The 100 most-cited articles in Chemistry - A European Journal, 2019

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have garnered tremendous attention in the field of next energy storage devices due to their high safety, low cost, abundant resources, and eco-friendliness. As an important component of the zinc-ion battery, the electrolyte plays a vital role in the electrochemical properties, since it will provide a pathway for the migrations of the zinc ions between the cathode and anode, and determine the ionic conductivity, electrochemically stable potential window, and reaction mechanism. In this Minireview, a brief introduction of electrochemical principles of the aqueous ZIBs is discussed and the recent advances of various aqueous electrolytes for ZIBs, including liquid, gel, and multifunctional hydrogel electrolytes are also summarized. Furthermore, the remaining challenges and future directions of electrolytes in aqueous ZIBs are also discussed, which could provide clues for the following development.

Abstract Over the last two decades, fluorine substitution has become one of the essential structural traits in modern pharmaceuticals. Thus, about half of the most successful drugs (blockbuster drugs) contain fluorine atoms. In this review, we profile 17 fluorine‐containing drugs approved by the food and drug administration (FDA) in 2018. The newly approved pharmaceuticals feature several types of aromatic F and CF3, as well as aliphatic (CF2) substitution, offering advances in the treatment of various diseases, including cancer, HIV, malarial and smallpox infections.

Light is a nearly ideal stimulus for molecular systems. It delivers information encoded in the form of wavelengths and their intensities with high precision in space and time. Light is a mild trigger that does not permanently contaminate targeted samples. Its energy can be reversibly transformed into molecular motion, polarity, or flexibility changes. This leads to sophisticated functions at the supramolecular and macroscopic levels, from light-triggered nanomaterials to photocontrol over biological systems. New methods and molecular adapters of light are reported almost daily. Recently reported applications of photoresponsive systems, particularly azobenzenes, spiropyrans, diarylethenes, and indigoids, for smart materials and photocontrol of biological setups are described herein with the aim to demonstrate that the 21st century has become the Age of Enlightenment-"Le siècle des Lumières"-in molecular sciences.

A new material concept of soft crystals is proposed. Soft crystals respond to gentle stimuli such as vapor exposure and rubbing but maintain their structural order and exhibit remarkable visual changes in their shape, color, and luminescence. Various interesting examples of soft crystals are introduced in the article. By exploring the interesting formation and phase-transition phenomena of soft crystals through interdisciplinary collaboration, new materials having both the characteristics of ordered hard crystals and those of flexible soft matter are expected.

Ruthenium complexes with polypyridine ligands are very popular choices for applications in photophysics and photochemistry, for example, in lighting, sensing, solar cells, and photoredox catalysis. There is a long-standing interest in replacing ruthenium with iron because ruthenium is rare and expensive, whereas iron is comparatively abundant and cheap. However, it is very difficult to obtain iron complexes with an electronic structure similar to that of ruthenium(II) polypyridines. The latter typically have a long-lived excited state with pronounced charge-transfer character between the ruthenium metal and ligands. These metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) excited states can be luminescent, with typical lifetimes in the range of 100 to 1000 ns, and the electrochemical properties are drastically altered during this time. These properties make ruthenium(II) polypyridine complexes so well suited for the abovementioned applications. In iron(II) complexes, the MLCT states can be deactivated extremely rapidly (ca. 50 fs) by energetically lower lying metal-centered excited states.…

The rapid development of additive manufacturing techniques, also known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, is driving innovations in polymer chemistry, materials science, and engineering. Among current 3D printing techniques, direct ink writing (DIW) employs viscoelastic materials as inks, which are capable of constructing sophisticated 3D architectures at ambient conditions. In this perspective, polymer designs that meet the rheological requirements for direct ink writing are outlined and successful examples are summarized, which include the development of polymer micelles, co-assembled hydrogels, supramolecularly cross-linked systems, polymer liquids with microcrystalline domains, and hydrogels with dynamic covalent cross-links. Furthermore, advanced polymer designs that reinforce the mechanical properties of these 3D printing materials, as well as the integration of functional moieties to these materials are discussed to inspire new polymer designs for direct ink writing and broadly 3D printing.

The circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) switching is of significant interest for applications in security technologies and sensing devices. Small organic molecules (SOMs) show several advantages over metal complexes, supramolecular assemblies, and polymers. Therefore, the recent progress on the CPL switching in SOMs is here reviewed. The results are summarized based on the strategies used to tune factors that influence the emission properties, and thus, to realize CPL switching. The strategies that have been adopted include promoting the excimer formation of fluorescent units, changing the conformation of fluorophores, tuning the electronic structure of the π-skeleton/substituent, and modulating the intramolecular charge-transfer dynamics.

Fluorescent probes for biothiols have aroused increasing interest owing to their potential to enable better understanding of the diverse physiological and pathological processes related to the biothiol species. BODIPY fluorophores exhibit excellent optical properties, which can be readily tailored by introducing diverse functional units at various positions of the BODIPY core. In the present review, the development of fluorescent probes based on BODIPYs for the detection of biothiols are systematically summarized, with emphasis on the preferable detection of individual biothiols, as well as simultaneous discrimination among cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy), reduced glutathione (GSH). In addition, organelle-targeting probes for biothiols are also highlighted. The general design principles, various recognition mechanisms, and biological applications are elaboratively discussed, which could provide a useful reference to researchers worldwide interested in this area.

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) is one of the most intriguing and promising discoveries towards realization of highly-efficient organic light emitting diodes (OLED) utilizing small molecules as emitters. It has the capability of manifesting all excitons generated during the electroluminescent processes, consequently achieving 100 % of internal quantum efficiency. Since the report of the first efficient OLED based on a TADF small molecule in 2012 by Adachi et al., the quest for optimal TADF materials for OLED application has never stopped. Various TADF molecules bearing different design concepts and strategies have been designed and produced, with the aim to boost the overall performances of corresponding OLEDs. In this minireview, the general principles of TADF molecular design based on three basic categories of TADF species: twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT), through-space charge transfer (TSCT) and multi-resonance induced TADF (MR-TADF) are discussed in detail. Several key aspects with respect to each category, as well as some effective methods to…

The use of ultrasound as an external stimulus for promoting polymerization reactions has received increasing attention in recent years. In this Review article, the fundamental processes that can lead to either the homolytic cleavage of polymer chains, or the sonolysis of solvent (or other) small molecules, under the application of ultrasound are described. These reactions promote the production of reactive radicals, which can be utilized in chain-growth radical polymerizations under the right conditions. A full historical overview of the development of ultrasound-assisted radical polymerization is provided, with special attention given to the recently described systems that are "controlled" by methods of reversible (radical) deactivation. Perspectives are shared on what challenges still remain in polymer sonochemistry, as well as new areas that are yet to be explored.

Abstract Despite being weak attractive forces, closed‐shell metallophilic interactions play important roles in the Group 11 metal complexes on their diverse structural and physical features. A plethora of experimental and computational studies has thus been dedicated to such weak attractive d 10 –d 10 interactions, particularly aurophilic and argentophilic interactions. Although d 10 –d 10 Cu I –Cu I forces had been recognized for four decades, cuprophilic interactions are less explored and they are best evidenced by single‐crystal X‐ray crystallographic analysis on Cu I complexes and aggregates thereof, by which precise information about the Cu⋅⋅⋅Cu contacts, shorter than the sum of two van der Waals radii (3.92 Å) between the copper centers concerned can be obtained. Based on recently compelling experimental and spectroscopic evidence for intra‐ and intermolecular cuprophilic interactions in copper chemistry, the present Minireview summarizes recent progress in the past three decades in the synthesis and structures of multinuclear homometallic copper complexes, whereby supported…

Asymmetric electrochemical catalysis, an emerging frontline in asymmetric catalysis and electro-organic synthesis, is summarized. Representative works are classified, with respect to the external chiral resources, including chiral media, chiral mediator, chiral catalyst, and chiral electrode. This concept article is expected to provide readers with the general concepts and perspectives of each chiral electrochemical catalysis mode, and to indicate the potential and future development of asymmetric electrochemical catalysis.

Sulfones are flexible functional groups that can act as nucleophiles, electrophiles, or even radicals. Changing the reaction conditions can completely alter the reactivity of a sulfonyl group, and as a result, molecules bearing multiple sulfones are versatile building blocks. This Review highlights the unique ability of 1,1- and 1,2-bis(sulfones) to masquerade as a vast array of reactive synthons including methane polyanions, vinyl cations, and all-carbon dipoles that would be difficult or impossible to access directly.

As newly emerged crystalline porous materials, covalent organic frameworks (COFs) possess fascinating structures and some specific features such as modularity, crystallinity, porosity, stability, versatility, and biocompatibility. Besides adsorption/separation, sensing, catalysis, and energy applications, COFs have recently shown a promise in biomedical applications. This contribution provides an overview of the recent developments of COF-based medicines in cancer therapeutics, including drug delivery, photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), and combined therapy. Furthermore, the major challenges and developing trends in this field are also discussed. These recent developments are summarized and discussed to help encourage further contributions in this emerging and promising field.

