A ratiometric luminescence thermometer based on lanthanide encapsulated complexes.

Lanthanide-containing complexes have been widely developed as ratiometric luminescence thermometers, which are non-invasive, contactless and accurate. The synthesis of these Ln complexes generally requires high temperatures, multiple steps and other harsh conditions. Moreover, bimetallic lanthanide complexes, which have been reported to be better thermometers, are even more challenging to synthesize.

Unravelling denaturation, temperature and cosolvent-driven chiroptical switching in peptide self-assembly with switchable piezoelectric responses.

Herein, we explore the intricate pathway complexity, focusing on the dynamic interplay between kinetic and thermodynamic states, during the supramolecular self-assembly of peptides. We uncover a multiresponsive chiroptical switching phenomenon influenced by temperature, denaturation and content of cosolvent in peptide self-assembly through pathway complexity (kinetic thermodynamic state). Particularly noteworthy is the observation of chiroptical switching during the denaturation process, marking an unprecedented phenomenon in the literature.

An adsorbate biased dynamic 3D porous framework for inverse CO sieving over CH.

Separating carbon dioxide (CO) from acetylene (CH) is one of the most critical and complex industrial separations due to similarities in physicochemical properties and molecular dimensions. Herein, we report a novel Ni-based three-dimensional framework {[Ni(μ-OH)(μ-OH)(1,4-ndc)](3HO)} (1,4-ndc = 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylate) with a one-dimensional pore channel (3.05 × 3.

Mild chemistry synthesis of ultrathin BiOS nanosheets exhibiting 2D-ferroelectricity at room temperature.

Modern technology demands miniaturization of electronic components to build small, light, and portable devices. Hence, discovery and synthesis of new non-toxic, low cost, ultra-thin ferroelectric materials having potential applications in various electronic and optoelectronic devices are of paramount importance. However, achieving room-temperature ferroelectricity in two dimensional (2D) ultra-thin systems remains a major challenge as conventional three-dimensional ferroelectric materials lose their ferroelectricity when the thickness is brought down below a critical value owing to the depolarization field.

Microwave Assisted Fast Synthesis of a Donor-Acceptor COF Towards Photooxidative Amidation Catalysis.

The synthesis of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) at bulk scale require robust, straightforward, and cost-effective techniques. However, the traditional solvothermal synthetic methods of COFs suffer low scalability as well as requirement of sensitive reaction environment and multiday reaction time (2-10 days) which greatly restricts their practical application. Here, we report microwave assisted rapid and optimized synthesis of a donor-acceptor (D-A) based highly crystalline COF, TzPm-COF in second (10 sec) to minute (10 min) time scale.

Role of Amyloidogenic and Non-Amyloidogenic Protein Spaces in Neurodegenerative Diseases and their Mitigation Using Theranostic Agents.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) refer to a complex heterogeneous group of diseases which are associated with the accumulation of amyloid fibrils or plaques in the brain leading to progressive loss of neuronal functions. Alzheimer's disease is one of the major NDD responsible for 60-80 % of all dementia cases. Currently, there are no curative or disease-reversing/modifying molecules for many of the NDDs except a few such as donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine, carbidopa and levodopa which treat the disease-associated symptoms.

Introduction to the themed collection on 'Molecular and Nanotheranostics'.

Thimmaiah Govindaraju introduces the themed collection on molecular and nanotheranostics.

Synthesis, Optical, Dielectric, SHG, Magnetic and Visible Light Driven Catalytic Studies on Compounds Belonging to the Swedenborgite Structure.

A new compound, InBaZnGaO, with swedenborgite structure along with transition metal (TM) substituted variants have also been prepared. The structure contains layers of tetrahedral ions (Zn/Ga) connected by octahedrally coordinated In ion forming the three-dimensional structure with voids where the Ba ions occupy. The TM substituted compounds form with new colors.

Revisiting organic charge-transfer cocrystals for wide-range tunable, ambient phosphorescence.

