Themed collection Most popular 2018-2019 review articles

As the field of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) continues to grow, the physical stability and mechanical properties of these porous materials has become a topic of great interest.

Two-dimensional ultraviolet spectroscopy has the potential to deliver rich structural and dynamical information on biomolecules such as DNA and proteins.

Efficient radical routes to important alkyl and aryl boronic esters have been developed over the past few years. Such reactions are complementary to existing transition-metal catalysed cross coupling processes.

In this perspective, key aspects for the identification, design and optimization of active centers at the surface of electrocatalysts are analyzed.

The dynamic fluctuations of bioactive species in living cells are associated with numerous physiological and pathological phenomena. The emergence of organelle-targeted fluorescent probes has significantly facilitated our understanding on the biological functions of these species. This review describes the design, applications, challenges and potential directions of organelle-targeted bioactive species probes.

Porous crystalline metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging as a new class of proton conductors through the hydrogen-bonded degenerate system.

This perspective report presents the key approaches for the development of various organometallic reactions in aqueous media.

The existence of intramolecular chalcogen bonds (IChBs) in 2,6-disubstituted arylchalcogen derivatives is determined by the substituents and the sigma hole donor behavior of the chalcogen atom in the molecule.

This perspective summarizes mechanistic studies on cellulose dissolution in ionic liquids, highlighting the synergistic mechanism, physicochemical aspects and future research trends.

Spin–vibration coupling has been proven to be crucial for spin dynamics; theoretical studies are now addressing this experimental challenge.

Mechanochemistry is becoming more widespread as a technique for molecular synthesis with new mechanochemical reactions being discovered at increasing frequency. This perspective explores what more it can offer, aside from the clear benefit of reduced solvent consumption.

This review explores the different synthetic methods by which dispersity and MWD shape can be tuned and discusses the different properties and applications where this variation is beneficial.

Copper-free click chemistry has resulted in a change of paradigm, showing that artificial chemical reactions can occur on cell surfaces, in cell cytosol, or within the body. It has emerged as a valuable tool in biomedical fields.

The non-covalent interactions between polyoxometalates and inorganic- and organic-based moieties give rise to functional nanoassemblies with diverse potential in applied science.

Naked-eye comparison of reaction profiles is a powerful tool to extract mechanistic information – FAQ, video tutorial and templated examples included.

Strong coupling of molecules with confined electromagnetic fields provides novel strategies to control chemical reactivity and spectroscopy.

This critical review discusses the thermal and photocatalytic mechanisms of one-, two-, four-, six- and eight-electron reduction of CO₂ with metal complex catalysts.

This minireview summarizes the recent achievements of electrochemical imaging platforms to map cellular functions in biological specimens using electrochemical scanning nano/micro-probe microscopy and 2D chips containing microelectrode arrays.

A review of recent advances in near-infrared II fluorophores for multifunctional biomedical imaging.

The folate receptor (FR) is an important biomarker for many cancers, and its overexpression on tumours can be exploited for targeted therapy, diagnosis and imaging.