Themed collection Dalton Transactions HOT Articles

Analysis of C(acyl)–N functionalisation mechanisms with a focus on recent developments involving mechanisms unique to the late transition metals.

The relevance of the fluorinated thiolate 2,3,5,6-S(C₆F₄H-4) to serve as a reliable motif for the construction of π_F–π_F stacking interactions in a series of metal complexes in the solid state for its application in crystal engineering is Illustrated.

Trends in metal–metal bonding and reactivity among phosphinoamide-bridged M/Co heterobimetallic complexes are summarized.

A perspective on complexes of the heaviest and lightest elements; we elucidate how the f-element environment can affect hydride formation, oligomerisation and reactivity, including in catalysis and expose differences between the Ln and An series.

The largest metalloid tin cluster exhibits 20 tin atoms, showing a unique structure build-up of smaller principal units. Herein, we present recent advances in this area as well as perspective and outlook for extending this fascinating research field.

The performance of aqueous non-metallic ion batteries can be enhanced by constructing multi-active site PBAs through the synergistic regulation of structure and ions.

The in situ generation of the highly reactive organocalcium reagent and its immediate application offers not only a loophole to organocalcium reagents but opens the entry to a rich organic chemistry of this non-toxic and globally abundant element.

A survey of recent theoretical treatments of Al–M bonds that activate CO₂ is given, with an emphasis on extracting lessons to guide future studies.

A COF containing Mg²⁺ carriers and PEO chains in the channels was created. The sample showed superionic conductivity above 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ at 160 °C under N₂.

Two pillar-layered MOFs, non-interpenetrated HIAM-3016-op and two-fold interpenetrated HIAM-3017-op, are successfully constructed by integrating two carboxylate groups and one pyridine group into one linker skeleton via an in situ “one-pot” strategy.

Crystalline Mg²⁺-containing MOF was synthesized through an ion exchange reaction. It showed high ionic conductivity under the vapor of small guest molecules at ambient temperature.

Ru(II)–arene azole complexes demonstrated that decreased affinity to serum albumin led to an increase in preventing amyloid-β aggregation and cytotoxicity.

Excellent mechanical sensitivity: incorporating trinitrophenyl into azo-1,3,4-oxadiazole compounds results in a heat-resistant explosive with excellent impact and friction sensitivity, along with good thermal stability.

In view of taking part to the quest of organic electrodes materials, pyrazine dioxide based-compounds (PZDO and its methylated counterpart, TeMePzDO) were thoroughly examined.

Non-covalent interactions between reduced chromium complexes and a cationic acid during homogeneous carbon dioxide reduction introduce pre-equilibrium effects which impact the operating potential and turnover frequency of catalysis.

Using state-of-the-art computational methods, we have thoroughly investigated the coordination ability of substituted fullerene {C₅₅X₅}⁻ (X = CCH₃/B/N) towards stabilizing novel Dy(III) exohedral complexes showcasing giant barrier height >2200 K.

Increasing the polyamine chain length changes the binding mode of pyrazole from exo to endo in Cu²⁺ complexes of pyrazolacyclophanes, leading to outstanding SOD activity.

Super bulky [(ITr)Zn(C₆F₅)]⁺ cation is stable towards hydrolysis and reversibly coordinates water at room temperature. Despite its steric bulk, it is an effective imine hydrogenation and CO₂ hydrosilylation catalyst.

The Haldane-type behavior was observed in the first V-based organically templated magnet (enH₂)_0.5VPO₄OH in magnetic susceptibility and nuclear magnetic resonance measurements.

The Ni(II) complexes reported in this work show high performance for OER and are suggested as promising candidates for alkaline water electrolysis.

The migration energy barriers of lithium ions in SiO_x/Fe@C were analyzed in four distinct directions, along with the corresponding lithium-ion diffusion sites.

A NC-layer-coated Co(OH)F/CoP₂ catalyst NC@Co(OH)F/CoP₂/NF loaded on nickel foam (NF) was successfully fabricated, which exhibits excellent electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance both in alkaline freshwater and seawater.

Reductive activation of O₂ by an Fe^II complex at −650 mV vs. SCE yields an Fe^III peroxo intermediate and ultimately the oxidative bromination of anisole. This reaction is in competition with the direct reduction of the reaction intermediate.

