (2023).

The structure of this review includes applications of MXenes in drug delivery, tissue engineering, antimicrobial, and in biosensors.

Low-dimensional nanostructures, with their small size, unique characteristics, flexible/elastic adaptability, and effective vertical stacking capability, play a crucial role in advancing monolithic 3D-integrated flexible/stretchable systems.

Multiple hydrogen bonding driven supramolecular architectures and their biomedical applications.

This review evaluates state-of-the-art advances in electrocatalytic and photo(electro)catalytic urea oxidation from fundamentals and materials to energy and environmental applications.

Assembly strategy and application direction of protein-based bioactive coatings.

CPOSs, formed through self-assembly of organic acids and organic bases, are gradually evolving into a field full of opportunities and challenges.

A comprehensive overview on organic polymers as electrocatalysts is summarized. By presenting the engineering strategies, insightful understandings, challenges, and perspectives, we hope this review can provide valuable references for the readers.

This review summarizes the typical synthetic methodologies of crystalline–amorphous hybrid materials and highlights their enhanced performance for multiple applications.

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the synthesis, degradation, and recycling of bio-based hyperbranched epoxy resins.

The synthesis, properties and applications of rare earth oxide based electrocatalysts in electrocatalysis reactions.

Chiral filaments are omnipresent in nature and our daily lives. This review gives an overview of nano- and microfilaments, delineates formation modes based on the concept of intra- or interlayer misfits, and shows examples of template applications.

The current strategies and basic mechanisms of metal nitrides for hydrogen production from seawater are reviewed.

This review systematically summarizes the significant advances in MOF-based metalloenzyme mimics for bioinspired catalysis with a special emphasis on active pocket engineering at the atomic level.

In this review, the molecular chemistry of the f-elements with heavy pnictogen ligands from phosphorus to bismuth is described.

Synthesis of nanoparticles of different shapes and sizes using biological precursors and their applications.

We review our recent contributions to anisotropic soft matter models for liquid crystal interfaces, drops and membranes, emphasizing the theory and simulation literature.

This review explores various point-of-care optical diagnostic systems combined with microdevices developed during the recent COVID-19 pandemic for clinical diagnostics.

Dualsteric modulators are praised for a balance of potency and selectivity, overcoming drug resistance, function bias, and an easy scheme for partial agonist. It could also be used to design fluorescent tracers and study protein conformations.

Product distribution during electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction is closely related to the behaviour of reaction intermediates. Morphological and microenvironmental engineering of Cu-based catalysts can regulate the reaction tendency of intermediates, enabling target products to be selectively obtained.