Themed collection 2025 Pioneering Investigators

This article highlights recent advances in developing versatile types of microneedle-based transdermal fluorescent sensors.

This review traces MOF text mining's shift to LLMs, enabling structured data extraction for prediction, synthesis, and AI applications.

The bonding in C-, N-, P-, O-, S-, Se- and halide-donor complexes of beryllium is discussed. The obtained knowledge is used to understand low valent beryllium compounds and Be-element multiple bonds as well as to analyse their reactivity.

We highlight our contributions to the current understanding of structure–property relationships of solution-processable Group IV semiconductor nanocrystals and nanosheets.

This review highlights decadal advances in the synthesis and reactivity of Zn–Zn bonded complexes, focusing on the innovations in methodologies and reaction modes.

Iron-catalyzed dicarbofunctionalization of unsaturated bonds, which enables the simultaneous installation of two carbon substituents at vicinal positions, offers an efficient strategy for constructing complex molecular architectures.

In this review, we outline the interface-assisted methods, growth mechanisms and applications of C-MOF films, and propose the future development and possible challenges of interface-assisted preparation of C-MOF membrane/films.

Ultrasmall coinage metal nanoclusters (MNCs, <3 nm) are promising broad-spectrum antibacterials with tunable core–shell structures. This review discusses their design, mechanisms, applications, and challenges for future antimicrobial development.

The MXene-transition metal chalcogenide hybrid materials are presented for supercapacitor applications with significant discussion towards their theoretical aspects.

This article reviews recent advances in the chemistry of structurally constrained cationic P(III) compounds, focusing on their ability to mimic transition metal behavior in small molecule activation and catalysis.

In this review, we highlight recent advancements in the application of metal–organic frameworks for radionuclide detection, focusing on sensing techniques such as fluorescence, scintillation, colorimetric, and electrochemical methods, among others.

Derivatising biomolecules like monoclonal antibodies with drugs or imaging agents, whilst preserving their bioactivity, is a challenging task. Photochemistry offers new solutions for protein functionalisation.

Extracellular vesicles have been deemed as potential drug carriers for treatment of various diseases. Recent advances have been summarized, including the sources, delivery function, extraction and cargo-loading technology of extracellular vesicles.

This review discusses design strategies for external stimuli-driven hydrogels with in situ catalytic processes. It highlights precise control over the properties, elucidating regulatory mechanisms and deepening the understanding of the applications.

Amidation reactions play a crucial role in the effective functionalization of nanopores and nanochannels.

We review the interplay between valence tautomerism, structural tessellations, and magnetic phenomena in lanthanide-based coordination networks, culminating in the discovery of a thermally activated valence tautomerism in a lanthanide-organic net.

Selective removal of naphthols from water was achieved by means of a xerogel fabricated from an ABCD type pillar[5]arene–calix[4]pyrrole supramolecular polymer.

The first 1,4,5,8-tetraazanaphthalene radicals were isolated and analysed through crystallography, EPR spectroscopy, DFT computations. The radicals exhibit electrical conductivity at room temperature, placing them among elemental semiconductors.

This work investigates an alternative submonomer solid-phase approach to the synthesis of sequence-defined oligoTEAs.

A lysine dendron (LD)-mediated platform enables nuclear delivery of proteins via click chemistry, enhancing cellular uptake and antitumor efficacy in vitro/in vivo.

para-Hydrogen induced polarisation (PHIP) in the presence of iron complexes has been successfully transferred to a ¹⁹F nucleus located five bonds away from the addition site.

CTPT3, a chemically stable C-nucleoside, forms a hydrolysis-resistant and hydrophobic base pair with NaM in both DNA and RNA.

A thermo-ionic strength-regulated bilayer hydrogel based on a cross-stimuli network: thermal input depletes (NH₄)₂CO₃, modulating the VPTT. This enables the development of adaptive smart materials for responsive and interactive environments.

We report a Ni-catalyzed Barbier-type reaction enabling direct coupling of unactivated alkyl halides with carbonyl derivatives to access tertiary alcohols and amines under mild conditions.

Direct lithium extraction from formation waters using coated adsorbents for lower Mn dissolution and longer recyclability.