Abstract Electrophotochemistry has enabled arene C−H trifluoromethylation with the Langlois reagent CF 3 SO 2 Na under mild reaction conditions. The merger of electrosynthesis and photoredox catalysis provided a chemical oxidant‐free approach for the generation of the CF 3 radical. The electrophotochemistry was carried out in an operationally simple manner, setting the stage for challenging C−H trifluoromethylations of unactivated arenes and heteroarenes. The robust nature of the electrophotochemical manifold was reflected by a wide scope, including electron‐rich and electron‐deficient benzenes, as well as naturally occurring heteroarenes. Electrophotochemical C−H trifluoromethylation was further achieved in flow with a modular electro‐flow‐cell equipped with an in‐operando monitoring unit for on‐line flow‐NMR spectroscopy, providing support for the single electron transfer processes.

Abstract Transition‐metal‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reactions are central to many organic synthesis methodologies. Traditionally, Pd, Ni, Cu, and Fe catalysts are used to promote these reactions. Recently, many studies have showed that both homogeneous and heterogeneous Au catalysts can be used for activating selective cross‐coupling reactions. Here, an overview of the past studies, current trends, and future directions in the field of gold‐catalyzed coupling reactions is presented. Design strategies to accomplish selective homocoupling and cross‐coupling reactions under both homogeneous and heterogeneous conditions, computational and experimental mechanistic studies, and their applications in diverse fields are critically reviewed. Specific topics covered are: oxidant‐assisted and oxidant‐free reactions; strain‐assisted reactions; dual Au and photoredox catalysis; bimetallic synergistic reactions; mechanisms of reductive elimination processes; enzyme‐mimicking Au chemistry; cluster and surface reactions; and plasmonic catalysis. In the relevant sections, theoretical and…

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of proteins and other biomolecules play a critical role in the organization of extracellular materials and membrane-less compartmentalization of intra-organismal spaces through the formation of condensates. Structural properties of such mesoscopic droplet-like states were studied by spectroscopy, microscopy, and other biophysical techniques. The temperature dependence of biomolecular LLPS has been studied extensively, indicating that phase-separated condensed states of proteins can be stabilized or destabilized by increasing temperature. In contrast, the physical and biological significance of hydrostatic pressure on LLPS is less appreciated. Summarized here are recent investigations of protein LLPS under pressures up to the kbar-regime. Strikingly, for the cases studied thus far, LLPSs of both globular proteins and intrinsically disordered proteins/regions are typically more sensitive to pressure than the folding of proteins, suggesting that organisms inhabiting the deep sea and sub-seafloor sediments, under pressures up to 1 kbar and beyond,…

Thermal decomposition of citric acid is one of the most common synthesis methods for fluorescent carbon dots; the reaction pathway is, however, quite complex and the details are still far from being understood. For instance, several intermediates form during the process and they also give rise to fluorescent species. In the present work, the formation of fluorescent C-dots from citric acid has been studied as a function of reaction time by coupling infrared analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy (LC/MS) with the change of the optical properties, absorption and emission. The reaction intermediates, which have been identified at different stages, produce two main emissive species, in the green and blue, as also indicated by the decay time analysis. C-dots formed from the intermediates have also been synthesised by thermal decomposition, which gave an emission maximum around 450 nm. The citric acid C-dots in water show short temporal stability, but their functionalisation with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane reduces the quenching. The…

All pharmaceutical products contain organic molecules; the source may be a natural product or a fully synthetic molecule, or a combination of both. Thus, it follows that organic chemistry underpins both existing and upcoming pharmaceutical products. The reverse relationship has also affected organic synthesis, changing its landscape towards increasingly complex targets. This Review article sets out to give a concise appraisal of this symbiotic relationship between organic chemistry and drug discovery, along with a discussion of the design concepts and highlighting key milestones along the journey. In particular, criteria for a high-quality compound library design enabling efficient virtual navigation of chemical space, as well as rise and fall of concepts for its synthetic exploration (such as combinatorial chemistry; diversity-, biology-, lead-, or fragment-oriented syntheses; and DNA-encoded libraries) are critically surveyed.

Synergistic Pd/Cu catalysis has been utilized in the Sonogashira reaction since 1975. However, this strategy has not received much attention from the organic chemist community until recently. Synergistic Pd/Cu catalysis is becoming a proficient method for the development of catalytic reactions, including several new and efficient cross-coupling reactions. Additionally, several challenging asymmetric reactions, including stereodivergent synthesis, have been discovered by the combined use of a chiral metal catalyst and a second achiral metal catalyst or two chiral metal catalysts. This review provides an overview of this field, with the aims of highlighting both the development of synergistic Pd/Cu catalysis in organic synthesis and the reaction mechanisms involved in this research area.

Abstract A one‐pot synthesis of bimetallic metal–organic frameworks (Co/Fe‐MOFs) was achieved by treating stoichiometric amounts of Fe and Co salts with 2‐aminoterephthalic acid (NH2‐BDC). Monometallic Fe (catalyst A) and Co (catalyst F) were also prepared along with mixed‐metal Fe/Co catalysts (B–E) by changing the Fe/Co ratio. For mixed‐metal catalysts (B–E) SEM energy‐dispersive X‐ray (EDX) analysis confirmed the incorporation of both Fe and Co in the catalysts. However, a spindle‐shaped morphology, typically known for the Fe‐MIL‐88B structure and confirmed by PXRD analysis, was only observed for catalysts A–D. To test the catalytic potential of mixed‐metal MOFs, reduction of nitroarenes was selected as a benchmark reaction. Incorporation of Co enhanced the activity of the catalysts compared with the parent NH2‐BDC‐Fe catalyst. These MOFs were also tested as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the best activity was exhibited by mixed‐metal Fe/Co‐MOF (Fe/Co batch ratio=1). The catalyst provided a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at 410 mV overpotential, which…

Abstract MXenes are a new family of 2 D transition metal carbides and nitrides, which have attracted enormous attention in electrochemical energy storage, sensing technology, and catalysis owing to their good conductivity, high specific surface area, and excellent electrochemical properties. In this work, a series of Co3O4‐doped 3 D MXene/RGO hybrid porous aerogels is designed and prepared through a facile in situ reduction and thermal annealing process, in which the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) conductive network can electrically link the separated Co3O4‐MXene composite nanosheets, leading to enhanced electronic conductivity. It is found that upon using the Co3O4‐MXene/RGO hybrid porous aerogel prepared with a mass ratio of Co3O4‐MXene/RGO of 3:1 (CMR31) as an electrode for a supercapacitor, a superior specific capacitance of 345 F g−1 at the current density of 1 A g−1 is achieved, which is significantly higher than those of Ti3C2Tx MXene, RGO, and MXene/RGO electrodes. In addition, a high capacitance retention (85 % of the initial capacitance after 10 000 cycles at a high current…

Conventional lithium-ion batteries, with flammable organic liquid electrolytes, have serious safety problems, which greatly limit their application. All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) have received extensive attention from large-scale energy-storage fields, such as electric vehicles (EVs) and intelligent power grids, due to their benefits in safety, energy density, and thermostability. As the key component of ASSBs, solid electrolytes determine the properties of ASSBs. In past decades, various kinds of solid electrolytes, such as polymers and inorganic electrolytes, have been explored. Among these candidates, organic-inorganic composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) that integrate the advantages of these two different electrolytes have been regarded as promising electrolytes for high-performance ASSBs, and extensive studies have been carried out. Herein, recent progress in organic-inorganic CSEs is summarized in terms of the inorganic component, electrochemical performance, effects of the inorganic ceramic nanostructure, and ionic conducting mechanism. Finally, the main challenges and…

Monoterpenoid indole alkaloids are the major class of tryptamine-derived alkaloids found in nature. Together with their structural complexity, this has attracted great interest from synthetic organic chemists. In this Review, the syntheses of Aspidosperma and Strychnos alkaloids through dearomatization of indoles are discussed.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have attracted great attention across diverse research fields. However, only a few reports about the biomedical application of COFs are found in the literature. Attributed to the highly porous and tunable structure, as well as good thermal stability, COFs show great potential as drug carriers for chemotherapy. In this work, doxorubicin (DOX) was successfully in situ loaded into a COF by a one-pot method for the first time. The resultant DOX@COF platform exhibited high drug-loading capacity (32.1 wt %) and pH-responsive release property. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated its good biocompatibility and enhanced antitumor efficacy.

Mononuclear iron-containing enzymes are highly versatile oxidants that often react stereospecifically and/or regioselectively with substrates. Combined experimental and computational studies on heme monooxygenases, nonheme iron dioxygenases and halogenases have revealed the intricate details of the second-coordination sphere, which determine this specificity and selectivity. These second-coordination sphere effects originate from the positioning of the substrate and oxidant, which involve the binding of the co-factors and substrate into the active site of the protein. In addition, some enzymes affect the selectivity and reactivity through charge-stabilization from nearby bound cations/anions, an induced electric field or through the positioning of salt bridges and hydrogen-bonding interactions to first-coordination sphere iron ligands and/or the substrate. Examples of all of these second-coordination sphere effects in iron-containing enzymes and how these influence structure and reactivity are given.

