Themed collection 2018 Emerging Investigators
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Contributors to the Emerging Investigators Issue 2018
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6442-6457
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC90258E
Self-doped colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals with intraband transitions in steady state
The tunable bandgap energy has been recognized as a prominent feature of the colloidal semiconductor nanocrystal, also called the colloidal quantum dot (CQD).
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 8435-8445
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02488J
Conductive two-dimensional metal–organic frameworks as multifunctional materials
Two-dimensional (2D) conductive metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a unique class of multifunctional materials with broad applicability in electronics, chemical sensing, gas capture, catalysis, and energy conversion and storage.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 7873-7891
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02871K
Bead-based screening in chemical biology and drug discovery
High-throughput screening is an important component of the drug discovery process.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6759-6771
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02486C
Total syntheses of spirocyclic PKS-NRPS-based fungal metabolites
We present the isolations, the biosynthetic studies, the biological activities, and the comprehensive description of all reported total syntheses of spirocyclic PKS-NRPS-based fungal natural products.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6750-6758
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02315H
Standing, lying, and sitting: translating building principles of the cell membrane to synthetic 2D material interfaces
Lessons can be drawn from cell membranes in controlling noncovalent functionalization of 2D materials to optimize interactions with the environment.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6681-6691
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02596G
Describing inorganic nanoparticles in the context of surface reactivity and catalysis
Surface and core of inorganic nanoparticles may undergo profound transformations in their environment of use. Accurate description is key to understand and control surface reactivity.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6719-6727
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC03030H
Improving metabolome coverage and data quality: advancing metabolomics and lipidomics for biomarker discovery
Separation and analytical sciences can help to advance metabolomics by improving metabolite coverage, accuracy of quantitation and data quality.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6728-6749
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02592D
Synthesis of distorted nanographenes containing seven- and eight-membered carbocycles
We highlight recent progress in bottom-up synthesis of well-defined distorted polyaromatic hydrocarbons with saddle shapes containing heptagonal and octagonal carbocycles.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6705-6718
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02325E
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Homologation chemistry with nucleophilic α-substituted organometallic reagents: chemocontrol, new concepts and (solved) challenges
The transfer of a reactive nucleophilic CH2X unit into a preformed bond enables the introduction of a fragment featuring the exact and desired degree of functionalization through a single synthetic operation.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6692-6704
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02499E
Suppression of dendritic lithium growth in lithium metal-based batteries
We describe the challenges of high-energy lithium-metal batteries and outline the future directions that are expected to drive their progress.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6648-6661
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02280A
Production of solar chemicals: gaining selectivity with hybrid molecule/semiconductor assemblies
This feature article highlights the use of hybrid molecule/semiconductor devices for the selective production of solar chemicals.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6662-6680
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02487A
Application of lanthanide luminescence in probing enzyme activity
Assays to monitor enzyme reactions are vital for studying enzyme mechanism, function and inhibition. We focus on recent progress in the development of enzyme activity assays using lanthanide(III) luminescence, covering Ln(III)-labelled biomolecules, Ln(III) ion encapsulation within peptide sequences, reactivity-based Ln(III) probes and discrete Ln(III) complexes.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6635-6647
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02824A
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Role of conformational dynamics in the evolution of novel enzyme function
Enzymes exist as a dynamic ensemble of conformations, each potentially playing a key role in substrate binding, the chemical transformation, or product release. We discuss recent advances in the evaluation of the enzyme conformational dynamics and its evolution towards new functions or substrate preferences.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6622-6634
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02426J
Corannulene: a molecular bowl of carbon with multifaceted properties and diverse applications
The chemistry, properties and applications of corannulene are discussed.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6503-6519
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02179A
PET-RAFT polymerisation: towards green and precision polymer manufacturing
Photoinduced electron/energy transfer-reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) process has opened up a new way of precision polymer manufacturing to satisfy the concept of green chemistry.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6591-6606
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02783H
Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of spirooxindoles: recent developments
The past four years have witnessed significant developments in the field of the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of spirooxindoles, and this feature article outlines the recent progress in this area, including the contributions of our group. This article is divided into sections according to the size and type of the generated spiro-ring fused at the C3-position of the oxindole core.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6607-6621
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02364F
Metal coordination and metal activation abilities of commonly unreactive chloromethanes toward metal–organic frameworks
