Themed collection 2024 Pioneering Investigators

This profile article showcases researchers who have contributed an article to the 2024 Pioneering Investigators collection.

This profile article showcases researchers who have contributed an article to the 2023 Pioneering Investigators collection.

This review focuses on the role of different COFs as solid-state electrolytes, aiming to guide the development of electrolyte materials and battery technology.

Distinct reactivity and chemoselectives of photoexcited nitroarenes under visible light irradiation such as reductive C–N coupling, anaerobic oxidation, annulation, scaffold diversification via nitrene insertion, etc., are highlighted.

Elucidating the oxygen transfer route can facilitate the development of electro-catalytic oxygenation reactions. Herein, we introduce oxygen transfer routes including the redox-mediated pathway and the direct oxygen transfer (DOT) method.

This highlight discusses state-of-the-art mechanism-based modeling and machine-learning approaches in cell-free synthetic biology and their potential for designing and optimizing novel genetic circuits.

In this review, the state-of-the-art advances in radical-involved C(sp³)–N bond formation via metallaphotoredox catalysis have been highlighted, which are organized according to different catalytic modes, reaction types, and substrate classes.

Cycloalkyl-strapped aryl repeat units have been developed as an innovative synthetic approach to mitigate interchain interactions, enable control over the growth of higher-dimensional π-conjugated materials, and control polymer-dopant interactions.

Aqueous two-phase systems are the “Swiss Army Knives” for creating cost-effective and sustainable solutions in advanced (bio)process engineering.

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) and advanced atomic force microscopy (AFM⁺⁺) are essential for in situ and ex situ nanoscale investigations of the structural, optoelectronic, and photovoltaic properties of halide perovskite crystals and films.

In this feature article, we provide a personal perspective on the field of molecular perovskites, discussing selected research highlights and pinpointing challenges towards the design of molecular perovskites with targeted properties.

This review highlights the role of protein structure, intermolecular cross-links and networks in optimizing elastomeric material properties.

Recent advancements in methane hydroxylation catalysis have achieved nearly total selectivity. A deeper understanding of catalyst design, reaction mechanism, and parameter optimization is crucial for minimizing CO₂ and boosting oxygenate yield.

Enzyme technologies enable the production of multiple bioproducts from cellulosic biomass.

This review systematically summarizes and discusses the recent developments in synthetic chemistry, catalytic mechanisms, and outlook of hollow structured nanoreactors.

Recent years have witnessed encouraging progress in the sustainable production and reuse of metal–organic frameworks in the liquid phase. These advances have driven the construction of a blue (recycling) MOF economy and ecological chains.

In pursuit of global carbon neutrality, countries are intensifying their efforts to harness clean energy sources.

The possible modes have been summarized to disclose the reductive elimination from Ni(II) species.

An overview of our endeavors to address the challenges associated with metal selenide-based anode materials to achieve high performance for sodium-ion batteries.

New discoveries on polymer and polyelectrolyte brush systems and the corresponding brush-supported ions and water, arising from employing all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, have been thoroughly reviewed.

This review has examined the advancements and challenges in the development of transition metal-based electrocatalysts for the alkaline water splitting reaction in the last decade.

This article highlights the recent advances and significance of β-alkylation reactions towards the synthesis of higher order alcohols.

Herein, we unveil a method for synthesizing substituted pyrrole and pyrazine compounds via a double dehydrogenative coupling of amino alcohols with primary alcohols, facilitated by Mn(I)–PNP catalysis, which uniquely enables the simultaneous formation of C–C and C–N bonds.

We report the photothermal actuation of 4D-printed tools which are SLA-printed employing a customized photocurable resin. The tools can be applied in soft robotic applications stimulated by a heat lamp at a near ambient temperature of 15–45 °C.

Hydroquinone treatment induces a coordinative reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I) in HKUST-1, resulting in a mixed-valence Cu(I/II) MOF that significantly enhances catalytic efficiency in azide–alkyne cycloaddition and exhibits excellent recyclability.