Synthesis and studies of graphite oxide started more than 150 years ago and turned into a boom by the measurements of the outstanding physical properties of graphene. A series of preparation protocols emanated trying to optimize the synthesis of graphene oxide in order to obtain a less defective material, as source for graphene. However, over-oxidation of the carbon framework hampered establishing structure-property relationships. Here, the fact that two different synthetic methods for graphene oxide preparation lead to very similar types of graphene oxide with a preserved graphene lattice is demonstrated. Either sodium chlorate in nitric acid (similar to Brodie's method) or potassium permanganate in sulfuric acid (similar to Hummers' method) treatment are possible; however, reaction conditions must be controlled. With a preserved carbon lattice analytical differences between the samples relate to the altered on-plane functionality. Consequently, terming preparation protocols "according to Brodie's/Hummers' method" is not sufficient.

Abstract Eight‐coordinated Dy III centres with D 6 h symmetry are expected to act as high‐performance single‐molecule magnets (SMMs) due to the simultaneous fulfilment of magnetic axiality and a high coordination number (a requisite for air stability). But the experimental realization is challenging due to the requirement of six coordinating atoms in the equatorial plane of the hexagonal bipyramid; this is usually too crowded for the central Dy III ion. Here a hexaaza macrocyclic Schiff base ligand and finetuned axial alkoxide/phenol‐type ligands are used to show that a family of hexagonal bipyramidal Dy III complexes can be isolated. Among them, three complexes possess nearly perfect D 6 h local symmetry. The highest effective magnetic reversal barrier is found at 1338(3) K and an open hysteresis temperature of 6 K at the field sweeping rate of 1.2 mT s −1 ; this represents a new record for D 6 h SMMs.

Abstract Proton‐conducting materials in the solid state have received immense attention for their role as electrolytes in proton‐exchange membrane fuel cells. Recently, crystalline materials—metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), hydrogen‐bonded organic frameworks (HOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), polyoxometalates (POMs), and porous organic crystals—have become an exciting research topic in the field of proton‐conducting materials. For a better electrolyte, a high proton conductivity on the order of 10−2 S cm−1 or higher is preferred as efficient proton transport between the electrodes is ultimately necessary. With an emphasis on design principles, this Concept will focus on MOFs and other crystalline solid‐based proton‐conducting platforms that exhibit “ultrahigh superprotonic” conductivities with values in excess of 10−2 S cm−1. While only a handful of MOFs exhibit such an ultrahigh conductivity, this quality in other systems is even rarer. In addition to interpreting the structural–functional correlation by taking advantage of their crystalline nature, we address the…

The development and application of traceless acceptor groups in photochemical C-C bond formation is described. This strategy was enabled by the photoexcitation of electron donor-acceptor (EDA) complexes with visible light. The traceless acceptors, which were readily prepared from amino acid and peptide feedstocks, could be used to alkylate a wide range of heteroarene and enamine donors under metal- and peroxide-free conditions. The crucial role of the EDA complexes in the mechanism of these reactions was explored through combined experimental and computational studies.

Abstract The oriented conversion of CO2 into target high‐value chemicals is an effective way to reduce carbon emissions, but still presents a challenge. In this communication, we report the oriented conversion of CO2 into value‐added aromatics, especially para‐xylene, in a single pass by combining core–shell structured Zn‐doped H‐ZSM‐5 (Zn‐ZSM‐5@SiO2) and a Cr2O3 component. Through precise regulation of the acidity of Zn‐ZSM‐5@SiO2, high para‐xylene selectivity (38.7 % in the total products) at a CO2 conversion of 22.1 % was achieved. Furthermore, a CO2‐assisted effect in the synthesis of aromatics during the tandem process has been clarified through a control experiment. The CO2 reactant can act as a hydrogen acceptor to accelerate the dehydrogenation of alkenes, intermediates in the synthesis of aromatics, thereby increasing the driving force towards aromatics in the tandem reaction process.

Abstract Chiral materials with circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) are potentially applicable for 3D displays. In this study, by decorating the pyridinyl‐helicene ligands with ‐CF 3 and ‐F groups, the platinahelicene enantiomers featured superior configurational stability, as well as high sublimation yield (>90 %) and clear CPPL properties, with dissymmetry factors (|g PL |) of approximately 3.7×10 −3 in solution and about 4.1×10 −3 in doped film. The evaporated circularly polarized phosphorescent organic light‐emitting diodes (CP‐PhOLEDs) with two enantiomers as emitters exhibited symmetric CPEL signals with |g EL | of (1.1–1.6)×10 −3 and decent device performances, achieving a maximum brightness of 11 590 cd m −2 , a maximum external quantum efficiency up to 18.81 %, which are the highest values among the reported devices based on chiral phosphorescent Pt II complexes. To suppress the effect of reverse CPEL signal from the cathode reflection, the further implementation of semitransparent aluminum/silver cathode successfully boosts up the | g EL | by over three times to 5.1×10…

Poly(hydroxy acid)s are a family of biocompatible and (bio)degradable polyesters with various outcomes in different domains of application. To date, poly(hydroxy acid)s are best prepared by ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of the corresponding cyclic esters. Using racemic chiral monomers featuring side-chain groups enables to access, providing a stereoselective catalyst/initiator system is implemented, stereoregular functional polymers, thereby improving their physico-chemical properties, and ultimately, widening their range of uses. Here, we highlight a few important advances in metal-mediated stereoselective ROP of cyclic esters towards the synthesis of (functional) stereoregular poly(hydroxy acid)s that have recently been disclosed, emphasizing on (functional) β- and γ-lactones, diolide and O-carboxyanhydride (OCA) monomers and yttrium-based catalysis. Fine-tuning of the substituents flanked on the catalyst ligand enables reaching poly(hydroxy acid)s with syndiotactic and also isotactic microstructures. The stereocontrol mechanisms at work and their probable origin, relying on…

Abstract The first alkaline‐earth metal tin(II) phosphate, BaSn 2 (PO 4 ) 2 , has been discovered, which consists of layered structures constructed from strictly alternating [SnO 3 ] 4− and [PO 4 ] 3− moieties. This compound is expected to have a large birefringence with Δ n ≈0.071 at 1064 nm, owing to the presence of stereochemically active lone pair metal cations.

In the last decade, experiment and theory have expanded our vision of non-covalent interactions (NCIs), shifting the focus from the conventional hydrogen bond to new bridging interactions involving a variety of weak donor/acceptor partners. Whereas most experimental data originate from condensed phases, the introduction of broadband (chirped-pulse) microwave fast-passage techniques has revolutionized the field of rotational spectroscopy, offering unexplored avenues for high-resolution studies in the gas phase. We present an outlook of hot topics for rotational investigations on isolated intermolecular clusters generated in supersonic jet expansions. Rotational spectra offer very detailed structural data, easily discriminating the isomeric or isotopic composition and effectively cancelling any solvent, crystal, or matrix bias. The direct comparison with quantum mechanical predictions provides insight into the origin of the inter- and intramolecular interactions with much greater precision than any other spectroscopic technique, simultaneously serving as test-bed for fine-tuning of…

Abstract Spin–orbit charge‐transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT‐ISC) is useful for the preparation of heavy atom‐free triplet photosensitisers (PSs). Herein, a series of perylene‐Bodipy compact electron donor/acceptor dyads showing efficient SOCT‐ISC is prepared. The photophysical properties of the dyads were studied with steady‐state and time‐resolved spectroscopies. Efficient triplet state formation (quantum yield ΦT=60 %) was observed, with a triplet state lifetime (τT=436 μs) much longer than that accessed with the conventional heavy atom effect (τT=62 μs). The SOCT‐ISC mechanism was unambiguously confirmed by direct excitation of the charge transfer (CT) absorption band by using nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy and time‐resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectroscopy. The factors affecting the SOCT‐ISC efficiency include the geometry, the potential energy surface of the torsion, the spin density for the atoms of the linker, solvent polarity, and the energy matching of the 1CT/3LE states. Remarkably, these heavy atom‐free triplet PSs were demonstrated as…

Photomechanical molecular crystals are receiving much attention due to their efficient conversion of light into mechanical work and advantages including faster response time; higher Young's modulus; and ordered structure, as measured by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Recently, various photomechanical crystals with different motions (contraction, expansion, bending, fragmentation, hopping, curling, and twisting) are appearing at the forefront of smart materials research. The photomechanical motions of these single crystals during irradiation are triggered by solid-state photochemical reactions and accompanied by phase transformation. This Minireview summarizes recent developments in growing research into photoresponsive molecular crystals. The basic mechanisms of different kinds of photomechanical materials are described in detail; recent advances in photomechanical crystals for promising applications as smart materials are also highlighted.

Sulfur is an underused by-product of the petrochemicals industry. Recent research into inverse vulcanization has shown how this excess sulfur can be transformed into functional polymers, by stabilization with organic crosslinkers. For these interesting new materials to realize their potential for applications, more understanding and control of their physical properties is needed. Here we report four new terpolymers prepared from sulfur and two distinct alkene monomers that can be predictively tuned in glass transition, molecular weight, solubility, mechanical properties, and color.

In the field of organic synthesis, the advent of flow chemistry and flow microreactor technology represented a tremendous novelty in the way of thinking and performing chemical reactions, opening the doors to poorly explored or even impossible transformations using batch methods. In this Concept article, we would like to highlight the impact of flow chemistry for exploiting highly reactive organometallic reagents, and how, alongside the well-known advantages concerning safety, scalability, and productivity, flow chemistry makes possible processes that are impossible to control by using the traditional batch approach.

