Metal poly(heptazine imide) (MPHI), a novel 2D ionic carbon nitride, has been recognized as an emerging photocatalyst with distinctive properties. This minireview summarizes the recent advancements on the synthetic strategies, state-of-the-art characterizations and the application of MPHI toward photocatalytic solar fuel production. We address crucial perspectives and challenges in employing high-performance MPHIs for solar energy conversion.

Environmentally friendly dual-crosslinking polymer networks (EF-DCPNs) emerge as breakthrough solutions to address the trade-off between mechanical robustness and dynamic behaviors, while greatly eliminating environmental impacts. This review summarizes current status of synthesis, properties, and applications of EF-DCPNs and provides perspectives on the future development in this important field.

This review intends to establish standardized practices for experimental procedures and reporting metrics in photocatalytic CH₄ conversion. It is structured into sections that focus on reactor design, products measurement and definition of performance metrics. We provide comprehensive insights into the field of photocatalytic CH₄ conversion, and envision that this overview will promote the transition of solar fuel technology from laboratory to manufacture.

A facile yet effective spatial confinement strategy is proposed to construct high-efficiency catalysts through carbonizing a mesoporous silica-confined Co−Cu bimetal–organic framework for hydrogen evolution from AB hydrolysis. The optimized Co_0.8Cu_0.2@NC@mSiO₂ catalyst exhibits superior activity, outstanding stability, and magnetic recyclability for hydrogen evolution from AB hydrolysis under extremely mild conditions.

The electrostatic interactions between Ca ions and anions can regulate the solvated-Ca-ion configurations in the dimethylacetamide-based electrolytes, which govern the Ca ion storage capacities and reaction kinetics for graphite anodes in Ca ion batteries.

By combining DC voltammetry and AC impedance spectroscopy, the operando mechanism of the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) conducted on a gas-diffusion electrode was decoded through data co-fitting. The reaction rates of three elementary steps (Tafel, Heyrovsky, and Volmer) over a practical potential range were thus distilled individually, revealing that the Volmer step had never been a rate determining step as presumed in previous reports.

A rapid multiplexed, on-bead immune assay using highly fluorescent magnetic microspheres (MagSiGlow) loaded in microarrays to achieve simultaneous detection and co-localization of 7500 microspheres per image. We demonstrate remarkable sensitivity and an over 85 % reduction in signal cross-over in the simultaneous detection of tumor-associated protein biomarkers.

High-temperature homopolymer dielectrics with anisotropy have been developed by leveraging the hierarchical structure in semicrystalline polymers. The unique ordering of lamellae in our dielectric films endue a significantly increased breakdown strength and a reduced leakage current compared to amorphous films.

Propane dehydrogenation over Pt nanoparticles is an essential industrial reaction to produce propylene. However, the structures that form under reaction conditions have remained elusive. Using operando transmission electron microscopy (OTEM) we found that in situ generated ordered Pt−C solid solutions are responsible for heightened selectivity. Its impact on propane dehydrogenation is discussed.

This study demonstrates the effects of halogenation on the mechanical and photomechanical behavior of organic crystals. Starting with (E)-1,4-diphenylbut-2-ene-1,4-dione, the brittle photoinert crystals evolve into mechanically flexible, photochemically reactive crystals via double and quadruple halogenation, an approach that advocates for combined chemical and crystal engineering strategies to determine the key factors determining the solid-state response dynamics.

Combined operando XAS and electrochemical characterizations unravel a divergent structural optimization of cobalt sulfide catalysts toward overall water splitting in different media. Our results highlight the crucial influence of in situ formed active species on the catalytic performance, and we show that these transient coordination environments are not evident from ex situ characterizations.

By modulating the interatomic interactions between the constituent atoms of the catalyst, a novel approach has been introduced to prevent the dissolution of transition metals, resulting in ultra-long durability in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Rh−Pt₃Co/C catalysts demonstrate high activity and excellent durability with low platinum group metal (PGM) loading.