The commonly inert chloromethanes, dichloromethane and trichloromethane, can exchange other solvents bonded at open coordination sites in metal–organic frameworks, providing a new route to activate the open coordination sites for subsequent use in applications.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6458-6471
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02348D
The journey of tin chalcogenides towards high-performance thermoelectrics and topological materials
Sn-Chalcogenides are recognized as high performance thermoelectrics and topological insulators due to their unique crystal and electronic structures and lattice dynamics.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6573-6590
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02230E
Artificial photosynthesis by light absorption, charge separation, and multielectron catalysis
We highlight recent novel approaches in the field of artificial photosynthesis. We emphasize the potential of a highly modular plug-and-play concept that we hope will persuade the community to explore a more inclusive variety of multielectron redox catalysis to complement the proton reduction and water oxidation half-reactions in traditional solar water splitting systems.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6554-6572
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02156B
Cooperative bond activation reactions with carbene complexes
This review highlights the recent advances in the application of carbene complexes in bond activation reactions via metal–ligand cooperation.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6540-6553
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02198H
cat-ELCCA: catalyzing drug discovery through click chemistry
Click chemistry-based amplification assays provide enabling tools for chemical probe and drug discovery.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6531-6539
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02332H
Integrated nanozymes: facile preparation and biomedical applications
Attributed to nanoscale proximity effects, integrated nanozymes with superior activities, specificity, and stability will be a hot topic in the future.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6520-6530
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC01202D
Ordered meso- and macroporous perovskite oxide catalysts for emerging applications
Hierarchically ordered perovskite materials which have potential applications in chemistry, energy and materials science.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6484-6502
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC01239C
Actinide-based MOFs: a middle ground in solution and solid-state structural motifs
In this review, we highlight how recent advances in the field of actinide structural chemistry of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) could be utilized towards investigations relative to efficient nuclear waste administration, driven by the interest towards development of novel actinide-containing architectures as well as concerns regarding environmental pollution and nuclear waste storage.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6472-6483
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CC09780H
Variation in the Yaa position of collagen peptides containing azaGlycine
The effect of Yaa-position amino acid variation in collagen peptides paired with adjacent azaGlycine residues is investigated.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 11937-11940
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC06372A
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A catalyst-free, temperature controlled gelation system for in-mold fabrication of microgels
Star-shaped poly(ethylene oxide-stat-propylene oxide) polymers are end-modified with amine and epoxy groups to produce anisometric microgels with adaptable mechanical and (bio)chemical properties and self-assembly behaviour.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6943-6946
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02478B
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The effect of crystal structure on the electromechanical properties of piezoelectric Nylon-11 nanowires
Mechanical and piezoelectric properties of Nylon-11 nanowires strongly depend on their crystal structure, which can be precisely controlled by template-assisted growth methods.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6863-6866
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02530D
Framework vs. side-chain amphidynamic behaviour in oligo-(ethylene oxide) functionalised covalent-organic frameworks
We designed and synthesized crystalline covalent-organic frameworks that exhibit both slow and fast molecular motions in their structure.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6947-6950
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC04292F
Transition-metal-free C–H amidation and chlorination: synthesis of N/N′-mono-substituted imidazopyridin-2-ones from N-pyridyl-N-hydroxylamine intermediates
Transition-metal-free C–H amidation and chlorination for the synthesis of N/N′-mono-substituted imidazopyridin-2-ones from versatile N-pyridyl-N-hydroxylamine intermediates at room temperature.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6935-6938
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02425A
Design of functionalized cyclic peptides through orthogonal click reactions for cell culture and targeting applications
An approach for the design of functionalized cyclic peptides is established for use in 3D cell culture and in cell targeting.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6923-6926
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC03218A
High-resolution mapping and recognition of lipid domains using AFM with toxin-derivatized probes
Specific mapping using AFM tips derivatized with toxin fragments targeting specific lipids as a novel approach to evidence lateral lipid heterogeneities at high-resolution.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6903-6906
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02201A
Ambiphilic geometrically constrained phosphenium cation
Geometrically constrained phosphenium cation was synthesized, and in contrast to previously reported phosphenium cations, it is ambiphilic and reactive towards small molecules.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6931-6934
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02423E
Synthesis of unsymmetrical Si-rhodamine fluorophores and application to a far-red to near-infrared fluorescence probe for hypoxia
A versatile synthesis of unsymmetrical Si-rhodamines was established and applied for development of a hypoxia-sensing far-red to NIR fluorescence probe.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6939-6942
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02451K
Divergent synthesis of CF3-substituted polycyclic skeletons based on control of activation site of acid catalysts
We report a divergent synthesis of CF3-substituted fused skeletons based on precise control of the activation site through the selection of acid catalysts.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6927-6930