Abstract In the last years the use of chalcogen bonding—the noncovalent interaction involving electrophilic chalcogen centers—in noncovalent organocatalysis has received increased interest, particularly regarding the use of intermolecular Lewis acids. Herein, we present the first use of tellurium‐based catalysts for the activation of a carbonyl compound (and only the second such activation by chalcogen bonding in general). As benchmark reaction, the Michael‐type addition between trans ‐crotonophenone and 1‐methylindole (and its derivatives) was investigated in the presence of various catalyst candidates. Whereas non‐chalcogen‐bonding reference compounds were inactive, strong rate accelerations of up to 1000 could be achieved by bidentate triazolium‐based chalcogen bond donors, with product yields of >90 % within 2 h of reaction time. Organotellurium derivatives were markedly more active than their selenium and sulphur analogues and non‐coordinating counterions like BAr F 4 provide the strongest dicationic catalysts.

Abstract Fundamental photocatalytic limitations of solar CO2 reduction remain due to low efficiency, serious charge recombination, and short lifetime of catalysts. Herein, two‐dimensional graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets with nitrogen vacancies (g‐C3Nx) located at both three‐coordinate N atoms and uncondensed terminal NHx species were prepared by one‐step tartaric acid‐assistant thermal polymerization of dicyandiamide. Transient absorption spectra revealed that the defects in g‐C3N4 act as trapped states of charges to result in prolonged lifetimes of photoexcited charge carriers. Time‐resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy revealed that the faster decay of charges is due to the decreased interlayer stacking distance in g‐C3Nx in favor of hopping transition and mobility of charge carriers to the surface of the material. Owing to the synergic virtues of strong visible‐light absorption, large surface area, and efficient charge separation, the g‐C3Nx nanosheets with negligible loss after 15 h of photocatalysis exhibited a CO evolution rate of 56.9 μmol g−1 h−1 under visible‐light…

White light emitting (WLE) materials are of increasing interest owing to their promising applications in artificial lighting, display devices, molecular sensors, and switches. In this context, organic WLE materials cater to the interest of the scientific community owing to their promising features like color purity, long-term stability, solution processability, cost-effectiveness, and low toxicity. The typical method for the generation of white light is to combine three primary (red, green, and blue) or the two complementary (e.g., yellow and blue or red and cyan) emissive units covering the whole visible spectral window (400-800 nm). The judicious choice of molecular building blocks and connecting them through either strong covalent bonds or assembling through weak noncovalent interactions are the key to achieve enhanced emission spanning the entire visible region. In the present review article, molecular engineering approaches for the development of all-organic WLE materials are analyzed in view of different photophysical processes like fluorescence resonance energy transfer…

Abstract Metal‐driven self‐assembly is one of the most effective approaches to lucidly design a large range of discrete 2D and 3D coordination architectures/complexes. Palladium(II)‐based self‐assembled coordination architectures are usually prepared by using suitable metal components, in either a partially protected form (PdL′) or typical form (Pd; charges are not shown), and designed ligand components. The self‐assembled molecules prepared by using a metal component and only one type of bi‐ or polydentate ligand (L) can be classified in the homoleptic series of complexes. On the other hand, the less explored heteroleptic series of complexes are obtained by using a metal component and at least two different types of non‐chelating bi‐ or polydentate ligands (such as La and Lb). Methods that allow the controlled generation of single, discrete heteroleptic complexes are less understood. A survey of palladium(II)‐based self‐assembled coordination cages that are heteroleptic has been made. This review article illustrates a systematic collection of such architectures and credible…

Desiccant driven dehumidification for maintaining the proper humidity levels and atmospheric water capture with minimum energy penalty are important aspects in heat pumps, refrigeration, gas and liquid purifications, gas sensing, and clean water production for improved human health and comfort. Water adsorption by using nanoporous materials has emerged as a viable alternative to energy-intensive industrial processes, thus understanding the significance of their porosity, high surface areas, vast pore volumes, chemical and structural features relative to the water adsorption is quite important. In this review article, important features of nanoporous materials are presented, including zeolites, porous carbons, as well as crystalline and amorphous porous organic polymers (POPs) to define the interactions between the water molecules and the polar/non-polar functional groups on the surface of these nanoporous materials. In particular, focus is placed on the recent developments in POPs in the context of water capture as a result of their remarkable stability towards water and wide range…

Catalytic approaches to pharmaceutically important bioactive skeletons through gold carbene intermediates have experienced a dramatic development in the last decade. Although various carbene precursors continue to play an important role in heterocyclic syntheses, these reagents are associated with some drawbacks in terms of functional group tolerance, synthetic methods and safety limitations. A new generation of nitrene transfer reagents was established in 2019: the sulfilimines. These are safe, inexpensive and readily available. They can conveniently be stored and handled, and thus represent ideal reagents for the fast and modular modification of scaffolds and the preparation of libraries by intermolecular reactions of two components. Both the practical methods for synthesizing sulfilimines and the versatility of these ylidic species in gold-catalyzed preparation of structural diversity, for both heterocycles and carbocycles, will be outlined in this Concept article.

Abstract Amorphous oxides have attracted special attention as advanced electrocatalysts owing to their unique local structural flexibility and attractive electrocatalytic properties. With abundant randomly oriented bonds and surface‐exposed defects (e.g., oxygen vacancies) as active catalytic sites, the adsorption/desorption of reactants can be optimized, leading to superior catalytic activities. Amorphous oxide materials have found wide electrocatalytic applications ranging from hydrogen evolution and oxygen evolution to oxygen reduction, CO 2 electroreduction and nitrogen electroreduction. The amorphous oxide electrocatalysts even outperform their crystalline counterparts in terms of electrocatalytic activity and stability. Despite of the merits and achievements for amorphous oxide electrocatalysts, there are still issues and challenges existing for amorphous oxide electrocatalysts. There are rarely reviews specifically focusing on amorphous oxide electrocatalysts and therefore it is imperative to have a comprehensive overview of the research progress and to better understand the…

Ultralong organic phosphorescence (UOP) of metal-free organic materials has received considerable attention recently owing to their long-lived emission lifetimes, and the fact that they present an attractive alternative to persistent luminescence in inorganic phosphors. Enormous research effort has been devoted on improving UOP performance in metal-free organic phosphors by promoting the intersystem crossing (ISC) process and suppressing the non-radiative decay of triplet state excitons. This minireview summarizes the recent advances in the rational approaches for manipulating the UOP properties of small molecular crystals, such as phosphorescence lifetime, efficiency, and emission colors. Finally, the present challenges and future development of this field are proposed. This review will provide a guideline to rationally design more advanced metal-free organic phosphorescence materials for potential applications.

The emergence of the rising alliance between aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) is defined as aggregation-induced electrochemiluminescence (AIECL). The booming science of AIE has proved to be not only distinguished in luminescent materials but could also inject new possibility into ECL analysis. Especially in the aqueous phase and solid state for hydrophobic materials, AIE helps ECL circumvent the dilemma between substantial emission intensity and biocompatible media. The wide range of analytes makes ECL an overwhelmingly interesting analytical technique. Therefore, AIECL has gained potential in clinical diagnostics, environmental assays, and biomarker detections. This review will focus on introduction of the novel concept of AIECL, current applied luminophores, and related applications developed in recent years.

Abstract A series of highly energetic organic salts comprising a tetrazolylfuroxan anion, explosophoric azido or azo functionalities, and nitrogen‐rich cations were synthesized by simple, efficient, and scalable chemical routes. These energetic materials were fully characterized by IR and multinuclear NMR ( 1 H, 13 C, 14 N, 15 N) spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Additionally, the structure of an energetic salt consisting of an azidotetrazolylfuroxan anion and a 3,6,7‐triamino‐7 H ‐[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3‐ b ][1,2,4]triazolium cation was confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The synthesized compounds exhibit good experimental densities (1.57–1.71 g cm −3 ), very high enthalpies of formation (818–1363 kJ mol −1 ), and, as a result, excellent detonation performance (detonation velocities 7.54–8.26 kms −1 and detonation pressures 23.4–29.3 GPa). Most of the synthesized energetic salts have moderate sensitivity toward impact and friction, which makes them promising candidates for a variety of energetic applications. At the same time,…

The covalent conjugation of potent cytotoxic agents to either macromolecular carriers or small molecules represents a well-known approach to increase the therapeutic index of these drugs, thus improving treatment efficacy and minimizing side effects. In general, cytotoxic activity is displayed only upon cleavage of a specific chemical bond (linker) that connects the drug to the carrier. The perfect balance between the linker stability and its selective cleavage represents the key for success in these therapeutic approaches and the chemical toolbox to reach this goal is continuously expanding. In this Review article, we highlight recent advances on the different modalities to promote the selective release of cytotoxic agents, either by exploiting specific hallmarks of the tumor microenvironment (e.g. pH, enzyme expression) or by the application of external triggers (e.g. light and bioorthogonal reactions).

Cryogenic ion trap vibrational spectroscopy paired with quantum chemistry currently represents the most generally applicable approach for the structural investigation of gaseous cluster ions that are not amenable to direct absorption spectroscopy. Here, we give an overview of the most popular variants of infrared action spectroscopy and describe the advantages of using cryogenic ion traps in combination with messenger tagging and vibrational predissociation spectroscopy. We then highlight a few recent studies that apply this technique to identify highly reactive ionic intermediates and to characterize their reactive sites. We conclude by commenting on future challenges and potential developments in the field.

