Themed collection 2025 Emerging Investigators

This review summarises and highlights recent advances (year > 2015) in the medicinal chemistry applications of bridged polycyclic 3D bioisosteres of ortho-phenyl rings.

Phase separation induced by responsive deep eutectic solvents upon temperature, CO₂ or pH stimulus, allowing analyte recovery and solvent recycling and reuse.

A complete series of CsPb(Cl_xBr_1−x)₃ mixed-halide perovskites with x = 0–1 in small steps is reported, and their structural and optical properties characterised. All data is accessible in a machine-readable format.

[FeFe]-hydrogenases are highly-active hydrogen-conversion biocatalysts using Earth-abundant metals in their active-site.

Electron-deficient Co centers in the lattice of CuO were constructed through an ion-exchange and programmed-heat-treatment strategy.

A synthetically valuable method for the regioselective fluoroalkyl aminoxylation of unactivated and activated olefins has been achieved via organophotoredox-catalysis.

We report an effective method for H/D exchange of silanes using Ru-bpy@γ-Al₂O₃, which is compatible with 16 silanes under mild conditions. Deuterium gas (D₂), generated in situ from the electrolysis of D₂O, served as the deuterium source.

An efficient metal-free carbon catalyst boosting carbon oxidation integrated with hydrogen production below the 1.23 V water electrolytic boundary.

We demonstrate the ability of a non-heme iron containing L-lysine dioxygenase to perform sequential oxidation on its native substrate and computationally explore structural elements that promote this reactivity.

A fully exposed Pd cluster catalyst exhibited high activity and selectivity through the L–H mechanism.

DFT calculations revealed a series of non-covalent π interactions that are responsible for the high enantioselectivity of palladium-catalyzed redox-relay Heck arylation of 1,1-disubstituted homoallylic alcohols.

An alkene-terminated ligand self-assembles with rare-earth ions, yielding polymerizable cages and subsequently rare-earth-binding polymer networks.

Electrochemiluminescence of [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺/tri-n-propylamine has been shown to be capable of visualizing supported lipid membranes with different lipid compositions.

Lanthanide chloride salts, with a cocatalyst, are used as a near “one-size-fits-all” catalyst system to perform the ring-opening copolymerization of diverse epoxides and cyclic anhydrides.

Structure–reactivity relationships were identified for a series of norbornene derivatives that facilitated rapid light-induced thiol–ene polymerizations for hydrogel 3D printing.

Here, we disclose the discovery that isothioureas efficiently catalyze the formation of both α-1,2-cis and α-1,2-trans glycosyl linkages from either glycosyl bromide or chloride donors, furnishing glycosides in good to complete selectivities.

The two-dimensionality (2D) of charge transport significantly affects charge carrier mobility in organic semiconductors, making it a key target for materials discovery and design.

A fused Ir nano-network supported on TiO₂ is reported to fabricate a low-iridium-loading anode catalyst layer of a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer.

Methods for formal bromo-trifluoromethoxylation and bromo-pentafluorosulfanoxylation of [1.1.0]bicyclobutanes using AgOCF₃ or AgOSF₅ and 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin are disclosed.

An organocatalytic approach using stable, cost-effective ammonium salts for asymmetric sulfinylation, achieving a broad range of enantioenriched sulfinamides was disclosed.

We demonstrate the participation of cobalt in a photoinduced LMCT process, which leads to the formation of ligand-based radical species and enables both homo and hetero cross-dehydrogenative coupling of indoles with decent yield.

This paper reports hierarchical assemblies and chiral induction in achiral BODIPY emitters through peptide-mediated halogen bonding, leading to circularly polarized luminescence with a remarkably high g_lum value of −1.2 (±0.075) × 10⁻².

A two-fold strategy to convert amides to amines in the presence of dimethylamine-borane as the hydrogen source is reported. Several amides undergo reduction to the corresponding amines swiftly in good-to-excellent yields.

A headpiece was introduced in the construction of a DNA-based data storage platform.

A gene regulating RNA was analyzed using single-molecule and bulk fluorescence and biolayer interferometry, revealing ligand-dependent structural switching behavior.

Surface oxygen vacancies (O_v) in the catalyst facilitate an in situ consumption mechanism, effectively eliminating carbon deposits for biogas reforming.