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02377H
A π-conjugated inorganic polymer constructed from boron difluoride formazanates and platinum(II) diynes
A π-conjugated inorganic polymer comprised of boron difluoride formazanate and platinum(II) diyne repeat units with unusual redox properties and a narrow optical band gap of ca. 1.4 eV is introduced.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6899-6902
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02424C
Low-overpotential CO2 reduction by a phosphine-substituted Ru(II) polypyridyl complex
Low-overpotential electrochemical CO2 reduction by a Ru(II) polypyridyl complex can be achieved by the simple substitution of pyridine with a phosphine ligand.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6915-6918
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02150C
Oligoalanine helical callipers for cell penetration
Even for short peptides that are enriched in basic amino acids, the large chemical space that can be spanned by combinations of natural amino acids hinders the rational design of cell penetrating peptides.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6919-6922
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02304B
An electrolyte-gated polythiophene transistor for the detection of biogenic amines in water
An ultra-low voltage operatable thin-film transistor based on a polythiophene pendant with a carboxy sidechain can detect biogenic amines in water.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6907-6910
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02462F
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Conformationally-flexible and moderately electron-donating units-installed D–A–D triad enabling multicolor-changing mechanochromic luminescence, TADF and room-temperature phosphorescence
A novel multi-color-changing MCL compound has been developed that also shows TADF and RTP.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6847-6850
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02365D
Gold-catalyzed [5+2] cycloaddition of quinolinium zwitterions and allenamides as an efficient route to fused 1,4-diazepines
Herein, we demonstrate a new catalytic cycloaddition of quinolinium zwitterions involving a gold-bound allylic cation intermediate.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6911-6914
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02570C
Oxidative nitrene transfer from azides to alkynes via Ti(II)/Ti(IV) redox catalysis: formal [2+2+1] synthesis of pyrroles
Catalytic oxidative nitrene transfer from azides with the early transition metals is rare, and has not been observed without the support of redox noninnocent spectator ligands.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6891-6894
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02623H
Cobalt complex catalyzed atom-economical synthesis of quinoxaline, quinoline and 2-alkylaminoquinoline derivatives
A new phosphine-free Co(II) complex-catalyzed sustainable synthesis of quinoxalines, quinolines and 2-alkylaminoquinolines is reported.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6883-6886
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02366B
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Room-temperature film formation of metal halide perovskites on n-type metal oxides: the catalysis of ZnO on perovskite crystallization
The ZnO/perovskite interface can efficiently catalyse the perovskite crystallization process even without thermal annealing.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6887-6890
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02482K
Regioselective C–H alkenylation of imidazoles and its application to the synthesis of unsymmetrically substituted benzimidazoles
A palladium-catalyzed C5-selective alkenylation of imidazoles has been developed and applied to the synthesis of alkenyl imidazoles and multi-substituted benzimidazoles.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6879-6882
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02405G
Tuning the molecular weight of polymeric amphiphiles as a tool to access micelles with a wide range of enzymatic degradation rates
Tuning the molecular weight of polymeric amphiphiles allows access to polymeric micelles with extremely diverse enzymatic degradation and disassembly rates.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6875-6878
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02415D
Redox-active, pyrene-based pristine porous organic polymers for efficient energy storage with exceptional cyclic stability
A pristine porous organic polymer with a polyaromatic core of pyrene and redox-active functionalities exhibits remarkable supercapacitor performance with long-term cyclic stability.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6796-6799
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02477D
Rechargeable aqueous zinc–iodine batteries: pore confining mechanism and flexible device application
Confining iodine in the micropores of carbon cloth suppresses unfavorable triiodide intermediates and enables superior performance of assembled flexible zinc–iodine batteries.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6792-6795
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02616E
Abnormal sergeants-and-soldiers effects of poly(quinoxaline-2,3-diyl)s enabling discrimination of one-carbon homologous n-alkanes through a highly sensitive solvent-dependent helix inversion
Abnormal sergeants-and-soldiers enabled the discrimination of a single methylene group.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6867-6870
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02836B
Proton and ammonia intercalation into layered iron chalcogenides
Hydrothermal synthesis of ammonia-intercalated iron chalcogenides using an alkali-free route.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6895-6898
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02436G
Tandem cyclization of o-alkynylanilines with isocyanides triggered by intramolecular nucleopalladation: access to heterocyclic fused 2-aminoquinolines
A novel strategy for the synthesis of heterocyclic fused 2-aminoquinolines via palladium-catalyzed tandem cyclization of o-alkynylanilines and isocyanides has been developed.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6855-6858
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02028K
The role of mid-gap states in all-inorganic CsPbBr3 nanoparticle one photon up-conversion
CsPbBr3 nanoparticles that have been treated with NH4SCN to produce essentially trap-free surfaces show an increase of one photon up-conversion quantum yield with little change to the up-conversion energy of activation, as estimated using an Arrhenius analysis.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6851-6854
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02430H
Formation of coordination polymer glass by mechanical milling: dependence on metal ions and molecular doping for H+ conductivity