A practical and scalable protocol for visible-light-accelerated arylation and alkylation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with hydrazines is reported. In this protocol, a hydrazone-based two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D-COF-1) was employed as the heterogeneous photocatalyst (PC). Due to its excellent photocatalytic properties, good chemical stability and heterogeneous nature, the present method exhibits high efficiency, good functional group tolerance, easy scalability and remarkable catalyst reusability. More importantly, it provides an alternative way that allows rapid access to various C3 arylated or alkylated quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones in a greener and sustainable manner.

Abstract A photoinduced carboxylation of alkyl halides with CO2 at remote sp3 C−H sites enabled by the merger of photoredox and Ni catalysis is described. This protocol features a predictable reactivity and site selectivity that can be modulated by the ligand backbone. Preliminary studies reinforce a rationale based on a dynamic displacement of the catalyst throughout the alkyl side chain.

Recently, the potential use of organic π-radicals and related spin systems has been expanded to modern technological applications. The unique excited-state dynamics of organic π-radicals can be useful to improve the stability of photochemically unstable organic compounds, make the polarization transfer applicable to information technology, and achieve effective up-conversion of interest for luminescence bioimaging, among others. Furthermore, highly luminescent stable π-radicals have been recently reported, which are especially interesting for application in organic light-emitting devices owing to their potential to provide an internal quantum efficiency of 100 %. Thus, the excited-state nature of stable π-radicals as well as the control of their excited-state spin dynamics are emerging topics both in terms of fundamental science and related technological applications. In this minireview, we focus on the excited-state dynamics of both photostable non(weakly)-luminescent and luminescent π-radicals, which are opposites of each other. In particular, we cover the following topics: 1)…

Abstract Freestanding nanopapers were fabricated by the assembly of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) onto cellulose nanofibers (CNFs). The CNFs are wrapped by continuously nucleated MOF layers (CNF@MOF) by interfacial synthesis, with the charge density on the surface of the CNFs and the dosage of the surfactant polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) being carefully adjusted. The obtained CNF@MOF nanofibers with long‐range, continuous, hybrid nanostructures were very different to the composites formed by aggregation of MOF nanoparticles on the substrates. Four typical MOFs (HKUST‐1, Al‐MIL‐53, Zn‐MOF‐74, ZIF‐CO 3 ‐1) were successfully grown onto CNFs in aqueous solutions and further fabricated into freestanding nanopapers. Because of their unique nanostructures and morphologies, the corresponding flexible nanopapers exhibit hierarchical meso ‐micropores, high optical transparency, high thermal stability, and high mechanical strength. A proof‐of‐concept study shows that the CNF@MOF nanopapers can be used as efficient filters to separate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air. This work…

The long-sought carbene-bismuthinidene, (CAAC)Bi(Ph), has been synthesized. Notably, this represents both the first example of a carbene-stabilized subvalent bismuth complex and the extension of the carbene-pnictinidene concept to a non-toxic metallic element (Bi). The bonding has been investigated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies and DFT calculations. This report also highlights the hitherto unknown reducing and ligand transfer capability of a beryllium(0) complex.

Dearomatisation of indole derivatives to the corresponding isatin derivatives has been achieved with the aid of visible light and oxygen. It should be noted that isatin derivatives are highly important for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and bioactive compounds. Notably, this chemistry works excellently with N-protected and protection-free indoles. Additionally, this methodology can also be applied to dearomatise pyrrole derivatives to generate cyclic imides in a single step. Later this methodology was applied for the synthesis of four pharmaceuticals and a pesticide called dianthalexin B. Detailed mechanistic studies revealed the actual role of oxygen and photocatalyst.

While numerous hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) have been reported, typically these cannot be prepared predictably or in a modular fashion. In this work, we report a family of nine diamondoid crystalline porous frameworks assembled via hydrogen bonding between poly-amidinium and poly-carboxylate tectons. The frameworks are prepared at room temperature in either water or water/alcohol mixtures. Importantly, both the cationic and anionic components can be varied and additional functionality can be incorporated into the frameworks, which show good stability including to prolonged heating in DMSO or water.

Abstract Light hydrocarbons (C1–C3) are used as basic energy feedstocks and as commodity organic compounds for the production of many industrially necessary chemicals. Due to the nature of the raw materials and production processes, light hydrocarbons are generated as mixtures, but the high‐purity single‐component products are of vital importance to the petrochemical industry. Consequently, the separation of these C1–C3 products is a crucial industrial procedure that comprises a significant share of the total global energy consumption per year. As a complement to traditional separation methods (distillation, partial hydrogenation, etc.), adsorptive separations using porous solids have received widespread attention due to their lower energy costs and higher efficiency. Extensive research has been devoted to the use of porous materials such as zeolites and metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) as solid adsorbents for these key separations, owing to the high porosity, tunable pore structures, and unsaturated metal sites present in these materials. Recently, porous organic framework (POF)…

Molecular photoswitches (e.g., azobenzenes) can reversibly interconvert between their thermodynamically stable and metastable isomers upon light irradiations. However, it remains challenging to integrate both high bidirectional photoconversion and long metastable-state lifetime into a photoswitchable functionality. Here, we introduce pyrazolylazophenyl ethers (pzAzo ethers) as a class of azo photoswitches that provides quantitative (>98 %) trans-cis photoisomerization (365 nm light), near-quantitative (95-96 %) reverse isomerization (532 nm light), and a long cis-isomer half-life of three months. They can be easily synthesized in high yields and readily functionalized at one or both sides with a broad scope of substituent groups. Molecular systems incorporating pzAzo ethers can be endowed with high responsiveness, robust reversibility, and long persistent metastable states. Such superior yet pragmatic azo switches hold high promise for upgraded photoregulation in many light-responsive applications.

The first stereoselective synthesis of enantioenriched axially chiral indole-quinoline systems is presented. The strategy takes advantage of an organocatalytic enantioselective Povarov cycloaddition of 3-alkenylindoles and N-arylimines, followed by an oxidative central-to-axial chirality conversion process, allowing for access to previously unreported axially chiral indole-quinoline biaryls. The methodology is also implemented for the design and the preparation of challenging compounds exhibiting two stereogenic axes. DFT calculations shed light on the stereoselectivity of the central-to-axial chirality conversion, showing unconventional behavior.

Given the alleged extreme toxicity of beryllium and its compounds, it is the least investigated nonradioactive element. However, beryllium exhibits unique properties among the elements and therefore the related coordination chemistry is unprecedented. With the emergence of s-block catalysis and the introduction of low-valent magnesium complexes as versatile reducing agents, the interest in related beryllium compounds also has increased. Therefore, some quite remarkable progress on the coordination and organometallic chemistry of beryllium has been made in the last two decades. This Minireview article gives an oversight over the relatively recent developments in this field of beryllium research. An emphasis is placed on the correlation between the structure and reactivity of the described compounds.

The development of brightly emissive compounds is of great research and commercial interest, with established and emerging applications across chemistry, biology, physics, medicine and engineering. Among the many types of molecules available, naphthalene diimides have been widely used for both fundamental photophysical studies and in practical applications that utilise fluorescence as an information readout. The monomeric naphthalene diimide is weakly fluorescent, however through various methods of core-derivatisation, it can be developed to be highly fluorescent and further functionalised to add utility. In this review, we highlight recent advances made in naphthalene diimide chemistry that have led to development of molecules with improved optical properties, and the design strategies utilised to produce bright fluorescence emission as small molecules or in supramolecular architectures.

As chiral molecules, naturally occurring d-oligonucleotides have enantiomers, l-DNA and l-RNA, which are comprised of l-(deoxy)ribose sugars. These mirror-image oligonucleotides have the same physical and chemical properties as that of their native d-counterparts, yet are highly orthogonal to the stereospecific environment of biology. Consequently, l-oligonucleotides are resistant to nuclease degradation and many of the off-target interactions that plague traditional d-oligonucleotide-based technologies; thus making them ideal for biomedical applications. Despite a flurry of interest during the early 1990s, the inability of d- and l-oligonucleotides to form contiguous Watson-Crick base pairs with each other has ultimately led to the perception that l-oligonucleotides have only limited utility. Recently, however, scientists have begun to uncover novel strategies to harness the bio-orthogonality of l-oligonucleotides, while overcoming (and even exploiting) their inability to Watson-Crick base pair with the natural polymer. Herein, a brief history of l-oligonucleotide research is…

Supramolecular self-assembly stands for the spontaneous aggregation of small organic compounds or polymers into ordered structures at any scale. When being induced by inherent molecular chiral centers or ambient asymmetric factors, asymmetric spatial arrangement between building units shall occur, which is defined as supramolecular chirality. Except for molecular design, utilizing external stimulus factors to tune supramolecular chirality is a promising approach. In this Concept article, we particularly discuss the important role of solvents in manipulating the chirality of self-assembled systems. The impact of solvents on the chirality is generally based on three properties of solvents, i.e., chirality, polarity, and active coassembly with building blocks. Molecular self-assembly in chiral solvents could undergo the chirality transfer, exhibiting a chiral induction effect. Solvent polarity often determines intermolecular orientation. As a consequence, those building blocks with both polar and apolar segments might change their chirality depending on the solvent polarity. We…

Bacteria can migrate in groups of flagella-driven cells over semisolid surfaces. This coordinated form of motility is called swarming behavior. Swarming is associated with enhanced virulence and antibiotic resistance of various human pathogens and may be considered as favorable adaptation to the diverse challenges that microbes face in rapidly changing environments. Consequently, the differentiation of motile swarmer cells is tightly regulated and involves multi-layered signaling networks. Controlling swarming behavior is of major interest for the development of novel anti-infective strategies. In addition, compounds that block swarming represent important tools for more detailed insights into the molecular mechanisms of the coordination of bacterial population behavior. Over the past decades, there has been major progress in the discovery of small-molecule modulators and mechanisms that allow selective inhibition of swarming behavior. Herein, an overview of the achievements in the field and future directions and challenges will be presented.