Four-step electron transfer coupled spin transition was achieved in a cyano-bridged [Fe₂Co₂] square complex.

The luminogenic click reaction of 1,2,4-triazine-functionalised phenanthroline iridium(III) complexes opens easy pathways for luminescent bioconjugates.

At present, phosphor-in-glass is regarded as a superior encapsulation material substituting for organic materials to resolve the poor thermal stability of WLEDs.

We report a 0D/2D CsPbBr₃/BiOCl heterojunction material, which can help to effectively separate photogenerated electron-hole pairs and enhance the CO₂-catalyzed redox performance.

A novel gold(III) metalloantibiotic liposomal formulation was developed. The nanoformulation show high stability and suitable properties for drug delivery, representing a promising strategy to fight against drug-resistant bacteria.

Two new copper nanoclusters, [Cu₉(PhSe)₆(PPh₂O₂)₃] and [Cu₉(CH₃OPhS)₆(PPh₂O₂)₃], have been synthesized and analyzed. These nanoclusters exemplify how ligands influence the photoluminescence properties of copper nanoclusters.

This study examines how the incorporation of carboxylate groups within the macrocyclic framework influences the electronic and geometric structures of the iron-oxo center, and how these changes impact its efficacy in activating C–H bonds.

This study indicates that the existence of Pr(V) in solid-state Ln fluorides is not impossible.

Azophosphines have been shown to serve as useful building blocks for 5- and 7-membered heterocycles containing phosphorus and nitrogen. The mechanism of this transformation has been elucidated, and their interactions with B(C₆F₅)₃ probed.

A stretchable KPDMS/Al₂O₃ ultra-barrier with a high barrier property of 7.82 × 10⁻⁵ g m⁻² day⁻¹ was fabricated using ALI followed by a UV-curing process, achieving high stability in moisture and biofluids for wearable sensors.

The dual-size-selective chelators py-macrodipa and py₂-macrodipa were investigated for their abilities to complex [¹¹¹In]In³⁺. These chelators form highly stable complexes of this diagnostic radiometal under mild radiolabeling conditions.

This study explores the impact of organic cations in bismuth iodide complexes on their memristive behavior in metal–insulator–metal (MIM) type thin-layer devices.

Oriented external electric fields induce spin crossover in Fe(II) complexes, offering a novel pathway for temperature tuning, with potential applications in molecular electronics and sensing.

KCMV and EVA were combined to participate in the packaging of solar cells, in which the KCMV phosphor with a down-shift effect can increase the absorption of sunlight by solar cells, thus improving the conversion efficiency of silicon solar cells.

Selective and efficient ammonia borane dehydrogenation is catalysed by an asymmetric bimetallic rhodium complex leading to borazine. The method is extended to the preparation of BNC polymers. A ligand cooperativity mechanism is suggested based on DFT.

The enzyme nitrogenase overcomes the inherent unreactivity of N₂ through its ability to arrange a well-disposed gallery of H atoms for concerted attack on incoming N₂.

Cation-embedding and oxygen-vacancy co-modified VO_x thin-sheet-microspheres assembled with nanoparticles were designed for zinc-ion batteries with a high rate capacity.

Aspergillus sp. laccase was immobilised in situ within two lanthanide-based MOFs obtained by a green synthetic approach under mild conditions.

Perovskite LaCo_1−xAl_xO₃ exhibiting high thermal stability and chemical looping CO₂ conversion activity was synthesized.

In pursuit of highly active zinc–air battery (ZAB) catalysts, nitrogen doping has proven key to enhancing carbon-based non-metallic catalysts’ performance in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).

A novel synthetic protocol allows the direct functionalisation of tris-(2-pyridylmethyl)amines (TPA or TPMA) in the benzylic position.

In the presented work, the structure dependence as well as luminescence features of a wide range of hybrid crystals based on lead halides and a homologous series of alkyl diamines from 1,4-diaminobutane to 1,8-diaminooctane are investigated.

For the first time, conditions allowing the formation of (Zr,U)SiO₄ solid solution with uranium content up to 60 mol% have been determined through the hydrothermal synthesis pathway.

Newly synthesized redox-active phenalenyl ligand-based ruthenium complexes catalyzed the selective oxidation of primary amines to amides using ambient O₂.

