Themed collection 2024 Emerging Investigators

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

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

This Highlight article provides an overview and critical summary of recent progress in the creation of perovskite-block copolymer hybrid structures, with a focus on the different roles of copolymers and their interfacial structures with perovskites.

This article highlights the catalytic methods leading to the asymmetric synthesis of dual axial chiral biaryl ethers and related scaffolds.

This Highlight review features five classical types of PDA-based plasmonic nanocomposites, and systematically elucidates their fabrication strategies, design principles, plasmonic properties, and representative applications.

This Feature Article systematically elaborates on various emerging technologies for the upcycling of polyesters, while also anticipating future development directions.

This comprehensive review provides various perspectives on porous organic cages, encompassing their synthesis methods, structural attributes, material properties, computational methodologies, and diverse applications.

Beryllium chemistry is on the rise. Examples of the beryllium compounds with formal oxidation state of 0, +1, cationic and neutral radical species, aromatic and antiaromatic heterocycles and a formal Be–Be bonded complex are the proof to it.

Initiating or sustaining physical and chemical transformations with mechanical force – mechanochemistry – provides an opportunity for more sustainable chemical processes, and access to new chemical reactivity.

This review highlights the new phenomena arising from novel metal–cage interactions in the fundamental study of pristine EMFs and the applications of EMF-based supramolecular complexes.

This review discusses the recent advances in metal-catalyzed enantioselective carbometallation of small cyclic alkenes that enabled the generation of a broad scope of enantioenriched cyclopropanes and cyclobutanes.

We summarize progresses in understanding the nature of bonding in polyiodides, showing the need of including electron-deficient multicenter bonds in their description. A revision of Lewis dot formulas allows to simply depict and rethink the matter.

Key achievements in the design of sulfonimide salts as electrolyte materials for rechargeable batteries are highlighted.

This feature article introduces phenanthroline-derived extractants for Ln(III)/An(III) separation and provides insights and guidance for future development.

This feature article summarizes the recent progress in crystallization-dictated self-assembly of crystalline block copolymers and nanoparticles under spatial confinement, emphasizing the impact of crystallization on the assembly structure.

This comprehensive Feature Article summarizes the recent progress of supramolecular light-harvesting systems utilizing tetraphenylethylene (TPE) chromophores as antennas.

Ultra-sensitive Raman imaging is an emerging platform for detecting biomarkers with scalable multiplexity. We review recent advances in highly-multiplexed Raman imaging and how they contribute to the technology revolution in 3D spatial biology.

This article reviews the most promising trends in nanoparticle exsolution, a versatile fabrication route for highly efficient and robust nanocatalysts.

Investigating the influence of Mg²⁺ ions and hydration atmospheres on structure and functions of RNA employing explicit solvent and advanced coarse-grained simulation techniques.

Covalent organic frameworks with adjustable topology and high-density conjugated fragments reveal unique advantages in fluorescence imaging, and thus may have great potential applications in bioimaging.

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) particles can be prepared using templating and self-assembly methods and endowed with stealth and targeting properties for targeted drug delivery.

This feature article summarises the latest advances, potential challenges, and future prospects of CRISPR/Cas gene-editing technologies in conjunction with emerging nanodevices for the refinement of precision liquid biopsy techniques.

A molecular semiconductor composite was assembled by integrating atomically precise Ti₁₂-oxo clusters and phosphotungstic acid into a cocrystal system.

We synthesized porous metal–organic frameworks with a geometric mismatch strategy for high-capacity low-temperature methane adsorption, which is important for efficiently utilizing boil-off gas.

We report the synthesis of catechol-functionalized symmetric triblock polymers comprising densely functionalized catechol endblocks using anionic ring-opening polymerization (AROP) and thiol–ene click chemistry.

Broadband emissions in a series of alkali chlorides are achieved by doping NaCl, KCl, and RbCl with Sb³⁺.

In this work, the ferroelastic phase transition of the thermochromic compound ([(2-amino-4-methylpyridine)₂CuCl₄]) was successfully induced by hydrogen-bond engineering, which sheds light on the design of multifunctional materials.

Metal-free donor–acceptor type molecular photocatalysts enable efficient O-ATRP under visible light, allowing for precise control over polymer molecular weight with low dispersity.

Polarizable force fields improve the modeling of carbohydrates in polar media.

We present a water-soluble fluorescence/MR dual-modality probe NBD[Gd] for H₂S detection.

Ligand solid-solutions were used to tune the magnetic and mechanical properties of a van der Waals metal–organic magnet.

Merging ideas of fullerene tweezers and nanohoops.

Herein, we report the free radical copolymerization of 1,3-cyclooctadiene and maleic anhydride or N-substituted maleimides.

Hydroalkylation of terminal alkynes using unactivated alkanes under dual Co-TBADT catalysts is reported. Our cobalt-HAT catalysis achieves the desired Z alkene with excellent regio- and diastereoselectivity via C–H activation.

Cereblon-recruiting PROTACs can degrade HDAC1 with selectivity over HDAC3.

Ru(II)-photoredox-catalyzed arylative and arylsulfonylative radical cascades involving N′-arylidene-N-methacryloylhydrazides and diaryliodonium reagents to furnish functionalized pyrazolones are accomplished.

The host–guest complexation between perethylated pillar[n]arenes and quinonoid compounds are investigated. The resulting host–guest cocrystals demonstrate remarkable near-infrared photothermal conversion properties.