Abstract Borasilenes, that is complexes which contain a boron–silicon double bond, have scarcely been isolated to date. In pursuit of such species, (Me3Si)3SiB(Cl)NHI (2, NHI=bulky N‐heterocyclic imine) was prepared and treated with KOtBu to achieve formal extrusion of ClSiMe3. The formation of an elusive borasilene (3int) is postulated and it was verified by isolation of the N‐heterocyclic carbene adduct (Me3Si)2SiB(I )NHI (4, I =1,3,4,5‐tetramethyl‐imidazolin‐2‐ylidene). X‐ray crystallographic study and theoretical calculations on 4 diagnosed a boron–silicon double bond with marked zwitterionic character. The negative charge resides at the Si atom which marks the apex of a trigonal pyramid. Structural comparison of 4 with boron cation congeners (5+, 6+) suggests that the positive charge is mainly located at the trigonal planar‐coordinated B center. The conversion of 4 with pinacolborane (HBpin, 2 equiv) resulted in cleavage of the double bond to produce (Me3Si)2Si(Bpin)2 and (NHI)BH2(I ).

Due to the ever-increasing demand for high-purity individual rare-earth elements, novel and highly selective separation processes are increasingly sought after. Herein, we report a separation protocol that employs shape-persistent 2,9-bis-lactam-1,10-phenanthroline (BLPhen) ligands exhibiting unparalleled selectivity for light trivalent lanthanides. The highly preorganised binding pockets of the ligands allowed for the separation of lanthanides with high fidelity, even in the presence of competing transition metals, in a biphasic separation system. Notably, the selectivity trends of the BLPhen ligands towards metal ions across the lanthanide series can be chemically modulated by altering the molecular rigidity of the extractant.

Protein is one of the four most important biomacromolecules in living systems. The detection, quantification, localization, and characterization of proteins is essential for an understanding of biological fundamentals, as well as for the diagnostics and treatment of protein-related diseases. By using intrinsic and extrinsic fluorescence, different techniques have been established to study proteins, many of which are now being routinely used in research laboratories and clinics. This review summarizes the applications of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorescence in protein science. In contrast to traditional fluorescent dyes, the activation of AIE dyes is mainly attributed to the restriction of intramolecular motions. This unique turn-on mechanism of AIE dyes allows researchers to develop novel fluorogenic strategies for sensitive, selective, and reliable analysis of proteins. This review focuses on introducing AIE strategies for 1) detection, localization, and quantification of proteins; 2) probing polymer conformational transitions of proteins; 3) characterization of…

Sigmatropic rearrangement reactions constitute one of the most fundamental reactions of carbenes. While state-of-the-art synthetic methods require the use of expensive precious metal catalysts, the application of visible light for the photolysis of α-aryldiazoacetates is much less investigated and provides an operationally simple entry to carbenes under mild reaction conditions. Herein, we report on blue-light induced sigmatropic rearrangement reactions of sulfur compounds with α-aryldiazoacetates. This process, depending on the substitution pattern of the sulfide, opens up formal insertion reactions of carbenes into S-N, S-C, or C-H bonds.

Abstract Light emission from luminol is probably one of the most popular chemiluminescence reactions due to its use in forensic science, and has recently displayed promising applications for the treatment of cancer in deep tissues. The mechanism is, however, very complex and distinct possibilities have been proposed. By efficiently combining DFT and CASPT2 methodologies, the chemiluminescence mechanism has been studied in three steps: 1) luminol oxygenation to generate the chemiluminophore, 2) a chemiexcitation step, and 3) generation of the light emitter. The findings demonstrate that the luminol double‐deprotonated dianion activates molecular oxygen, diazaquinone is not formed, and the chemiluminophore is formed through the concerted addition of oxygen and concerted elimination of nitrogen. The peroxide bond, in comparison to other isoelectronic chemical functionalities (−NH−NH−, −N−−N−−, and −S−S−), is found to have the best chemiexcitation efficiency, which allows the oxygenation requirement to be rationalized and establishes general design principles for the chemiluminescence…

The development of bioorthogonal reactions have had a transformative impact in chemical biology and the quest to expand this toolbox continues. Herein we review recent applications of ruthenium-catalyzed photoredox reactions used in chemical biology.

The photolysis of diazoalkanes is a timely strategy to conduct carbene-transfer reactions under mild and metal-free reaction conditions, and has developed as an important alternative to conventional metal-catalyzed carbene-transfer reactions. One of the major limitations lies within the rapidly occurring side reaction of the carbene intermediate with remaining diazoalkane molecules that result in the use of an excess of the reaction partner and thus impacts on the reaction efficiency. Herein, we describe a protocol that takes advantage of the in situ generation of donor-acceptor diazoalkanes by Bamford-Stevens reaction. Following this strategy, the concentration of the diazoalkane reaction partner can be minimized to reduce unwanted side reactions and to now conduct photochemical carbene transfer reactions under stoichiometric reaction conditions. We have explored this approach in the C-H and N-H functionalization and cyclopropanation reaction of N-heterocycles and could demonstrate the applicability of this method in 51 examples.

In addition to superior enzyme-mimicking abilities, nanozymes also have intrinsic physicochemical properties. Integrating the enzyme-like activities and tunable physicochemical properties into a single nanoparticle is a promising strategy for versatile nanozyme design and application. Herein, a composite nanozyme in which Au nanoparticles are encapsulated by Au nanoclusters (AuNP@AuNCs) is presented. By integrating the peroxidase-mimicking ability of fluorescent Au NCs with the glucose oxidase-like activity of Au NPs, the composite nanozyme realized cascade assay of glucose without the aid of external indicators. Compared to traditional multistep colorimetric methods, the analytical process was highly simplified by using the self-responsive nanozyme. This synthetic strategy provided valuable insights into exploring talented nanozymes for sensing diverse targets.

Abstract The electrochemical reduction of CO2 presents a promising strategy to mitigate the greenhouse effect and reduce excess carbon dioxide emission to realize a carbon‐neutral energy cycle, but it suffers from the lack of high‐performance electrocatalysts. In this work, catalytic active cobalt porphyrin [TCPP(Co)=(5,10,15,20)‐tetrakis(4‐carboxyphenyl)porphyrin‐CoII] was precisely anchored onto water‐stable 2D metal–organic framework (MOF) nanosheets (Zr‐BTB) to obtain ultrathin 2D MOF nanosheets [TCPP(Co)/Zr‐BTB] with accessible catalytic sites for the CO2 reduction reaction. Compared with molecular cobalt porphyrin, the TCPP(Co)/Zr‐BTB exhibits an ultrahigh turnover frequency (TOF=4768 h−1 at −0.919 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE) owing to high active‐site utilization. In addition, three post‐modified 2D MOF nanosheets [TCPP(Co)/Zr‐BTB‐PABA, TCPP(Co)/Zr‐BTB‐PSBA, TCPP(Co)/Zr‐BTB‐PSABA] were obtained, with the modifiers of p‐(aminomethyl)benzoic acid (PABA), p‐sulfobenzoic acid potassium (PSBA), and p‐sulfamidobenzoic acid (PSABA), to change the micro‐environments…

Abstract Group 16 chalcogens potentially provide Lewis‐acidic σ‐holes, which are able to form attractive supramolecular interactions with electron rich partners through chalcogen bonds. Here, a multifaceted experimental and computational study of a large series of novel chalcogen‐bonded cocrystals, prepared using the principles of crystal engineering, is presented. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction studies reveal that dicyanoselenadiazole and dicyanotelluradiazole derivatives work as promising supramolecular synthons with the ability to form double chalcogen bonds with a wide range of electron donors including halides and oxygen‐ and nitrogen‐containing heterocycles. Extensive 77Se and 125Te solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic investigations of cocrystals establish correlations between the NMR parameters of selenium and tellurium and the local chalcogen bonding geometry. The relationships between the electronic environment of the chalcogen bond and the 77Se and 125Te chemical shift tensors were elucidated through a natural localized molecular orbital density…

