Themed collection ChemComm Advisory Board 2020

This Feature Article reviews the structural motifs and catalytic applications of crown ether-containing catalysts and details the development of “pincer-crown ether” ligands for applications in controlled catalysis.

The Cu(I)-catalyzed azide and alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (CuAAC), commonly known as the “click reaction”, has emerged as a versatile synthetic tool for targeting quadruplex nucleic acids.

Cage compounds incorporating phosphorescent Ru(II) and Ir(III) metal complexes possess a highly desirable set of optoelectronic and physical properties. This feature article summarizes the recent work on cage assemblies containing these metal complexes as photoactive units, highlighting our contribution to this growing field.

Incorporation of silicon into heterocycles for polymethine dyes can impart red-shifts of up to 100 nm, while also enhancing photostability up to 10-fold, resulting in photostable fluorophores with emission above 900 nm.

A host–guest fluorescence sensor array can selectively detect THC and its metabolites in biofluids such as urine and saliva.

This study establishes the applicability of imine-based dynamic combinatorial chemistry to discover non-covalent ligands for RNA targets.

Minimalistic and uncapped D,L-peptides self-assemble into bioadhesive hydrogels that successfully mimic the extracellular matrix and lead to high cell viability.

Hydrogen bonding increases antiaromaticity and lowers the LUMO energy levels of non-aromatic π-conjugated cores.

The first examples of pyrene-fused Janus-type N-heterocyclic germylenes (NHGe) are reported.

A host–guest fluorescence sensor array can site-selectively sense histone peptide modifications that change only a single atom in the peptide backbone.

A host–guest based fluorescence sensor array can fully discriminate five structurally similar Ig protein isotypes, and recognize Ig deficiencies in serum.

Octahedral Cu nanocrystals in the size range of 75–310 nm are synthesized and investigated for electrochemical CO₂ reduction.

MIL-53(Al)-TDC was demonstrated to be an optimal adsorbent for acidic H₂S capture combining an unprecedented uptake at room temperature, excellent cyclability and low-temperature regeneration.

The first examples of carbodicarbene (CDC)-s-block complexes have been synthesized. Unusual C–H bond activation and cyclization discovered.

We first report the heavy interstitial hydrogen doping and metallization of otherwise highly insulating SrTiO₃ by hydrogen ion beam irradiation.

Here, we report the synthesis of a penta-selenopeptide consisting of five benzyl protected selenocysteine residues.

By employing the water/air interface-confinement effect, local nanomasking and thus selective etching were achieved on single interfacial nanoparticles, developing a series of symmetry-reduced cubic, spherical, trough-like nanocups.

Reversible single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformations of two photo-responsive three-dimensional coordination polymers exhibit green/blue and green/blue-green fluorescence switching behaviors.

High chemoselectivity for the C₅C₆ epoxidation of cholesterol derivatives without protecting other oxidizable functional groups was achieved on a newly designed molecularly imprinted Ru–porphyrin catalyst using a SiO₂-support.

The single 3d metal atoms at the central position of the Ru₁₂–metalloporphyrin complex precursors exerted a significant influence on the structure and hydrogenation performance of the Ru nanoparticles on the SiO₂ surface.

A fluorescent bio-compatible anionic metal–organic framework (MOF) for pure aqueous phase recognition and detoxification of cyanide ions (CN⁻) has been reported. The MOF acts as a molecular reaction vessel exclusively for cyanide ions, inducing a signal turn on response in aqueous media.