A highly controllable molecular editing strategy of pyrroles was achieved by using trifluoromethyl vinyl N-triftosylhydrazones as vinylcarbene precursors, which led to the first dearomative single-atom skeletal editing of pyrroles through carbon-atom insertion, as well as three types of peripheral editing reactions: α- or γ-selective C−H insertion, and [3+2] cycloaddition.

We report a novel chemoselective dehydrogenative functionalization of cyclopropylamides enabled by cooperative photoredox and cobalt catalysis for forging the allylic N,O-acyl-acetal scaffolds in an environmental-friendly and atom-economic fashion. The starting materials were readily available and the transformation proceeded under extremely mild conditions with good functional group tolerance and broad scopes.

We propose a strategy to break the scaling relationship of intermediate binding via the doping engineering, which minimizes the kinetic barrier of C−N coupling, thereby achieving excellent performance in urea electrosynthesis.

A 2D acridine-based covalent organic framework (TpDa-COF) was prepared for the selective detection and efficient capture of gold. Experimental characterizations and theoretical calculations reveal that the a-photoinduced electron transfer, selective coordination and reductive process of Au(III) to Au(0) are the possible sensing and adsorption mechanisms. Furthermore, TpDa-COF exhibits ultrahigh capture efficiency (>96 %) for gold in real water environments including river water, seawater and CPU leaching solutions.

A new monomer design strategy in the δ-valerolactone (VL) system, coined as heteroatom substitution strategy (HSS), is proposed for a) the synthesis of chemically recyclable polyesters, and b) the sequence control in copolyesters by temperature switching.

A hierarchical assembly strategy for fabricating “2.5D” (2.5 dimensional) DNA origami crystals with customizable layer properties and achieve various 2.5D assemblies with different layer numbers, interlayer distances and surface morphologies.

We report a palette of fluorescent turn-on COS/H₂S donors that are based on a sulfenyl thiocarbonate scaffold. Reaction with thiols generates H₂S and a fluorescent response that can be monitored in situ, in live cells, and in live rats.

We report a stapled peptide inhibitor, RSM3, of the N6-adenosine-methyltransferase subunit METTL3, discovered from the METTL3–METTL14 structure. This inhibitor induces METTL3 degradation and suppresses m6A mRNA methylation, differently from the mechanism of small molecule STM2457. RSM3 exhibits remarkable anticancer efficacy in a PC3 prostate cancer cell line xenograft tumor model, highlighting the potential of drug design targeting METTL3.

Boronic acid self-condensation provides ready access to boroxine-based, C₃-symmetrical monomer architectures that can cooperatively assemble into helical supramolecular polymers. The dynamic boroxine scaffold enables fast intermolecular exchange of boronic acid between different monomers and facilitates the introduction of functionality into assembled structures by co-condensation with functional boronic acids.

The electrocatalytic C−N coupling from carbon dioxide and nitrate is a sustainable and promising alternative for urea synthesis. We developed a stable CuSiO_x catalyst with abundant atomic Cu−O−Si interfacial sites toward urea electrosynthesis, in which Cu species are uniformly dispersed in the silica matrix. Besides, we adopt pulsed electroreduction to overcome electrostatic interaction, promoting nitrate adsorption and reduction to urea.

A strategy of intercalated small organic molecules in the anode material was proposed to enhance the capacity and cycle stability of lithium-ion batteries. The introduction of imidazole molecules provides more binding sites for lithium ions, which also can participate in the generation of SEI and maintain the stability of cobalt hydroxide structure. Moreover, the anode material has the function of smoke suppression and toxicity reduction when thermal runaway occurs, which can improve the thermal safety of lithium-ion batteries.

This study introduces an innovative approach that combines high efficacy with safety through the synthesis of P(MAG-co-DMC) based micro-adjuvants. The utilization of metal-free surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization enables the production of safe and recyclable adjuvants. Additionally, the adjuvants exhibit a “micro-ligand-mediated maturation enhancement” effect for DC maturation.