This work emphasises the design and synthesis as well as the structural, electrical and magnetic characterisation of two cobalt(II) complexes and their electrocatalytic fate towards sustainable hydrogen production in alkaline water.

Frog M ferritins retain their cage assembly and encapsulated iron mineral in simulated gastric fluid. Fabrication with chitosan further enhanced the cage stability and iron retention capability of ferritins.

Two Ni-added poly(POM)s built of {Ni₆PW₉} and NiW₆O₂₄ units via WO₄/Sb₂O and Ni–O–W bonds have been made, which work as heterogeneous catalysts for light-driven hydrogen evolution, showing superior to most of the reported POM-based catalysts.

The theoretical research presented in this paper has revealed some significant elements of the magnetic characteristics of {M₃Ln₃} complexes, such as how various bridging ligands such as peroxide and hydroxide ions affect the SMM and SMT properties.

A series of carbon materials derived from bimetallic MOF-74 prepared by the reflux method were obtained by pyrolysis at high temperature. The structure and iodine adsorption properties of the materials were studied in detail.

A SnP₃–CNTs/KB composite with a multi-geometric carbon support was constructed, which delivered high reversible capacities for lithium/potassium ion batteries.

A precious metal-free biomass fuel cell through substrate–ligand interactions.

The regioselectivity for the C–H functionalisation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is determined not by the C–H cleavage step but by the subsequent reductive elimination step.

Bimetallic NiFe MOFs are synthesized by hydrothermal and electro-deposition. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of Fe and Ni, the catalyst exhibits favorable OER catalytic activity and excellent stability.

Despite showing a spin-canted arrangement and antiferromagnetic coupling, the asymmetric trinuclear complex is an SMM with open loops at sub-Kelvin temperatures. The effect of canting and interactions on the relaxation characteristics is discussed.

Three isostructural Keggin-type POM-based compounds (SiW₁₂M₂), exhibit a stable 1D chain stabilized by two [M(pyim)₂]₂²⁺ fragments as dual-nodes. Under light irradiation, SiW₁₂Co₂ exhibited a remarkable CO generation rate of 10 733 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹.

Cyclometalated Ir(III) tetrazine complexes were developed to act as mitochondria-targeted photosensitizers for efficient two-photon photodynamic therapy.

Nickel and palladium NHC complexes with fluorine substituents have been synthesized. Their electronic parameters, including σ-donation and π-acceptance, were evaluated, considering the position and number of substituents.

Two novel ligands with a methyl or methyl ester substituent in the 4-position were synthesized. The substituent influence on the properties of the corresponding copper complexes was examined by a plethora of experimental and theoretical methods.

Spin crossover Fe(II) molecules deposited on graphene/SiO₂ as a submonolayer present a switching behavior within the whole temperature range from 350 to 4 K.

Polymorphism of Mg₃In leads to different hydrogenation features of Mg(In) solid solution and distinct dehydrogenation enthalpies of hydrogenated products in various temperature ranges.

Several square-planar cobalt imido complexes have been prepared by treatment of a Co(I) precursor with aryl azides. The electronic structure and reactivity of the compounds is examined in the context of nitrene insertion reactivity.

The article reports a remarkable anticancer activity through iron(III) chelation and ferroptosis by a newly developed catecholate-based siderophore mimic.

We propose an ultra-wideband perfect solar absorber that achieves high efficiency in the range of 280 nm–3000 nm.

Five novel coordination polymers based on 6-aminopicolinate and bipyridine-type spacers are reported, showing fluorescent and phosphorescent emissions and good sensing capacity for Fe³⁺ and Zn²⁺ in water when processed as paper analytical devices.

A new phase transition Hg-based halide β-CsHg₂I₅ with a large birefringence (Δn = 0.132@1064 nm) has been designed and fabricated by a high-temperature solution method.

One-dimensional counterparts of Prussian Blue Analogues (PBAs) as aluminum intercalation compounds in [EMIm]Cl–AlCl₃ ionic liquid electrolyte: limitation and prospects.

Mononuclear-σ-arsolyl complexes of molybdenum are shown to be reactive towards electrophilic attack at arsenic, including reactions with activated alkynes which result in metallacycles rather than [4 + 2] cycloaddition to the arsolyl ring.