Themed collection Articles behind the 2024 journal covers

This highlight aims to showcase the current advances in semi-open metal sites inherent to MFM-300(Sc) and MFM-300(In) to inspire new investigations to be carried out to develop new applications of this promising family of MOF materials.

Fluorination of azopyridines regulates supramolecular bonding competition between [B ← N] adduct and co-crystal formation with phenylboronic acid catechol ester.

Via the PVT method adopting crushed CVD-SiC block sources, single crystalline SiC was grown with a high growth rate of 1.46 mm h⁻¹ and good crystal quality.

A perfluorinated Ni(II) complex encapsulates MeOH, forming unique tetrameric clusters stabilized by hydrogen bonding in the crystal to achieve remarkable uptake of MeOH over EtOH and water, demonstrating potential for separation and sensing.

Photoinduced crawling crystals can change their shape and velocity in response to irradiation intensity. By utilizing a sequence of different irradiation conditions, these changes can be used to improve cargo transport functionality.

The AlN/a-Ga₂O₃ detector with a nanocolumnar structure shows an extremely low dark current of 3.79 fA, a responsivity of 9.17 × 10⁻³ A W⁻¹ and a response time of 15 ms/0.17 ms@0 V illuminated with 254 nm UV light.

We developed a new precipitation method based on the LaMer model for synthesising fine particles of plain octacalcium phosphate (OCP) and OCP with incorporated carboxylate ions.

Single-step and multi-step liquid-assisted grinding mechanochemical methods of molecular components to ternary and quaternary cocrystals/salts are compared to show speed and scalability of the single-step method.

A nonporous adaptive crystal constructed from thiacalix[4]arene molecules adsorbs di-branched C6 alkanes preferentially over mono-branched and linear C6 alkanes.

The introduction of foreign atoms significantly alters the grain boundary (GB) behavior in materials, consequently affecting their mechanical properties.

Herein we report the influence of the crystallization solvent in the supramolecular self-assembly in the solid-state of an A1/A2-difunctionlized pillar[5]arene host.

Twin-free InP crystals can be grown under suitable growth conditions. A kinetic model for twin nucleation is proposed.

³⁵Cl (I = 3/2) solid-state NMR data is used in a nascent quadrupolar NMR crystallographic protocol, dubbed QNMRX-CSP, for the structural prediction, refinement, and validation of organic HCl salts.

Irbesartan exists as tautomers A and B in diverse solvent mixtures. Homogeneous nucleation gives (pseudo)polymorphs with layer-wise or columnar growth. The desmotropes present different habits, thermal expansions, stabilities and phase transitions.

This study explores the complexation behaviour of N7-alkylated 6-chloropurine derivatives with Zn(II), Cd(II), and Hg(II) ions. Predictable coordination preferences of metal towards the purine derivative are observed.

Water-mediated hydrogen-bonded structures were built from a disubstituted adamantane with dimethoxyphenol moieties, where halobenzenes were accommodated within the cavity of cyclic dimers composed of host compounds and waters.

An effective, simple and convenient approach based on the interaction of tridentate triol-containing ligands and small Co(II) isobutyrates enables the preparation of Co₁₆-based nanoclusters with a previously unknown mixed-valence {Co^III₂Co^II₁₄} core.

Novel halogen-bonded cocrystals of seven oxazoles as multifunctional acceptors have been synthesized with selected iodoperfluorinated benzenes and structurally characterized.

The exponential-Chapman quantitative relationship is established between photothermal weak absorption and laser damage characteristics induced by surface defects in Nd,Y:SrF₂ crystals.

Photoelastic effect was applied to analyze the relationship between fringe spacing in wide-angle conoscopic interference and structural stress of KDP crystals.

This study systematically analyzed the effects of Fe³⁺ ion doping and annealing treatment on the properties of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP) crystals.

The adsorption of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in zeolites is investigated with dispersion-corrected DFT calculations, with emphasis on the stabilising role of “multi-site” interactions and the behaviour of adsorbed 5-FU in the presence of water.

The NaYF₄:Yb migration layer minimized the cross-relaxation. Excited energy absorbed by Nd³⁺ could sensitize the co-doped Yb³⁺ and activated Tb³⁺ though energy migration among Yb³⁺, thereby achieving luminescence of Tb³⁺.

The crystal structure and phase transition behaviour of dabcoHBr, which has a one-dimensional hydrogen-bonded chain structure, were investigated by mixing Cl⁻ or I⁻.

The ultrawide-bandgap AlGaN alloy system shows great potential for advancing the next generation of UV optoelectronic devices.

An NMR-guided procedure for refining crystal structures has recently been introduced and shown to produce unusually high resolution structures.

Luminescent 2D Zr-based MOFs for sensing Fe(III) ions were synthesized by dual post-synthetic modifications of photosensitizing ligands and terbium ions.

Pristine multifunctional amide-based bimetallic Co–Ni coordination polymer and monometallic counterparts as efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction.

Two dinuclear dianionic helicates, K₂[M^II₂(L)₃] M = Mn^II (1) and Ni^II (2), based on 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzaldehyde, self-assemble into novel 3D coordination polymers due to nitro groups acting as secondary assembly instruction.

An affordable, scalable, and easily adoptable solution-based processing route provides a potential way of converting waste Si solar cells into aluminosilicate minerals to contribute to sustainability in the solar energy value chain.

High-quality TPB single crystals were obtained without obvious step-like growth morphology. The TPB devices could present α-particle and γ-ray spectral responses with high energy resolution, showing potential for direct radiation detection.

Bilirubin crystals in the gall bladder and urine are typical indicators of liver dysfunction. Examining the crystal structure of lipophilic bilirubin is thus of interest. We present crystal structures for three crystal forms of the bile pigment.

We designed CaCO₃ films comprised of aragonite nanorods by mimicking the microstructure and the formation process of the calcareous skeleton of a stony coral in the sea.

The R + r intimate intergrowth was found to form a butterfly twin following the optimum crystallographic orientation relationship [101]_R//[11]_r by the close-packed (11)_R and (011)_r planes as the twin boundary and phase interface, respectively.

Periodic assembly in poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) crystallized at selected T_c is analyzed with microscopy 3D interior dissection. Orderly grating-arrayed lamellae in PHB display light-interfering iridescence, resembling nature's structured coloration seen in inorganic minerals or organic species.

The dimensions of M(II) complexes are dependent on the solvents or metals(II) employed, and a transformation of the cage into 3D occurs. Zn(II) and Cu(II) species are effective catalysts in transesterification and catechol oxidation, respectively.

Crystallisation pathways of calcium carbonate are strongly influenced by the presence of additives. Through X-ray diffraction, samples made by the Project M Scientists reveal the effect of amino acid and related additives on the crystal structures of calcite and vaterite.

The effect of grain coalescence on the dislocation and stress in GaN films grown on nanoscale patterned sapphire substrates with low-temperature grown GaN and physical vapour deposition AlN nucleation layers is comparably investigated.

Crystal packing of several halogenated alanine derivatives was investigated using the combined analysis of short atom–atom contacts and energy framework patterns.

Reactions of a C₃-symmetrical ligand and Cd(II) salts with various polycarboxylic acids afforded three new coordination polymers, demonstrating that the length and shape of the polycarboxylate ligands govern the structural diversity.

The controllable synthesis of non-classical nucleobase pairs that can mimic partial biological behavior is very important for the in-depth study of DNA or RNA.