Reversing the more usual trend of replicating transition metal chemistry with main group compounds, this work elaborates the applications of the new earth-abundant d-block amides Fe(TMP)₂ and Co(TMP)₂ in deprotonative metalation chemistry, a field dominated by highly polar s-block amides such as LiTMP and NaTMP (TMP=2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide).

Lipid A contained in fermented foods is expected to be a safe immunostimulant. The first chemical synthesis of fermentative bacteria Acetobacter pasteurianus lipid A, an immune component in black rice vinegar, was achieved via borinic acid catalyzed 1,1’-α,α-glycosylation. Furthermore, glucuronic acid residue, a unique structure of A. pasteurianus lipid A, was found to largely contribute to its immunological and acid-stable properties.

Zn-ion anchoring strategy was proposed to manipulate the coordination structure of solvated Zn-ions and guide the Zn-ion depositional behavior. Specifically, the amphoteric charged ion additives act as zinc-ion anchors, guiding the uniform zinc-ion distribution by using its positively charged groups. While the negatively charged groups reduces the active water molecules within solvation sheaths of Zn-ions, enabling AZMBs with high reversibility and extra-long lifespans.

This nickel-catalyzed cross-electrophile coupling reaction provides, for the first time, a cross-selective reaction of two alcohols. Methanol, activated as methyl tosylate, undergoes XEC with a range of secondary alcohols activated as the corresponding mesylates. Catalyst turnover is achieved with a stoichiometric reducing metal or electrochemically. This transformation provides facile incorporation of isotopic labels, by deuteration of ketone intermediates and/or employing isotopically labelled methanol.

We present the first report on a novel tensile strain-mediated local amorphous RhRu (la-RhRu) bimetallene with exceptional intrinsic photothermal effect and photo-enhanced multiple enzyme-like activities. Functioning as a tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive nanozyme, la-RhRu exhibits remarkable therapeutic efficacy both in vitro and in vivo. This work highlights the tremendous potential of atomic-scale tensile strain engineering strategy in enhancing tumor catalytic therapy.

The correlation between microscopic molecular structures of sequenced-defined peptoids and their resultant macroscopic assemblies was explored. By incorporating tetraphenylethylene and its derivative as functional groups at the termini of peptoid sequences, three-dimensional twisted bundles were evolved from discrete nanotubes or nanosheets, further enabling the creation of a highly efficient artificial light harvesting system.

In this work, La_0.6Sr_0.4CoO_3−δ (LSC) enriched with high valence-state Co species and oxygen vacancies is developed as electronically conductive nanofillers embedded within ZnO/Zn₃N₂-functionalized polyimide nanofiber framework to establish Li⁺ transport highways for poly vinylene carbonate electrolyte and eliminate nonuniform Li deposits.

Explore the intriguing world of nanoparticle-surfactants at liquid interfaces. This study delves into how external electric fields can form and influence nanoparticle assemblies, leading to explosive emulsification behavior. It unveils a fascinating interplay between electrostatic forces and physiochemical conditions, offering a glimpse into the untapped possibilities of nanotechnology.

Full-spectrum emission, spanning from blue to near-infrared (beyond 900 nm), is attainable in poly(diphenylmethane) through adjustments in both concentration and excitation wavelength, which is attributed to the formation of stable radicals within the polymer and through-space conjugation. This study not only confirms the efficacy of polymerization in stabilizing radicals but also introduces a pioneering method for producing nonconjugated near-infrared emitters.

Electrophilic halogenases in nature are typically not efficient. Guided by flavin-dependent halogenase mechanisms and taking advantage of the versatile reactivity of a flavin hydroperoxide adduct and in situ generation of H₂O₂ by flavin-dependent enzymes, it was possible to promote the formation of a hypohalous acid—which is key for electrophilic halogenation—in various non-native halogenases by rerouting the flavin-generated peroxide.

The electrocatalytic coupling reaction of carbon dioxide and nitrate serves as a sustainable strategy for urea synthesis under ambient conditions. Herein we proposed a urea generation pathway via the tandem reduction of nitrate and CO₂, in which the critical C−N coupling is achieved by the interaction between the nitrate reduction intermediate of *NH₂ and free CO₂.