Simultaneous hydrogen production and biomass valorization are achieved using a non-precious metal-CNTs electrocatalyst (NiCNTs/NF). This cost-effective, energy-efficient method offers an alternative to traditional electrocatalysis.

The 95MoS₆·5LiI composite is employed as the active material in all-solid-state batteries, showing improved capacity and cycle life due to the increase in electrochemical reaction kinetics.

Due to the looming risk of a new pre-antibiotic era, we report the synthesis and evaluation of a novel library of pyrrolidine-2,3-diones. As a new class of antimicrobials, these compounds have shown promising effectiveness against S. aureus planktonic and biofilm phenotypes.

The first example of top-down proteomics of nanoparticle protein coronas using capillary isoelectric focusing-mass spectrometry.

An aqueous redox-mediated electrochemical reaction is demonstrated to create a corroded, and later semiconducting interface, with nuanced interfacial development.

The revised standard electrode potentials and improved protocol will accelerate the R&D of high-performance catalysts and electrolytes for electrocatalytic ammonia oxidation reactions.

Metal nanoparticles (Ni) are generated by spark ablation and directly deposited onto a powdery catalyst support (TiO₂).

A single-step dual C–H activation annulative π-extension (APEX) protocol from simple oxazolium salts provides a new class of annulated oxazolium based anion–π⁺ AIEgens which exhibit tunable solid-state fluorescence with high quantum yields.

Tandem ion mobility spectrometry reveals that glycosylation does not alter the conformational heterogeneity of a monoclonal antibody.

We present the polar organic DIHO-cages that separate toluene with 99.5% purity from toluene/pyridine mixture. This excellent separation is accompanied with superior purification of pyridine, bestowing the DIHO-cage with a pair of advantages.

Outline for the production of self-standing SiNW networks via wet processing.

The dynamic structural changes of α-Co(OH)₂ platelets during electrochemical oxidation by in situ EC-AFM.

Hydrogen peroxide sensing via fluorescence quenching of a substituted bimane occurs independently of the bimane-water reaction, enabling picomolar detection limits.

An organic transistor was used for monitoring the Menschutkin reaction at an interface between a self-assembled monolayer on an electrode and water containing electrophiles, which visualized differences in properties of electrophiles.

We report on the stereodivergent insertion of an electron deficient alkyne, dimethyl acetylene dicarboxylate (DMAD), into the E–Si bond of hypersilyl tetrylenes, PhC(NtBu)₂ESi(SiMe₃)₃ (E = Ge and Sn), at room temperature.

Lanthanide sandwiches of the D_2h 1,3,4,6-tetraphenylpentalenide are reported. The Ph₄Pn dianion shows promise for new electron-rich f-block organometallics using the metal's d_z² orbital, in contrast to the more widely used cyclooctatetraenyl dianion.

Chemical syntheses of UDP-rhamnose and UDP-arabinofuranose and respective azido-modified analogues are reported. These UDP sugars were used on glycan microarrays for on-chip substrate specificity analyses of plant glycosyltransferases.

A photo-controlled optical molecular switch has been achieved. Apparent and emissive color changes under visible light irradiation and temperature stimulation have been achieved and used to develop anti-counterfeiting materials.

A perforated silica layer with structural correlation is engineered using sol–gel chemistry, applied to large-scale flat and curved surfaces.

An efficient and fundamentally new approach towards dearomative spirolactamization have been achieved employing easily accessible ester-arenols and amines in presence of quaternary ammonium tribromide as an economic oxidant.

The gelation of two TADF positional isomers, 4BPy-mDTC and BPy-DTC, was explored.

A complex of pillar[5]arene with a zwitterionic guest demonstrated excellent antibacterial and biofilm formation inhibition and dispersal activities against E. coli, S. aureus and MRSA.

We introduce 3D-printed FeS₂/carbon microlattice composites as lithium-ion battery electrodes. The design allows any shape, with microchannels for ion transfer and a carbon skeleton for electron conduction.

A molten-salt-assisted strategy enables the anchoring of metal sites among porous carbon foams to enhance efficient oxygen electrocatalysis for high-performing zinc–air batteries.

