Themed collection Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers Emerging Investigator Series 2022–2023

This profile article showcases researchers who have contributed an article to the Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers Emerging Investigator Series.

Tin tungstate is an emerging complex oxide photoelectrode for solar water splitting. Here, recent developments in the material are thoroughly reviewed, summarizing its properties, different syntheses, limitations, modification strategies and outlook.

For electrocatalytic water splitting, MOFs can be optimized through structural modification, plane design and synergetic composite systems, and the annealing process further expands the types of MOF-based electrocatalytic materials.

We analyze the unique roles played by rare earth elements from the three perspectives of cathode, anode and electrolyte. We summarize their potential applications and rational optimization strategies towards electrodes, separators and electrolytes.

The urgent demand for sustainable energy resources has boosted research into highly efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).

N-heterocyclic carbenes are structurally versatile ligands, which have strong σ-donor properties to form covalent bonds with metal centers. This frontier article provides a review on active NHC-stabilized metal complexes and clusters for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction.

Presented herein is a study focusing on the effect of organic shell ligands on the configuration of the ring structure with the same nuclearity, and their photo-related applications, such as fluorescence and third-order nonlinear response.

Catalytic methods for the cyclodepolymerization and solvolysis of polyesters and polycarbonates have been realized with a molecular cobalt catalyst. Nascent strategies to modify these methods for use in mixed plastic waste streams are identified.

An unprecedented catalyst lifespan was accomplished with a preferential selectivity for C₄–C₇ hydrocarbons by combining Y₂O₃ with a unique flake-shaped FER zeolite with optimized physicochemical properties.

A monoanionic N–P ligand L3 with a pendant dimethylamino group was designed. Species with multiple U–C bonds—a rare example of a metallafluorene containing an actinide element—and clusters with multiple U–M bonds were isolated.

A new series of bisimidazole-bridged rare earth metallocene complexes, [(Cp*₂RE)₂[μ-bim] (RE = Y, Gd, and Dy), was isolated and studied by crystallography, magnetometry, spectroscopy, and computations. The Dy congener is a single-molecule magnet.

Anisotropic facet engineering is an intriguing way to regulate the charge-separation behavior on a semiconductor photocatalyst.

The rate of O-atom defect formation on a reduced POV-alkoxide via PCET is accelerated despite weakened surface O–H bonds. Increased electron density and terminal VO basicity break classical driving force/rate scaling relationships.

Iridium P,N phosphaalkene complexes show a rich coordination chemistry with unusual twofold C–H activation. The Ir(I) chloride complex can be applied for C–N coupling and alcohol upgrading reactions.

Pyridyl-containing graphdiyne provides well-defined sites for stabilizing sub-2 nm copper nanoclusters, which show an optimum CH₄ faradaic efficiency of 58% in the electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction.

A synthetic modulation approach has given rise to two topologically distinct thorium-based MOFs, whose polymorphism allows for elucidating how the structure of MOF, in isolation, influences the sensing efficacy of Cr(VI) oxyanions.

The tail of imidazole regulated the assembly of fascinating 2D sql topology and 3D 2-fold interpenetrated lvt structure polyoxotungstate-based open frameworks with efficient visible-white-light-driven aerobic catalytic oxidation of sulfides.

The nucleation and dynamic evolution of twinned intermetallic nanocrystals are critical for regulating the interface structures and modulating the CO tolerant hydrogenation.

A Ni complex containing a N₂O₂ ligand is active for the hydrogen evolution reaction. Mechanistic studies suggest the formation of hydrogen-bonded adducts facilitates hydride formation and near barrierless hydride protonation.

Cationic sites fixed on an Fe–N–C catalyst modulate the electric field in the double layer and facilitate electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia in solutions of ionic strength comparable to that of actual river water.

An analogue of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) inhibitor Ru265 containing axial ferrocenecarboxylate ligands is reported. This new complex exhibits enhanced cellular uptake compared to the parent compound Ru265.

A crystal of Zn(II) complex shows temperature-dependent 10% contraction/expansion and a continuous pyroelectric current corresponding to a scissor motion of molecules.

By introducing conjugated aromatic Schiff base cations, we successfully obtained a novel organic–inorganic solid-state quadratic nonlinear optical switching material with a high operating temperature.

A self-assembled porphyrin cube can be metalated/transmetalated to contain fourteen cobalt ions in two different environments. The Co(II) metalloporphyrin sites are electrocatalytically active to selectively generate hydrogen peroxide from oxygen.

Atomically precise alkynyl-protected copper(I) nanoclusters (CuNCs) have been prepared, and they exhibit high phosphorescence quantum yield, short lifetime, and fast radiative decay rate, which are rarely observed in atomically precise CuNCs.

A novel microporous boron cluster pillared metal–organic framework BSF-10 was synthesized with ligand inclusion for efficient C₂H₂/CO₂ and C₂H₂/C₂H₄ adsorption separation.

By using S-(2-aminoethyl)isothiouronium (ETU) as the templating cation, five new metal iodide hybrids, (ETU)GeI₄, (ETU)₄Ge₅I₁₈, (ETU)PbI₄ and (ETU)₃Pb₂I₁₀ are reported with varied C–S–C angles in the organic cation.

Two new polymorphism of BaGa₄S₇ was successfully discovered and synthesized. Among them, β-BaGa₄S₇ exhibits the best balance among a large phase-matching SHG response and a wide band gap, as well as the stable physicochemical property.