Multimodal force sensor: A self-powered and self-recoverable force sensor based on trap-controlled luminescence and interfacial electron transfer is presented. The magnitude of force can be converted into electrical responses, and force distribution can be visualized by optical signals simultaneously, without any power supply and high-energy irradiation. It has promising applications in a wide range of artificial intelligence systems.

Three (TMS)₂SbCl₅ crystals have been prepared with diverse [SbCl₅]²⁻ configurations and distinct emission color (i.e., red, orange, and yellow) through solvent engineering. It is found that higher coordination symmetry and longer Sb⋅⋅⋅Sb distance are in favor of the larger Stokes shift and lower energy emission. This work sheds insights into the structure-photoluminescence relationship towards development of highly efficient optoelectronic materials.

A nonlinear photochromic reaction has been achieved in a perylene-substituted rhodamine spirolactam, which is easily synthesized from rhodamine B. Direct excitation with UV or blue light causes charge transfer and intersystem crossing, followed by triplet–triplet annihilation without triplet sensitizers to cause nonlinear behavior. In addition, using sensitizers enables the extension of the photoresponsivity from the blue to red region.

Exposure to gaseous molecules can induce characteristic electrical and magnetic property changes of a semiconductive metal–organic framework (MOF). The underlying interaction mechanism responsible for the electrical and magnetic modulation is found related to the intrinsic physical and chemical properties of the participating molecules which cause specific electronic and structural changes of the MOF.

A photochromic hydrogen-bonded network that retains crystalline periodicity after photo-isomerization was constructed using a tetracarboxylic acid derivative with a dihydrodimethylbenzo[e]pyrene core.

A transition metal free catalytic C−H zincation and C−H alumination of heteroarenes using (β-diketiminate)-metal complexes, where the only by-products are H₂ or CH₄, is reported. This is achieved by coupling endergonic C−H metalation with subsequent exergonic dehydrocoupling, with the latter process proceeding by metal-specific pathways.

A methanol-assisted depolymerization of PS (PS-MAD) process was developed for effectively converting PS into value-added alkylbenzenes. Methanol is regarded as a hydrogen carrier decomposed in situ to provide moderate pressure of hydrogen which prevents benzene rings hydrogenation and promotes the depolymerization of PS. PS-MAD achieved a high yield of liquid products which accounted for 93.2 wt % of virgin PS over Ru/SiO₂ at 280 °C for 6 h.

A family of donor-acceptor thermally activated delayed fluorescence compounds based on DMAC-TRZ and containing aryl subtituents on the DMAC donor have been applied as photocatalysts in the dehalogenation of aryl halides having E_red up to −2.72 V vs SCE. Mechanistic studies indicate that these DMAC-TRZ based compounds act as pre-photocatalysts and photodegrade under the reaction conditions, with the photodecomposition product responsible for the photocatalysis.

This study presents a method for synthesizing ZSM-5 zeolite nanosheets via aggregation crystallization of zeolite subcrystals within a broad pH range, detailing its crystallization process. pH manipulation enables precise control of silanol nest content, opening new avenues in zeolite engineering. Catalytic results in furfuryl alcohol etherification highlight the positive impact of regulating silanol nest content on catalytic reactions.

A strategy of modulating photophysical properties by balancing the contradictory role of phenazaborine as a Lewis acid and an electron donor has been used to synthesize anion-responsive triarylborane compounds that displayed significant red-shift in their absorption and photoluminescence spectra in solution. This approach has also been successfully applied to modulate the emission color in polymer films.

This work reported a dual-layer surface weaving strategy on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to realize Type III porous liquids (PLs) with apertures larger than the solvent molecules. The 1^st polymer layer, cross-linked poly (t-butyl methacrylate), serves as a physical barrier to block the solvent molecules from entering the MOF pore. The 2^nd layer uses a solvent-compatible polymer to reduce PL viscosity. As a result, a PL bearing a 3.1 nm aperture was successfully constructed.