Simple and efficient designs that enable a wide range of phosphorescence emission in organic materials have ignited scientific interest across diverse fields. One particularly promising approach is the cocrystallization strategy, where organic cocrystals are ingeniously formed through relatively weaker and dynamic non-covalent interactions. In our present study, we push the boundaries further by extending this cocrystal strategy to incorporate donor-acceptor components, stabilized by various halogen bonding interactions.

Metavalent Bonding in 2D Chalcogenides: Structural Origin and Chemical Mechanisms.

An unusual set of anomalous functional properties of rocksalt crystals of Group IV chalcogenides were recently linked to a kind of bonding termed as metavalent bonding (MVB) which involves violation of the 8-N rule. Precise mechanisms of MVB and the relevance of lone pair of Group IV cations are still debated. With restrictions of low dimensionality on the possible atomic coordination, 2D materials provide a rich platform for exploration of MVB.

Noncovalent interaction guided selectivity of haloaromatic isomers in a flexible porous coordination polymer.

Porous, supramolecular structures exhibit preferential encapsulation of guest molecules, primarily by means of differences in the order of (noncovalent) interactions. The encapsulation preferences can be for geometry (dimension and shape) and the chemical nature of the guest. While geometry-based sorting is relatively straightforward using advanced porous materials, designing a "chemical nature" specific host is not.

Small molecules and conjugates as theranostic agents.

Theranostics, the integration of therapy and diagnostics into a single entity for the purpose of monitoring disease progression and treatment response. Diagnostics involves identifying specific characteristics of a disease, while therapeutics refers to the treatment of the disease based on this identification. Advancements in medicinal chemistry and technology have led to the development of drug modalities that provide targeted therapeutic effects while also providing real-time updates on disease progression and treatment.

Controlled Noncovalent Synthesis of Secondary Supramolecular Polymers.

Dynamic supramolecular polymers, with their functional similarities to classical covalent polymers and their adaptive and self-repairing nature reminiscent of biological assemblies, have emerged as highly promising systems for the design of smart soft materials. Recent advancements in mechanistic investigations and novel synthetic strategies, such as living supramolecular polymerization, have significantly enhanced our ability to control the primary structure of these supramolecular polymers. However, realizing their full functional potential requires expanding their topological diversity in a manner akin to classical polymers as well as achieving precise molecular organization at higher hierarchical levels of self-assembly.

Dual functional therapeutics: mitigating bacterial infection and associated inflammation.

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance, coupled with the occurrence of persistent systemic infections, has already complicated clinical therapy efforts. Moreover, infections are also accompanied by strong inflammatory responses, generated by the host's innate and adaptive immune systems. The closely intertwined relationship between bacterial infection and inflammation has multiple implications on the ability of antibacterial therapeutics to tackle infection and inflammation.

Introduction to the themed collection on antimicrobial resistance.

Guest editors Jayanta Haldar, Sylvie Garneau-Tsodikova and Micha Fridman introduce the themed collection on 'Antibiotic microbial resistance'.

2D nanosheets of layered double perovskites: synthesis, photostable bright orange emission and photoluminescence blinking.

Lead (Pb)-free layered double perovskites (LDPs) with exciting optical properties and environmental stability have sparked attention in optoelectronics, but their high photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield and understanding of the PL blinking phenomenon at the single particle level are still elusive. Herein, we not only demonstrate a hot-injection route for the synthesis of two-dimensional (2D) ∼2-3 layer thick nanosheets (NSs) of LDP, CsCdBiCl (pristine), and its partially Mn-substituted analogue [, CsCdMnBiCl (Mn-substituted)], but also present a solvent-free mechanochemical synthesis of these samples as bulk powders. Bright and intense orange emission has been perceived for partially Mn-substituted 2D NSs with a relatively high PL quantum yield (PLQY) of ∼21%.

Correction: Molybdenum chloride double perovskites: dimensionality control of optical and magnetic properties.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D3SC00132F.].