A shift of the Li⁺ ion hopping mechanism with temperature in solid-state lithium lanthanum titanate (LLTO) electrolytes was discovered using ab initio metadynamics simulations.

Novel cis-2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidine organocatalysts are developed for the asymmetric Michael addition of nitromethane to α,β-unsaturated aldehydes with excellent yield (up to 91%) and enantioselectivity (up to >99% ee).

Phenanthrylboroles with 3,4-conjugation have been synthesized which react with azides to furnish B,N-pyrene analogues.

Light-triggered supramolecular polymer transformations from kinetic to thermodynamic control are achieved by shifting hydrogen bonds from intra- to inter-complexation modes for [2+2] cycloadducts.

Networks with controlled ratios of neutral and ionic dynamic crosslinks were prepared and demonstrate multiple damping modes.

We present a new lanthanide tag C14, which differs from our C12 tag by a single oxygen atom and generates distinct and complementary pseudocontact shifts, enhancing protein structure determination via paramagnetic NMR, EPR and emission spectroscopy.

The activity of co-electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction can be optimized when the redox mediator and metal complex are modified to minimize the difference in their reduction potentials.

The slow alloying kinetics between Pb and sodium allows for prolonged Pb retention in the coating, endowing the coating with a durable sodiophilicity.

A photosensitizer exhibits enhanced photodynamic therapy effect via inducing ferroptosis, which increases O₂ levels and thus reduces the intracellular hypoxia.

A simplified stepwise synthesis of sterically congested unsymmetrical 1,2-dicarbonyl radicals is demonstrated. An aryl- and N-heterocyclic carbene-substituted 1,2-dicarbonyl radical is generated, revealing N-heterocyclic carbenes stabilizing role.

Adding aliphatic amines to a CO₂-saturated electrolyte solution to form carbamates in situ results in a significant enhancement in the electrocatalytic CO₂-reduction activity of a cobalt pyridyldiimine catalyst.

A novel Ta/Os complex [Ta(CH₂tBu)₃(μ-H)₃OsCp*], and its iridium analogue [Ta(CH₂tBu)₃(μ-H)₂IrCp*], efficiently cleave CO₂ under mild conditions, forming tantalum oxo species and CpIr(CO)H₂ or CpOs(CO)H₃.

A novel method for preparing high-active Au/TS-1 catalyst for propylene hydro-oxidation is developed by sequentially impregnating HAuCl₄ and Cs₂CO₃ onto TS-1, which exhibits high Au uptake efficiency and high dispersion of Au nanoparticles.

We report a simple synthesis of a new lead-free zero-dimensional (0D) hybrid halide compound, (5P1)InBr₅·2H₂O [(5P1) = NH₃C₆H₁₂NH₃], which shows dual emission coming from band-to-band and STE state.

A Cu-based electrocatalyst selectively and durably electroreduces CO₂ to formate with a maximum faradaic efficiency of up to 74% in a S²⁻-containing electrolyte.

Through our analysis of PET-RAFT SUMI and its analogous alternating copolymerisation with pyrazole carbodithiolate chain transfer, we expand on current understanding of RAFT SUMI chemistry and extend iterative processes to new sequences and monomers.

OTf⁻ anions establish weak hydrogen-bonds with water to stabilize I⁺ species while optimizing a water-lean Zn²⁺ coordination structure to mitigate Zn dendrites and corrosion for developing advanced four-electron zinc–iodine aqueous batteries.

Olefin-rich hydrogen-bonded crosslinked organic frameworks (H_COFs) were crosslinked via free radical reactions and subsequently converted to a hydroxylated H_COF.

In situ ultra-small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering enables simultaneous tracking of the structural parameters of mesoporous CeO₂ from the atomic scale to the micron-size scale.

A 9-step synthesis of (−)-larikaempferic acid methyl ester is achieved via a skeletal rearrangement strategy and controlled transannular aldol reaction.

Facilitated anion reduction by introducing hydrogen bonds between 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide promotes the generation of an inorganic-rich SEI.