A new one-dimensional (1D) hybrid chiral manganese chloride with near-unity photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), circularly polarized luminescence (CPL), and high-thermal stability is presented. It is extremely promising for applications in red circularly polarized light-emitting diodes (CP-LED) and X-ray imaging.

Phosphorescence spectroscopy was utilized to visualize the microstructure transition of water at varying temperatures from 298 K to 77 K at a probe concentration of ~10⁻⁵ M, showing higher sensitivity by at least two orders of magnitude than absorption-base techniques. By this unique means, it was found that a trace amount (as low as 10⁻⁵ M) of organic hydrophiles could thoroughly prevent the crystallization of water ice at freezing temperatures.

A metal-metal bonded dual-atomic Al−Al site was designed and synthesized on a nitrogen-doped porous carbon matrix for the electrocatalytic conversion of N₂ to NH₃. The catalyst with the bonded Al₂-pair site exhibited high Faradaic efficiency and selective NH₃ generation. The mechanism follows a six-electrons transfer pathway for the selective generation of NH₃, as revealed by operando surface-enhanced IR spectroelectrochemistry.

The coordination space properties (size and shape) and environment (solvents: water and DMF) were regulated to decrease the MOF nucleation and growth rate during membrane formation process, alleviating the preferential generation of MOF in the bulk solution and facilitating the intergrowth of MOF crystals into integrated membrane layer with progressively eliminating defects, which endows the MOF membrane with intrinsic angstrom-sized lattice apertures showing excellent H₂/CO₂ separation and water desalination performance.

By linking site design, two novel two dimensional covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with similar chemical constitutions but different topologies were constructed. TBD-COF with six-arm cores and cpt topology exhibited better H₂O₂ photosynthetic activity than TBC-COF with three-arm cores and hcb topology through the O₂-O₂^.−-H₂O₂, O₂-O₂^.−-O₂¹-H₂O₂, and H₂O-H₂O₂ three channels, inspiring regulating the topology of COFs for boosting overall H₂O₂ photogeneration.

We introduce a computational pipeline that identifies peptide epitopes that bind a particular receptor from a library of possible protein sequences (e.g., coming from high-throughput experiments). The pipeline uses an AlphaFold-Competitive Binding Assay (AF-CBA) to rank order different plausible epitopes and select the most likely one.

A pair of enantiomeric macrocycles, RRRR- and SSSS-C[4]BINOL, demonstrated exceptionally high recognition affinities (up to 10¹² M⁻¹) towards 16 important steroidal compounds in aqueous solutions, establishing them the most effective known steroid receptors. The two C[4]BINOL enantiomers were employed to compose a fluorescent sensor array which achieved discrimination and sensing of 16 structurally similar steroids in biofluids.

Two vinylene-linked cationic 2DPs (V-C2DPs) are synthesized on the water surface via Knoevenagel reaction, presenting as fully crystalline and highly oriented thin films. The obtained V-C2DPs exhibit well-defined cationic sites and 1D channels, facilitating the anion-selective transport. The integration of V-C2DPs as graphite cathode coatings into zinc-based dual-ion batteries (ZDIBs) enables to improve its specific capacity and cycling life.

The combination of Wacker oxidation and enzymatic reduction in one reactor in spite of the use of incompatible catalysts is demonstrated. The chemoenzymatic process is based on embedding enzyme-deactivating Cu ions in a 3D-printed ceramic scaffold, which then “shields” the enzyme from the critical Cu component. By such compartmentalization, the desired product was obtained with 80 % overall conversion and excellent enantioselectivity (99 % ee).

The reactivity pattern of germaaluminocenes is determined by the dichotomy of the electron-deficient aluminum atom and the electron-rich germanium center. The analysis of the product spectra obtained from the reaction with standard reagents reveals the role of these main group sandwich complexes as synthetic equivalents of otherwise not accessible aluminagermapentafulvenes.