Abstract Electrosynthesis of NH3 through the N2 reduction reaction (NRR) under ambient conditions is regarded as promising technology to replace the industrial energy‐ and capital‐intensive Haber–Bosch process. Herein, a room‐temperature spontaneous redox approach to fabricate a core–shell‐structured Au@CeO2 composite, with Au nanoparticle sizes below about 10 nm and a loading amount of 3.6 wt %, is reported for the NRR. The results demonstrate that as‐synthesized Au@CeO2 possesses a surface area of 40.7 m2 g−1 and a porous structure. As an electrocatalyst, it exhibits high NRR activity, with an NH3 yield rate of 28.2 μg h−1 cm−2 (10.6 μg h−1 mg−1cat., 293.8 μg h−1 mg−1Au) and a faradaic efficiency of 9.50 % at −0.4 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode in 0.01 m H2SO4 electrolyte. The characterization results reveal the presence of rich oxygen vacancies in the CeO2 nanoparticle shell of Au@CeO2; these are favorable for N2 adsorption and activation for the NRR. This has been further verified by theoretical calculations. The abundant oxygen vacancies in the CeO2 nanoparticle…

Abstract Electrochemical reduction of N2 to NH3 is a promising method for artificial N2 fixation, but it requires efficient and robust electrocatalysts to boost the N2 reduction reaction (NRR). Herein, a combination of experimental measurements and theoretical calculations revealed that a hybrid material in which ZnO quantum dots (QDs) are supported on reduced graphene oxide (ZnO/RGO) is a highly active and stable catalyst for NRR under ambient conditions. Experimentally, ZnO/RGO was confirmed to favor N2 adsorption due to the largely exposed active sites of ultrafine ZnO QDs. DFT calculations disclosed that the electronic coupling of ZnO with RGO resulted in a considerably reduced activation‐energy barrier for stabilization of *N2H, which is the rate‐limiting step of the NRR. Consequently, ZnO/RGO delivered an NH3 yield of 17.7 μg h−1 mg−1 and a Faradaic efficiency of 6.4 % in 0.1 m Na2SO4 at −0.65 V (vs. RHE), which compare favorably to those of most of the reported NRR catalysts and thus demonstrate the feasibility of ZnO/RGO for electrocatalytic N2 fixation.

Abstract In the work reported herein, the electrocatalytic properties of Co3O4 in hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions have been significantly enhanced by coating a shell layer of a copper‐based metal–organic framework on Co3O4 porous nanowire arrays and using the products as high‐performance bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting. The coating of the copper‐based metal–organic framework resulted in the hybridization of the copper‐embedded protective carbon shell layer with Co3O4 to create a strong Cu−O−Co bonding interaction for efficient hydrogen adsorption. The hybridization also led to electronically induced oxygen defects and nitrogen doping to effectively enhance the electrical conductivity of Co3O4. The optimal as‐prepared core–shell hybrid material displayed excellent overall‐water‐splitting catalytic activity that required overall voltages of 1.45 and 1.57 V to reach onset and a current density of 10 mA cm−2, respectively. This is the first report to highlight the relevance of hybridizing MOF‐based co‐catalysts to boost the electrocatalytic performance…

Abstract The twist‐bend nematic, NTB, phase has been observed for chiral materials in which chirality is introduced through a branched 2‐methylbutyl terminal tail. The chiral twist‐bend nematic phase, N*TB, is completely miscible with the NTB phase of the standard achiral material, CB6OCB. The N*TB phase exhibits optical textures with lower birefringence than those observed for the achiral NTB phase, suggesting an additional mechanism of averaging molecular orientations. The N*−N*TB transition temperatures for the chiral materials are higher than the NTB−N transition temperatures seen for the corresponding racemic materials. This suggests the double degeneracy of helical twist sense in the phase is removed by the intrinsic molecular chirality. A square lattice pattern is observed in the N* phase over a temperature range of several degrees above the N*TB–N phase transition, which may be attributed to a non‐monotonic dependence of the bend elastic constant.

The deoxyfluorination of alcohols is a fundamentally important approach to access alkyl fluorides, and thus the development of shelf-stable, easy-to-handle, fluorine-economical, and highly selective deoxyfluorination reagents is highly desired. This work describes the development of a crystalline compound, N-tosyl-4-chlorobenzenesulfonimidoyl fluoride (SulfoxFluor), as a novel deoxyfluorination reagent that possesses all of the aforementioned merits, which is rare in the arena of deoxyfluorination. Endowed by the multi-dimensional modulating ability of the sulfonimidoyl group, SulfoxFluor is superior to 2-pyridinesulfonyl fluoride (PyFluor) in fluorination rate, and is also superior to perfluorobutanesulfonyl fluoride (PBSF) in fluorine-economy. Its reaction with alcohols not only tolerates a wide range of functionalities including the more sterically hindered alcoholic hydroxyl groups, but also exhibits high fluorination/elimination selectivity. Because SulfoxFluor can be easily prepared from inexpensive materials and can be safely handled without special techniques, it promises to…

Among the known liquid organic hydrogen carriers, formic acid attracts increasing interest in the context of safe and reversible storage of hydrogen. Here, the first molecularly defined cobalt pincer complex is disclosed for the dehydrogenation of formic acid in aqueous medium under mild conditions. Crucial for catalytic activity is the use of the specific complex 3. Compared to related ruthenium and manganese complexes 7 and 8, this optimal cobalt complex showed improved performance. DFT computations support an innocent non-classical bifunctional outer-sphere mechanism on the triplet state potential energy surface.

)-N bond cleavage reaction. Under visible-light irradiation (455 nm, blue LEDs) at room temperature, alkyl Katritzky salts react smoothly with alkenes in a 1:1 molar ratio in the presence of 1.0 mol % of commercially available photoredox catalyst without the need for any base, affording the corresponding alkyl-substituted alkenes in good yields with broad functional-group compatibility. Notably, the E/Z-selectivity of the alkene products can be controlled by an appropriate choice of photoredox catalyst.

Abstract Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have been recognized as outstanding candidates for energy storage systems due to their superiority in terms of energy density. To meet the requirements for practical use, it is necessary to develop an effective method to realize Li–S batteries with high sulfur utilization and cycle stability. Here, a strategy to construct heterostructure composites as cathodes for high performance Li–S batteries is presented. Taking the SnS2/SnO2 couple as an example, SnS2/SnO2 nanosheet heterostructures on carbon nanofibers (CNFs), named C@SnS2/SnO2, were designed and synthesized. Considering the electrochemical performance of SnS2/SnO2 heterostructures, it is interesting to note that the existence of heterointerfaces could efficiently improve lithium ion diffusion rate so as to accelerate the redox reaction significantly, thus leading to the enhanced sulfur utilization and more excellent rate performance. Benefiting from the unique structure and heterointerfaces of C@SnS2/SnO2 materials, the battery exhibited excellent cyclic stability and high sulfur…

Abstract Pd‐mediated reactions have emerged as a powerful tool for the site‐selective and bioorthogonal late‐stage diversification of amino acids, peptides and related compounds. Indole moieties of tryptophan derivatives are susceptible to C 2 H‐activation, whereas halogenated aromatic amino acids such as halophenylalanines or halotryptophans provide a broad spectrum of different functionalisations. The compatibility of transition‐metal‐catalysed cross‐couplings with functional groups in peptides, other biologically active compounds and even proteins has been demonstrated. This Review primarily compiles the application of different cross‐coupling reactions to modify halotryptophans, halotryptophan containing peptides or halogenated, biologically active compounds derived from tryptophan. Modern approaches use regio‐ and stereoselective biocatalytic strategies to generate halotryptophans and derivatives on a preparative scale. The combination of bio‐ and chemocatalysis in cascade reactions is given by the biocompatibility and bioorthogonality of Pd‐mediated reactions.

Abstract Recently, photooxygenation of amyloid β (Aβ) has emerged as an effective way to inhibit Aβ aggregation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment. However, their further application has been highly obstructed by self‐aggregation, no metal chelating ability, and poor protein‐enrichment capacity. Herein, porphyrinic metal–organic frameworks (PMOFs) are utilized as a superior CuII chelating and photooxidation agent for inhibiting Aβ aggregation. We selected only four classical kinds of POMFs (Zr–MOF, Al–MOF, Ni–MOF, Hf–MOF) for further investigation in our study, which are stable in physiological conditions and exhibit excellent biocompatibility. Among them, Hf–MOF was the most efficient Aβ photooxidant. A possible explanation about the difference in capacity of 1O2 generation of these four PMOFs has been provided according to the experimental results and DFT calculations. Furthermore, Hf–MOFs are modified with Aβ‐targeting peptide, LPFFD. This can not only enhance Hf–MOFs targeting cellular Aβ to decrease Aβ‐induced cytotoxicity, but also improve Aβ photooxidation in the…

The engineering of crystalline molecular solids through the simultaneous combination of distinctive non-covalent interactions is an important field of research, as it could allow chemist to prepare materials depicting multi-responsive properties. It is in this context that, pushed by a will to expand the chemical space of chalcogen-bonding interactions, a concept is put forward for which chalcogen- and halogen-bonding interactions can be used simultaneously to engineer multicomponent co-crystals. Through the rational design of crystallizable molecules, chalcogenazolo pyridine scaffold (CGP) modules were prepared that, bearing either a halogen-bond acceptor or donor at the 2-position, can interact with suitable complementary molecular modules undergoing formation of supramolecular polymers at the solid state. The recognition reliability of the CGP moiety to form chalcogen-bonded dimers allows the formation of heteromolecular supramolecular polymers through halogen-bonding interactions, as confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.