Isoamphipathic antibacterial molecules regulating activity and toxicity through positional isomerism.

Peptidomimetic antimicrobials exhibit a selective interaction with bacterial cells over mammalian cells once they have achieved an optimum amphiphilic balance (hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity) in the molecular architecture. To date, hydrophobicity and cationic charge have been considered the crucial parameters to attain such amphiphilic balance. However, optimization of these properties is not enough to circumvent unwanted toxicity towards mammalian cells.

Molybdenum chloride double perovskites: dimensionality control of optical and magnetic properties.

Halide double perovskites are a promising class of semiconducting materials for applications in solar cells and other optoelectronic devices. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in these materials to study phenomena beyond optoelectronics, especially magnetism. Here, we report three new Mo (4d) based chloride double perovskites: a 3-D rock-salt ordered CsNaMoCl, a 1-D chain (MA)AgMoCl and a Dion-Jacobson type 2-D layered (1,4-BDA)AgMoCl (MA = methylammonium; 1,4-BDA = 1,4-butanediammonium).

Sidechain-Backbone Tetrel Bonding Interactions Provide a General Mechanism for trans-Peptoid Stabilization.

Cis-trans isomerization of amide bonds impedes de novo design of folded peptoids (poly-N-substituted glycines) with precise secondary structures and affects peptoid-biomolecule binding affinity. Herein, from X-ray, NMR and DFT studies of azapeptoids, we have discovered a tetrel bonding interaction that stabilizes trans-peptoids. We show that peptoids having α-heteroatoms and N-aryl groups in the sidechain adopt trans-amide geometries due to the presence of a n /π →σ* tetrel bonding interaction between the sidechain α-heteroatom lone pair (n ) or π-electrons (π ) and the σ* orbital of the backbone C -N bond.

Next-generation membrane-active glycopeptide antibiotics that also inhibit bacterial cell division.

Resistance to vancomycin, a life-saving drug against Gram-positive bacterial infections necessitates developing alternative therapeutics. Herein, we report vancomycin derivatives that assimilate mechanisms beyond d-Ala-d-Ala binding. The role of hydrophobicity towards the structure and function of the membrane-active vancomycin showed that alkyl-cationic substitutions favored broad-spectrum activity.

Sustained release of alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR) antibody-conjugated and free doxorubicin from silica nanoparticles for prostate cancer cell growth inhibition.

This article presents silica nanoparticles for the sustained release of AMACR antibody-conjugated and free doxorubicin (DOX) for the inhibition of prostate cancer cell growth. Inorganic MCM-41 silica nanoparticles were synthesized, functionalized with phenylboronic acid groups (MCM-B), and capped with dextran (MCM-B-D). The nanoparticles were then characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, zeta potential analysis, nitrogen sorption, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis, before exploring their potential for drug loading and controlled drug release.

Room temperature charge-transfer phosphorescence from organic donor-acceptor Co-crystals.

Engineering the electronic excited state manifolds of organic molecules can give rise to various functional outcomes, including ambient triplet harvesting, that has received prodigious attention in the recent past. Herein, we introduce a modular, non-covalent approach to bias the entire excited state landscape of an organic molecule using tunable 'through-space charge-transfer' interactions with appropriate donors. Although charge-transfer (CT) donor-acceptor complexes have been extensively explored as functional and supramolecular motifs in the realm of soft organic materials, they could not imprint their potentiality in the field of luminescent materials, and it still remains as a challenge.

Strong Anharmonicity-Induced Low Thermal Conductivity and High n-type Mobility in the Topological Insulator Bi Sb Te S.

Intrinsically low lattice thermal conductivity (κ ) while maintaining the high carrier mobility (μ) is of the utmost importance for thermoelectrics. Topological insulators (TI) can possess high μ due to the metallic surface states. TIs with heavy constituents and layered structure can give rise to high anharmonicity and are expected to show low κ .