Metal ion-dependent glass formation of coordination polymer crystals and direct molecular doping for the glass are studied with H+ conductivity.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6859-6862
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02399A
Improved radical stability of viologen anolytes in aqueous organic redox flow batteries
A 1.38 V aqueous organic redox flow battery demonstrated 97.48% capacity retention for 500 cycles and 128 mW cm−2 power density.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6871-6874
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02336K
Easily accessible lithium compound catalyzed mild and facile hydroboration and cyanosilylation of aldehydes and ketones
Simple and readily accessible lithium compounds are found to be efficient single site catalysts for cyanosilylation and hydroboration of a range of aldehydes and ketones under ambient conditions.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6843-6846
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02314J
Site-selectivity in the halogenation of titanium-functionalized polyoxovanadate–alkoxide clusters
Syntheses and site differentiated reactivity for titanium-functionalized polyoxovanadate–alkoxide clusters are presented. We present insights into the mechanism and electronic consequences metal oxide halogenation.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6839-6842
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC01517A
Expanding the limit of Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative benzylations
The Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative benzylation of aryl bromides using a diverse range of electron-deficient aryl acetates is reported.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6835-6838
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02380H
Bioinspired synthesis of pentalene-based chromophores from an oligoketone chain
Inspired by natural polyketide synthesis, pentalene-based, cross-conjugated chromophores were synthesized from an aliphatic oligoketone chain.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6788-6791
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02379D
Liquid-phase oxidation of alkanes with molecular oxygen catalyzed by high valent iron-based perovskite
A hexagonal BaFeO3−δ perovskite catalyst containing high valent iron species exhibits high catalytic performance for the aerobic oxidation of alkanes without the need for additives.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6772-6775
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02185F
Well defined difluorogold(III) complexes supported by N-ligands
Rare difluorogold(III) complexes supported by N-ligands can be synthesized simply either from Au(I) precursors using XeF2 or Au(III) using KF.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6832-6834
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC02535E
Translating MOF chemistry into supramolecular chemistry: soluble coordination nanofibers showing efficient photon upconversion
Photon upconverting coordination nanofibers are constructed by extracting the structural motifs of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs).
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6828-6831
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC01594E
Three cooperative diffusion coefficients describing dynamics of polymer gels
We measured three cooperative diffusion coefficients describing the dynamics of polymer gels, and provided the experimental evidence to fundamentally understand it.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6784-6787
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC01357H
An air-stable N-heterocyclic carbene iminoxyl borate radical zwitterion
The presented N-heterocyclic carbene iminoxyl borate radical zwitterion shows remarkable stability toward air, moisture, and silica gel.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6824-6827
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC01399C
Lanthanide-based near-infrared emitting metal–organic frameworks with tunable excitation wavelengths and high quantum yields
The introduction of –NH2 group in SION-100 allows the visible light absorption, and both SION-100 and SION-100-NH2 luminesce NIR light with long lifetimes and high quantum yields.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6816-6819
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC01294F
A microfluidic photoreactor enables 2-methylbenzophenone light-driven reactions with superior performance
A general and scalable microfluidic photoreactor for light-driven reaction of 2-methylbenzophenones was successfully developed.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6820-6823
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC01373J
Cyanotrifluoromethylthiolation of unactivated dialkyl-substituted alkynes via cyano migration: synthesis of trifluoromethylthiolated acrylonitriles
Herein a novel, elusive cyanotrifluoromethylthiolation of unactivated dialkyl-substituted alkynes by means of intramolecular distal cyano migration is reported.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6812-6815
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC01189C
Intermolecular insertion reactions of azides into 9-borafluorenes to generate 9,10-B,N-phenanthrenes
The reactions of 9-borafluorenes with organic azides result in either the insertion of the α-nitrogen and elimination of N2 or the insertion of the γ-nitrogen to generate the corresponding phenanthrene analogues with boron and nitrogen in the 9- and 10-positions, respectively.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6808-6811
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC01529E
Orthogonality in main group compounds: a direct one-step synthesis of air- and moisture-stable cyclophosphazanes by mechanochemistry
Mechanochemistry has been established to be an environmentally-friendly way of conducting reactions in a solvent-free manner.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6800-6803
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC01043A
A chiral aluminum solvating agent (CASA) for 1H NMR chiral analysis of alcohols at low temperature
A chiral aluminum solvating agent (CASA) was demonstrated to be a general and efficient reagent for 1H NMR chiral analysis of alcohols.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6804-6807
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC00574E
Synergistic palladium/copper-catalyzed Csp3–Csp2 cross-couplings using aldehydes as latent α-alkoxyalkyl anion equivalents
The first Csp3–Csp2 cross-coupling using aldehydes as latent α-alkoxyalkyl anion equivalents has been achieved.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 6776-6779
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CC01055B
About this collection
Now on its eighth year, this annual special issue showcases research carried out by internationally recognised, up-and-coming scientists in the early stages of their independent careers, and who are making outstanding contributions to their respective fields. New articles will be added to this collection as they are published.