Over the past 20 years, thermomorphic multiphase systems (TMS) have been used as a versatile and elegant strategy for the recovery and recycling of homogeneous transition-metal catalysts, in both batch-scale experiments and continuously operated processes. TMS ensure a homogeneous reaction in a monophasic reaction mixture at reaction temperature and the recovery of the homogeneous transition-metal catalyst through liquid-liquid separation at a lower separation temperature. This is achieved by using at least two solvents, which have a highly temperature-sensitive miscibility gap. The suitability of commercially available solvents makes this approach highly interesting from an industrial point of view. For the first time, herein, all studies in the area of TMS are reviewed, with the aim of providing a concise and integral representation of this approach for homogeneous catalyst recovery. In addition to the discussion of examples from the literature, the thermodynamic fundamentals of the temperature-dependent miscibility of solvents are also presented. This review also gives key…

The electrochemical reduction of nitrogen into ammonia under ambient conditions is a potential strategy for sustainable ammonia production. At present, one of the main research directions in the field of electrochemical nitrogen fixation is to improve the current efficiency and ammonia yield by developing efficient nitrogen reduction catalysts. To optimise the selectivity and catalytic activity of nitrogen reduction catalysts more efficiently, herein, we systematically summarise the progress of research on nitrogen reduction catalysts in recent years and present some general catalyst design strategies. Considering that it is difficult for metal-based catalysts to balance the competitive reactions of nitrogen activation and hydrogen evolution, we discuss in detail the advantages and application prospects of non-metallic catalysts in electrochemical nitrogen fixation. Moreover, both the design strategy of surface or interface defects, and how this atomic-level control of functionalisation helps to promote selectivity and catalytic activity are also discussed by theoretical and…

Overuse and misuse of antibacterial drugs has resulted in bacteria resistance and in an increase in mortality rates due to bacterial infections. Therefore, there is an imperative necessity of new antibacterial drugs. Bio-organometallic derivatives of antibacterial agents offer an opportunity to discover new active antibacterial drugs. These compounds are well-characterized products and, in several examples, their antibacterial activities have been studied. Both inhibition of the antibacterial activity and strong increase in the antibiotic activity of the parent drug have been found. The synthesis of the main classes of bio-organometallic derivatives of these drugs, as well as examples of the use of structure-activity relation (SAR) studies to increase the activity and to understand the mode of action of bio-organometallic antimicrobial peptides (BOAMPs) and platensimicyn bio-organometallic mimics is presented in this article.

Platinum group metal (PGM) nanoparticles (NPs) have been investigated in a variety of research fields such as catalysis and electronics. Alloying has been recognized as one of the most efficient ways of improving or creating properties in metals. Among the types of alloys, solid-solution alloy NPs have the advantage of being capable of continuously changing their properties by tuning their composition. However, synthesizing PGM solid-solution alloy NPs with any combination and composition is not an easy task owing to the metallurgical aspects. In this minireview, the focus is on recent advances in PGM-based solid-solution alloy NPs, and in particular those with immiscible alloy systems. Concepts, synthesis, and properties of the alloy NPs are introduced, and the existing challenges and future perspectives are discussed.

Abstract A main remaining challenge in protein engineering is how to recombine beneficial substitutions. Systematic recombination studies show that poorly performing variants are usually obtained after recombination of 3 to 4 beneficial substitutions. This limits researchers in exploiting nature's potential in generating better enzymes. The Computer‐assisted Recombination (CompassR) strategy provides a selection guide for beneficial substitutions that can be recombined to gradually improve enzyme performance by analysis of the relative free energy of folding (ΔΔGfold). The performance of CompassR was evaluated by analysis of 84 recombinants located on 13 positions of Bacillus subtilis lipase A. The finally obtained variant F17S/V54K/D64N/D91E had a 2.7‐fold improved specific activity in 18.3 % (v/v) 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM][Cl]). In essence, the deducted CompassR rule allows recombination of beneficial substitutions in an iterative manner and empowers researchers to generate better enzymes in a time‐efficient manner.

Reversibly photoswitchable phenylazo-3,5-dimethylisoxazole and 37 aryl-substituted derivatives were synthesized. Excellent photoswitching ability of these compounds in solution and the solid state was demonstrated. Through kinetics studies by means of NMR spectroscopy, high Z-isomer stability was demonstrated. Interestingly, the majority of the derivatives showed light-induced contrasting color changes in solution and the solid state. Besides, many of the derivatives exhibit partial phase transition upon UV irradiation. The highlight of this class of photoswitches is the reversible light-induced phase transition between solid and liquid phases in the parent compound, which can be used in patterned crystallization. These results show that this new class of azoheteroarene based photoswitches has opportunities to be useful in various domains.

Electro-induced reduction of redox active esters and N-phthalimidoyl oxalates derived from naturally abundant carboxylic acids and alcohols provides a sustainable and inexpensive approach to radical formation via undivided electrochemical cells. The resulting radicals are trapped by an electron-poor olefin or hydrogen atom source to furnish the Giese reaction or reductive decarboxylation products, respectively. A broad range of carboxylic acid (1°, 2°, and 3°) and alcohol (2° and 3°) derivatives are applicable in this catalyst-free reaction, which tolerated a diverse range of functional groups. This method features simple operation, is a sustainable platform, and has broad application.

Abstract The psychotropic effects of Psilocybe “magic” mushrooms are caused by the l‐tryptophan‐derived alkaloid psilocybin. Despite their significance, the secondary metabolome of these fungi is poorly understood in general. Our analysis of four Psilocybe species identified harmane, harmine, and a range of other l‐tryptophan‐derived β‐carbolines as their natural products, which was confirmed by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. Stable‐isotope labeling with 13C11‐l‐tryptophan verified the β‐carbolines as biosynthetic products of these fungi. In addition, MALDI‐MS imaging showed that β‐carbolines accumulate toward the hyphal apices. As potent inhibitors of monoamine oxidases, β‐carbolines are neuroactive compounds and interfere with psilocybin degradation. Therefore, our findings represent an unprecedented scenario of natural product pathways that diverge from the same building block and produce dissimilar compounds, yet contribute directly or indirectly to the same pharmacological effects.

Abstract Cyclobis[ n ]helicenes ( n =3 or 5) are chiral D 2 ‐symmetric π‐conjugated macrocycles with stable lemniscular, or figure‐eight, shapes. The conformational analysis of five different cyclobis[ n ]helicenes revealed that these molecules can only exist as their lemniscular conformers with high barriers to enantiomerization (>200 kJ mol −1 ). The enantiomers of a cyclobis[5]helicene were resolved by HPLC and their unusual chiroptical properties were attributed to the inherent chirality of their macrocyclic figure‐eight.

Light-inducible approaches provide a means to control biological systems with spatial and temporal resolution that is unmatched by traditional genetic perturbations. Recent developments of optogenetic and chemo-optogenetic systems for induced proximity in cells facilitate rapid and reversible manipulation of highly dynamic cellular processes and have become valuable tools in diverse biological applications. New expansions of the toolbox facilitate control of signal transduction, genome editing, "painting" patterns of active molecules onto cellular membranes, and light-induced cell cycle control. A combination of light- and chemically induced dimerization approaches have also seen interesting progress. Herein, an overview of optogenetic systems and emerging chemo-optogenetic systems is provided, and recent applications in tackling complex biological problems are discussed.

We leverage the slow liberation of nitrogen dioxide from a newly discovered, inexpensive succinimide-derived reagent to allow for the C-H diversification of alkenes and alkynes. Beyond furnishing a library of aryl β-nitroalkenes, this reagent provides unparalleled access to β-nitrohydrins and β-nitroethers. Detailed mechanistic studies strongly suggest that a mesolytic N-N bond fragmentation liberates a nitryl radical. Using in situ photo-sensitized, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, we observed direct evidence of a nitryl radical in solution by nitrone spin-trapping. To further exhibit versatility of N-nitrosuccinimide under photoredox conditions, the late-stage diversification of an extensive number of C-H partners to prepare isoxazolines and isoxazoles is presented. This approach allows for the formation of an in situ nitrile oxide from a ketone partner, the presence of which is detected by the formation of the corresponding furoxan when conducted in the absence of a dipolarophile. This 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with nitrile oxides and alkenes or alkynes proceeds in a…

Organic luminescence with different forms continues to be one of the most active research fields in science and technology. Herein, an ultra-simple organic molecule (TPA-B), which exhibits both mechanoluminescence (ML) and photo-induced room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) in the crystalline state, provides an opportunity to reveal the internal mechanism of ML and the dynamic process of photo-induced RTP in the same molecule. Through the detailed investigation of photophysical properties together with crystal structures, the key role of molecular packing and intermolecular interactions was highlighted in the luminescence response by mechanical and light stimulus, affording efficient strategies to design potential smart functional materials with multiple luminescence properties.

Mechanochemistry has been applied for the first time to an iridium(I)-catalyzed C-H borylation reaction. By using either none or just a catalytic amount of a liquid, the mechanochemical C-H borylation of a series of heteroaromatic compounds proceeded in air to afford the corresponding arylboronates in good-to-excellent yields. A one-pot mechanochemical C-H borylation/Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling sequence for the direct synthesis of 2-aryl indole derivatives is also described. The present study constitutes an important milestone towards the development of industrially attractive solvent-free C-H bond functionalization processes in air.