Stable, low-symmetry cages can be assembled by completing the octahedral coordination spheres of dinuclear Co(III)salphen macrocycles with shape-complementary bis-pyridyl bridges, starting from labile Co(II) precursors under aerobic conditions.

The spontaneous partitioning of MOF particles into one polymer domain in a phase separated-mixed matrix membrane (PS-MMM) realizes rapid ranking of the interfacial compatibility of various MOF-polymer pairs. This strategy will be a valuable tool to guide the design of MMMs with more predictable gas separation properties.

Tailored pyridine reagents undergo nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen (S_NH) reactions with activated pyridines to afford pyridyl pyridinium salts in C4-selectivity. These salts can be in situ converted to 4-aminopyridines by aqueous ammonia or utilized as synthetic linchpins for general pyridine C4-functionalization. The elucidation of the selectivity principles has further guided the C4-selective functionalization of other (di)azines.

An unprecedented photo-driven quadruple sequential sigmatropic rearrangements of α-aryl α-diazo alkynylketones with aminals via 1,6-dipolar ion intermediate is disclosed. This protocol provides a facile access to synthetically useful multi-substituted conjugated dienes in highly stereoselective manner via visible light catalysis in mild conditions.

Polyesters P(4^R-BL) (R=Ph, Bu), with 1,3-cyclobutane rings in the backbone, have been developed to demonstrate exceptional thermal stability (T_d,5%=376–380 °C) and resistance to hydrolysis (intact in pH 0–14). Distinguished from classic polyesters, they exhibit good chemical circularity and offer adjustable material performances comparable to those of non-degradable syndiotactic polystyrene and low-density polyethylene.

A copper-catalyzed regio- and enantioselective hydroboration of 1-trifluoromethylthio(SCF₃)-alkenes with H-Bpin has been developed. The enantioselective hydrocupration and subsequent boration reaction generate a chiral SCF₃-containing alkylboronate, of which Bpin moiety can be further transformed to deliver various optically active SCF₃ molecules. Computational studies suggest that SCF₃ group successfully controls the regioselectivity.

Amide derivatives of trifluoromethyl-substituted benzaldehydes, and their heterocyclic congeners, may be selectively cyclodefluorinated by a remote substitution reaction under mild conditions, giving difluoromethyl-substituted aldehydes after hydrolysis. Selective single and double defluorinations are possible using this method, which provides a versatile route to difluoromethyl arenes.

Sulfurimidoyl difluorides (RNSOF₂) are excellent multidimensional SuFEx hubs, however their preparation from the scarcely available thionyl tetrafluoride (SOF₄) gas limits this chemistry. Here, we propose silver pentafluorooxosulfate (AgOSF₅) as a viable alternative to SOF₄. Prepared by the AgF₂-mediated oxidation of SOCl₂, we found that the adduct produces sulfurimidoyl fluorides in high yields from primary amines, also extendable to AgOSF₄CF₃.

The introduction of secondary amines at the aryl iodide ortho position by the palladium/norbornene (Pd/NBE) catalysis has been developed, which leads to versatile synthetic applications, such as primary amino group installation and concise heterocycle formations.

A Ni-catalyzed cyclization/coupling has been developed in which the products are readily linearized to permit regiodefined alkene dicarbofunctionalization. In this reaction, a silicon-oxygen (Si−O) bond functions as a detachable linker that can be delinked with several hydride, alkyl, aryl and vinyl nucleophiles to create profusely functionalized 3-hydroxysilanes.

Crystallization competition between conjugated backbones and side chains is critical to obtaining modulated microstructures and improved properties of conjugated polymers. A buffer chain model is proposed here to describe the linker between backbone and side chains. Longer buffer chains in a model polymer system could effectively relieve this crystallization competition, resulting in better charge transport performance.

First disaggregation induced pan-COX imaging agents shed light on cancer stem cells in human sarcoma tissue. Using the pan-COX targeting indomethacin conjugated BODIPY fluorophore, disaggregation dependent turn-on chemosensor was designed for parafin-fixed tissue imaging. Disaggregation schematics are created with BioRender.com