Single atom Ir-modulated CuFeS₂ QDs significantly enhance atmospheric CO₂ photoreduction efficiency and selectivity, offering a promising strategy for practical applications.

Chemical separations are achieved by flowing a feedstock solution on top of a gel loaded with a precipitating agent.

The degradation mechanisms of poly(7-oxa-2,3-diazanorbornene), which is a backbone-degradable polymer produced by living ring-opening metathesis polymerization, under both acidic and neutral pH environments are elucidated.

Carboranes are an interesting class of aromatic molecules with icosahedral geometry, high stability, and unique electronic effects.

Incorporating bipyridine (BPY) units into conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) boosts exciton dissociation, charge separation, and oxidation capacity, thereby exhibiting an admired U(VI) separation rate under sacrificial agent-free conditions.

The limited improvement in discharge energy density (U_e) of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanocomposites filled with low-dielectric-constant (ε_r) nanosheets has been addressed by using a superspreading layering strategy.

A catalyst-free method was developed for the ring opening of azlactones (also known as oxazolones) in water microdroplets.

A regioselective cross-coupling/cyclisation reaction of vicinal boronic esters with 2-halophenols to forge 3-substituted bicyclic boronates is disclosed enabling access to drug derivatives and bicyclic boronates with a pendent biomolecular probe.

Heterocycle-containing alkylamine derivatives are synthesized through photocatalyzed dearomative hydroamination of heteroarenes. The single-electron reduction of heteroarenes to generate radical anions by an excited phenolate is crucial to success.

A COX-2 targeting type I photosensitizer (PS) RuCXB with improved targetability to cancer cells was developed, which showed less O₂-dependence and realized high PDT therapeutic effect via the synergism of ferroptosis and apoptosis.

This work reveals the ‘double-edged’ roles of additives in high-concentration electrolytes, forming ’Goldilocks-balanced’ solid electrolyte interphases for fast-rechargeable Li-ion batteries.

An efficient gold-catalysed intramolecular cycloisomerisation of BODIPYs provides seven-membered-ring-fused BODIPYs on the zig-zag edge. The fused π-extended BODIPYs exhibit unique photophysical properties including NIR absorption and emission.

A series of rare dialumene-arene adducts have been isolated and their ‘masked’ reactivity as a source of Al(I) probed.

Macrocycle cyclobis[7,8-(para-quinodimethane)-4,4′-(triphenylamine)] (CBQCz) shows temperature-dependent and four-electron oxidative conformation changes.

A chiral supramolecular liquid crystal, constructed by host–guest complexation between a pillararene mesogen (P5-Chol) and a tetraphenylethylene-containing guest (TPE-CN), was applied in the field of multi-level information encryption.

Excited-state intramolecular proton transfer dynamics are characterized in 3-hydroxyflavone derivatives using ultrafast transient infrared spectroscopy.

Back electron transfer in photoredox catalysis is directly visualized through the photoblinking of single photoredox catalysts.

Studying factors that cause interindividual variability of carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) activity is currently difficult due to limited methods. To address this, fluorogenic chemical tools that can monitor CES1 activity in live cells were developed.

A novel transfer-free method to fabricate organic–inorganic MoSe₂/Ni₃(HITP)₂ vdWHs provides enhanced possibilities for fabricating high-performance optoelectronic devices and opens up a new avenue for exploring unique interfacial physical phenomena.

A pyrolysis-induced precursor transformation strategy to produce SACs with flexible composition and high metal loading, showing potential in electrochemical CO₂ reduction to CO.

Anisotropic thermal expansion behavior of a co-crystalline system was investigated using low-frequency vibrational spectroscopy within the context of anharmonic dynamics.

The addition of salts in solution of sorbitol-based surfactant (SGCTB) containing open-chain sugar as headgroup and two hydrophobic tails, enhances intermolecular hydrogen bonding in the hydrophilic polyhydroxy spacer, promoting the gelation.

Therapies that target the serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT_2AR) are promising. However, probes are needed to better understand the role of 5-HT_2AR.

Increasingly uniform cubic supercrystals that eventually become rod-like are obtained from self-assembly of Mn²⁺-enriched CsPbCl₃ perovskite nanocrystals.

Layered IrO₂ was investigated using density functional theory to unravel the role of structural flexibility in promoting the oxygen evolution reaction.

A simple recycling procedure overcomes the strong affinity of MOCs toward PFOS to unlock their use for PFAS removal from water.

A negatively charged MXene was self-assembled with positively charged CTAB–BiOCl and NH₂CNTs via electrostatic forces. The unique structure serves as an advanced sulfur host to inhibit LiPS shuttling and realize long cycle life.

Two novel Dy/Ho-encapsulated tartaric acid-functionalized tungstoantimonates were synthesized, and HoSbW exhibits excellent catalytic activity and high stability for the three-component synthesis of isoindolinones in a green manner.

A multiple hydrogen bonding-based mechanism for the high water stability of the hydrated Cu paddle-wheel-based MOF has been described and applied in atmospheric water harvesting.

This work fills the synthetic gap in the series of chlorotriarylpnictonium ions, by providing the heavier analogue based on bismuth.

By regulating iron impurities in the electrolyte and vanadium dissolution issues, the photoelectrochemical performance of BiVO₄ can be significantly enhanced.

The presence of varying concentrations of dynamic linkages in hybrid vitrimer networks facilitates stress relaxation and delayed crazing while also improving creep resistance.