Encapsulation of bismuth within hollow carbon spheres: a nanoreactor for enhanced coupling of C–N intermediates during co-electroreduction of carbon dioxide and nitrate.

We demonstrate a high throughput microfluidic method to produce bacterial biohybrids which are used for magnetotaxis, biosensing and cargo delivery.

Au EM grids ironically generate ROS, damaging cellular structures. Ni grids form stable oxides upon oxidation, preventing charge transfer and oxidative stress, making them superior for biocompatible high-resolution cellular imaging.

Nano-Si (n-Si) encapsulated with SiO_x shells and chemically anchored onto reduced graphene oxide (rGO) via hydrothermal self-assembly is demonstrated as a promising anode for all solid-state batteries using argyrodite solid electrolyte (SE).

An electrochemical hydrotrifluoromethylation of alkynes was developed using the Langlois reagent as a CF₃ source and DMSO as both solvent and hydrogen atom donor.

0.12% Sn-incorporated Si NCs show enhanced crystallinity (6.9 nm) and intense 985 nm NIR emission with μs lifetimes and improved thermal stability.

AIE-active indium (III) chloride complex was developed as a selective fluorescent turn-off chemosensor for detecting perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

A decoupling nucleation and growth control strategy and post-grafting method enabled the synthesis of amino-modified high-surface-area radial-pore silica microspheres for efficient removal of perfluorooctanoic acid.

A nickel-catalyzed reductive coupling of α-haloboronates for constructing symmetric and unsymmetric internal vicinal diboronates has been reported.

A transition metal/photocatalyst-free skeletal editing of indene with iodonium difluorodiazo reagent to access 2-(difluoromethyl)naphthalene is reported.

Chiral BINAM-derived sulfide and boron trifluoride etherate cocatalyzed enantioselective electrophilic selenylation/semipinacol rearrangement of 1-(1-arylvinyl)cyclobutanols was developed for the first time.

A catalyst-free, dearomatizative aminoetherification and diamination of indoles by using a photo-promoted nitrene transfer reaction as the key step was reported. A wide range of indoline scaffolds can be obtained in moderate to good yields.

We demonstrate strategies for preserving synthetic cells containing transcription-translation machinery via cold or dry storage. This enables point-of-use activation and broadens the applicability of synthetic cells beyond the laboratory.

A foreign cation substitution approach to Ni–Co spinel oxide promotes the active NiOOH species formation, resulting in remarkable electrochemical glycerol oxidation performance.

In situ Mössbauer spectroscopy confirms that the FEC additive stabilizes Fe⁴⁺ formed during NaFeO₂ cathode charging in sodium batteries, greatly reducing the typical 20% degradation within 24 hours resting at open circuit.

An unconventional iron catalyst embedded within molten barium amide (Ba(NH₂)₂) is active for NH₃ decomposition under low temperatures.

After grafting polyalkylamine species onto the ligand within a Cr³⁺-MOF, the material was tested for catalyzing cycloaddition reactions between CO₂ and 1,2-epoxybutane (EB).

Loading of metal cocatalysts significantly influences methane pressure dependence of photocatalytic oxidation, shifting the optimal reaction conditions below ambient pressure.

We report here a highly efficient photoredox cobalt-catalyzed hydroaminomethylation of alkynes with aminals towards tertiary allyl amines.

We propose a novel computational method to predict the crystal structures of bowl-shaped π-conjugated molecules and to reproduce their assembly structure from randomly dispersed molecules using all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulation.

Thermal polymerization of fluorinated acrylates yields a fluorine-rich, flame-retardant gel polymer electrolyte with high ionic conductivity and stability, enabling quasi-solid-state sodium-ion batteries with high energy and improved safety.

Transcriptomic analysis undertaken at different timepoints can shed light on mRNA-LNP in vivo delivery dynamics.

HPV screening is critical for the diagnosis of cervical cancer. This study combines photoactivated CRISPR-Cas12a with a tube-in-tube structure and RPA for rapid HPV16 detection, using blue UV light at 302 nm for portable, on-site diagnostics.

The thermal and chemical stability of mesoporous Zr and Hf MOFs (MIP-206, MOF-808, NU-1000) and microporous UiO-66 were investigated, with a focus on the effects of metal type, linker type, and topology on the framework stability.