Reviews & Analysis

Control over chemical transformations in aqueous environments employing catalytic systems whose activity can be switched on/off is challenging. Here, the authors review the switchable catalytic systems that operate in aqueous environments in response to external stimuli, such as pH, temperature, light, small molecules, electric field, magnetic field and mechanical energy.

Aluminum–sulfur batteries have a theoretical energy density comparable to lithium–sulfur batteries, whereas aluminum is the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust and the least expensive metallic anode material to date. Here, the authors review experimental and computational approaches to tailor the chemical interactions between sulfur host materials and polysulfides in Al-S batteries and point towards promising future research directions.

Continuously evolving computational methods are crucial to improve our understanding of the thermophysical properties of molten salts, which are experimentally hard to probe but used widely from steel manufacturing to solar power generation. Here, the authors review computational method developments from early simulations to current machine learning tools, and conclude with an outlook on the challenges molten salt simulations still pose.

Molecular dynamics simulations, used to study chemical and biophysical processes, rely on the accuracy of the employed force fields. Here, the authors review successes and key areas of difficulty in the development of additive and polarizable force fields, and discuss experimental data availability, how empirical refinement impacts parametrization, and highlight possible routes to further improve the accuracy of force fields.

Two-dimensional colloidal nanoplatelets can assemble into materials with promising optical properties, and the influence of local curvature on these properties is an area of active interest. Here, the relationship between nanoplatelet geometry, self-assembly, and collective properties is reviewed.

The field of C-H activation has boomed in the past two decades, but the diverse and overlapping terms used in the literature can be difficult to parse. Here the authors review key mechanistic concepts and offer a guide to the perplexed.

Synthetic models of cells are becoming increasingly sophisticated, but engineering communication between these and living cells remains challenging. Here the authors review modes of communication and signal processing between living cells and synthetic analogs, such as giant unilamellar vesicles, proteinosomes, and coacervates.

Mechanochemistry is driven by mechanical energy input, which often alleviates the need for solvents or heating to achieve desired products. Here, the author reviews mechanochemical syntheses of metal-oxide nanoparticles, exploring reaction mechanisms, and contrasting the influence of process parameters on the properties of end products.

Porphyrins have been incorporated into metal–organic frameworks in a periodic fashion in order to exploit their unique photophysical and electrochemical properties. This article reviews progress in the field, focusing on the fundamental physical properties that arise in porphyrin-based MOFs.

Macrocycles have been widely studied for their structure-specific and highly selective recognition properties. Here the authors review the design, synthesis and applications of photo-, pH- and redox-responsive macrocycles.

Photochemical and electrochemical approaches to protein and peptide modification offer a valuable complement to the use of stoichiometric reagents. Here recent developments in bioconjugation methodology relying on single electron transfer are described.

Aluminum dual-ion batteries have attracted considerable attention due to their low cost, safety, high energy density, energy efficiency, and long cycling life. Here the authors review working principles, electrolytes, and corrosion effects of this battery type.

Bis(arylimino)acenaphthene ligands were recognized as robust scaffolds for metal complexes decades ago, but their redox non-innocence as well as their potential to mediate electro- or photo-catalysis remain subjects of active research. Here, the authors review the synthesis and properties of these poly-aromatic diimine ligands complexed to nominally redox-innocent p-block elements.

While the bulk structures of metal–organic frameworks can be solved by diffraction-based techniques, characterization of their local structures has been lacking. Here the authors review recent advances in (scanning) transmission electron microscopy that have made it possible to probe the local structures of MOFs at atomic resolution.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, on 6 March 2020 the University of Nottingham hosted its second Women in Chemistry conference. Or, as branded by a security guard at the host building, a ‘chemical ladies’ meeting’. Victoria Richards recounts the event and shares key take-home messages from the speakers.

Colour polymorphism is a rare phenomenon that occurs when a compound possesses packing or conformational polymorphs of different colours. Here the authors review representative chemical systems that display colour polymorphism and explore the origins of this property.

Graphene-based materials are widely studied in biomedical applications, but a full picture of their interactions with proteins and cells remains elusive. Here the molecular basis for the effect of graphene-based materials on cell fate and in tissue engineering is reviewed.

Synthetic tenability of metal organic frameworks renders them versatile platform for next-generation energy storage technologies. Here the authors provide an overview of selected MOF attributes for applications in solid-state electrolytes and battery operation in extreme environments.

The bottom-up synthesis of extended aromatic hydrocarbons can yield curved ‘nanographenes’ with striking properties. Here, the authors review the synthetic advances towards extended corannulenes since 2006, and highlight key challenges facing researchers in the field.

Three-dimensional covalent organic frameworks are attractive functional materials, although there are fewer examples than their two-dimensional counterparts. Here, the authors review the synthetic approaches yielding these compounds, and highlight key challenges facing researchers in the field.