The junction boosts the function: With a combination of surface-sensitive techniques, the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ was found to be directly related to the surface-phase structure, and can be greatly enhanced when anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles are highly dispersed on the surface of rutile TiO₂ to form anatase–rutile surface-phase junctions (see picture for calcination progression).

Cage rage: Chiral tetrahedral cages are diastereoselectively self-assembled from enantiopure C₂-symmetric biphenyl bis(β-diketonate) linkers and C₃-symmetric octahedral Fe³⁺ or Ga³⁺ ions (see picture; Fe purple, C blue, O red; cavity shown as an orange sphere). The porous polyhedra exhibit metal-dependent chiroptical behavior and act as hosts for the crystallization separation of racemic alcohols with up to 99.5 % ee.

Two D-A-type covalent organic frameworks have been designed and prepared following a novel strategy for the construction of endurable and reliable memory devices. The state-of-the-art memristor-based COF-TT-BT thin film showed typical rewritable resistive switching behavior, a high ON/OFF current ratio (ca. 10⁵), good endurance of 319 cycles, and a long retention time of 3.3×10⁴ s.

Floating catalysts: A rational approach for preparing a floating carbide solid catalyst (FSC) for the controlled growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) was developed. Titanium carbide nanoparticle catalysts were obtained in the gas phase and chiral SWNTs with fourfold symmetry were grown thermodynamically from the (2 0 0) plane of titanium carbide. The sample contained an abundance of (16,8) tubes with about a 74 % content.

2D single-crystal Bi₂O₂Se nanoplates show a unique surficial amorphous Se atomic layer and an improved specific surface area for efficient adsorption and detection of trace oxygen. 2D Bi₂O₂Se-based oxygen sensor presents ultrahigh sensitivity of 0.25 ppm detection minimum, wide-range response, strong selectivity, good stability, and high durativity at room temperature.

Rings of 24 atoms form part of the two-dimensional structure of the novel compounds [NdM(bpym)(H₂O)₄(CN)₆]⋅3 H₂O (M = Fe (1), Co (2); bpym = 2,2′-bipyrimidine). These compounds are the first two-dimensional cyano-bridged species containing lanthanide and transition metal centers (see picture). The structures and magnetic properties are investigated.

The pyridyltetrazolate ligand formed in situ from NaN₃ and 3-cyanopyridine in the presence of ZnCl₂ or CdCl₂ in water affords acentric (1) or chiral (2) coordination polymers, respectively. The corresponding reaction of ZnCl₂ with 4-cyanopyridine gives acentric 3 (not shown). Compounds 1–3 are second harmonic generation active.

Large pores comprising 48-membered rings characterize the isostructural lanthanide–transition-metal coordination polymers [{[Ln(dipic)₃Mn_1.5(H₂O)₃]⋅n H₂O}_∞], H₂dipic=pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid; Ln=Pr, n=2 (shown here); Ln=Gd, n=3.5; Ln=Er, n=3. Many water molecules are trapped in the nanotubular structure, and the framework remains intact on removal of the uncoordinated water molecules.

Red glow in daylight …︁ chemist's delight! An efficient transfer of excitation energy from the ligand to the luminescent states of the coordinated Eu^III ion in 1 occurs from the singlet excited state of the ligand. The complex shows characteristic bright red Eu-centered emission with a quantum yield of 0.52 when sensitized with visible light.

From soaking wet to bone dry: The concept of reversible switching between superhydrophilicity and superhydrophobicity of a surface (see picture) exploits the thermally responsive wettability of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), and this property is enhanced by surface roughness.

Yes or no? Mayenite without the clathrated oxygen can be classified as an inorganic electride based on combined charge-density (see picture, A) and electron-localization-function (ELF) analysis (B). Ionic chemical bonds are found to form between extra electrons and the positively charged crystal framework in this material.

Phosphate ions play a crucial role not only for the formation of the spindlelike precursors of the single-crystalline hematite nanotubes that were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. They are also important for the adsorption and coordination effects. The mechanism of tube formation was deduced through EM observations as a coordination-assisted dissolution process (see picture).

“Hedgehog” or “nest” microspheres of V₂O₅ are formed when nanorods of V₂O₅ are synthesized in a mediated polyol process. When the concentration of the starting material is low, a nest shape is preferred, whereas a high concentration of [V(acac)₃] affords hedgehog-shaped microspheres (see picture). The V₂O₅ microspheres exhibit remarkable electrochemical properties when used as the cathode material in a lithium-ion battery.

Microporous: Chiral metal complexes as templates under solvothermal conditions resulted in two novel germanates Ni@Ge₁₄O₂₄(OH)₃⋅2 Ni(L)₃ (L=ethylenediamine, 1,2-diaminopropane). The chiral Ni@Ge₁₄O₂₄(OH)₃ cluster motifs have an unprecedented trigonal-bipyramidal Ni@Ge₅ core with NiGe bonds and are linked to each other to form a 3D germanate framework containing 24-ring channels (see picture).

Ultrahigh stability (>1400 °C) is found for the highly ordered mesoporous polymers and carbon frameworks synthesized from polymerization of phenol and formaldehyde around triblock copolymer templates. Calcination and carbonization lead to removal of the templates and formation of hexagonal and cubic carbon mesostructures with large uniform pores and surface areas (see schematic diagram).

Thermally robust porous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with zeolitic topologies were constructed by means of a ligand-directed strategy involving molecular tailoring of simple bridging imidazolates with coordinatively unimportant substituents. This led to the isolation of three new MOFs having unusually high symmetries, intriguing topologies such as the supercage shown in the picture, and high thermal stability.

Michael–Michael–retro-Michael cascade reactions are promoted by the highly efficient organocatalyst 9-amino-9-deoxyepiquinine (1). The asymmetric direct vinylogous Michael addition of α,α-dicyanoalkenes to α,β-unsaturated ketones may be followed by an intramolecular Michael addition and a retro-Michael reaction to afford polysubstituted 2-cyclohexen-1-one derivatives with high enantioselectivity (see example).

Cleft of center: The self fine-tuning π-deficient cleft of 1,3-dichloro-substituted tetraoxacalix[2]arene[2]triazine forms noncovalent π–halide and π–lone-pair-electron interactions with halides Cl⁻ and Br⁻, and water, giving rise to ternary complexes in the solid state (see structure, N blue). In solution, the host molecule, formed by a different mechanism, complexes with fluoride, giving K_a (1:1) of over 4000 M⁻¹.

Step by step: Highly selective cross dehydrogenative arylation of acetanilides was developed to construct biaryls under mild condition. With this method, different aryl CH bonds were activated in sequential reactions to construct functionalized carbazoles (see scheme), which are present as key structural units in various biological molecules and organic optical materials.

In-teresting catalyst: An asymmetric hetero Diels–Alder reaction between Danishefsky's dienes and various aldehydes using an N,N′-dioxide/In(OTf)₃ complex affords highly substituted chiral dihydropyranones with up to 99 % ee (see scheme). The catalyst was applied to the synthesis of triketide from propionaldehyde in 72 % yield and with 97 % ee.