Nickel-rich layered oxide cathode materials such as LiNi_0.8Co_0.1Mn_0.1O₂ (NCM811) undergo deleterious side reactions when coupled with sulfide solid-state electrolytes (SSEs). To address this issue, we propose a dual-functional Ti₃(PO₄)₄ coating for NCM811 cathode to achieve a highly stable interface between NCM811 and sulfide SSEs. The electrochemically stabilized Ti₃(PO₄)₄ coating prevents direct contact between the SSEs and NCM811, thereby inhibiting interfacial side reactions. In addition, the internal structure of NCM811 can be stabilized by Ti doping, which inhibits the oxygen release behavior of NCM811 at high charge state, preventing further electrochemical oxidation of the SSEs. The modified NCM811@TiP cathode exhibits excellent long cycle stability, with 74.4% capacity retention after 100 cycles at a cut-off voltage of 4.2 V. This work provides a new insight for cathode modification based on nickel-rich layered oxides and sulfide-based all-solid-state lithium batteries.

Electrochemical reduction of nitrate (NO₃^-) serves as an eco-friendly friendly alternative to the conventional Haber-Bosch ammonia (NH₃) synthesis process. The Cu electrocatalyst is widely recognized for its strong adsorption capacity towards nitrate, but its limited H adsorption and slow hydrogenation of oxynitride intermediates hinder the efficiency of converting NO₃^- into NH₃. Herein, a series of nanocomposite catalysts composed of CuO nanostructure with low NiO content that grow in-situ on carbon paper (CuO/NiO_x-CP) were synthesized via hydrothermal method and calcination for enhanced nitrate electroreduction utilizing the strong nitrate adsorption capacity of copper and excellent water dissociation ability of NiO to supply hydrogen free radicals (^·H). In-situ Raman spectroscopy reveals dynamic reconstruction of Cu/NiO_x during the electrochemical nitrate reduction process from CuO/NiO_x. Due to the synergistic effect of Cu and NiO, a high Faradaic efficiency (FE, ～97.9%) and yield rate (YR, 391.5 μmol h^-1 cm^-2) of ammonia are achieved on CuO/NiO_2.3%-CP. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) proves that the presence of NiO enhances the generation of ^·H, which can be rapidly consumed during nitrate reduction process. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the activation energy of NiO (0.57 eV) is much lower than Cu (0.84 eV) for water splitting to generate ^·H, thus facilitating *NO hydrogenations. This drives us to create more effective catalysts for nitrate reduction under neutral conditions by promoting H₂O dissociation.

Herein, we report an iron-promoted carbonylation-rearrangement of α-aminoaryl-tethered alkylidene cyclopropanes with CO₂ to generate quinolinofuran derivatives. A variety of quinolinofuran derivatives are obtained in moderate to excellent yields, and two promising luminescent material molecules have been synthesized using the developed method. The Lewis acid FeCl₃ was introduced into this reaction, which effectively promoted the ring opening and rearrangement of cyclopropanes. This reaction features a broad substrate scope, satisfactory functional group tolerance, facile scalability, and easy derivatization of the products.

Mixed polyanion phosphate Na₄Fe₃(PO₄)₂P₂O₇ (NFPP) is regarded as the most promising cathode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), due to its high structural stability and low-cost environmental friendliness. However, its intrinsic low conductivity and sluggish Na⁺ diffusion restricted the fast-charge and low-temperature sodium storage. Herein, an NFPP composite encapsulated by in-situ pyrolytic carbon and coupled with expanded graphite (NFPP@C/EG) was constructed via a sol-gel method followed by a ball-mill procedure. Due to the dual-carbon modified strategy, this NFPP@C/EG only enhanced the electronic conductivity, but also endowed more channels for Na⁺ diffusion. As cathode for SIBs, the optimized NFPP (M-NFPP@C/EG) delivers excellent rate capability (capacity of ～80.5 mAh/g at 50 C) and outstanding cycling stability (11000 cycles at 50 C with capacity retention of 89.85%). Additionally, cyclic voltammetry (CV) confirmed that its sodium storage behavior is pseudocapacitance-controlled, with in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) further elucidating improvements in electrode reaction kinetics. At lower temperatures (0 ℃), M-NFPP@C/EG demonstrated exceptional cycling performance (8800 cycles at 10 C with capacity retention of 95.81%). Moreover, pouch cells also exhibited excellent stability. This research demonstrates the feasibility of a dual carbon modification strategy in enhancing NFPP and proposes a low-cost, high-rate, and ultra-stable cathode material for SIBs.

Hyperforatone A (1), the 1,8-seco rearranged polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinol, possessed an unusual bicyclo[5.4.0]undecane skeleton bearing a 5/7/6/5 ring system, and two known biosynthetically related precursors (2 and 3) were isolated from Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort). The structure and absolute configuration were unambiguously confirmed by a combination of comprehensive spectroscopic data, computational methods including residual dipolar couplings (RDCs), and X-ray crystallography. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the cationic cyclization reaction was key to proposed formation mechanism for hyperforatone A. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that compound 1 was a potential anti-neuroinflammatory agent.

Element Transfer Reaction (ETR) theory is a new fundamental theory guiding the design of synthetic routes. It analyses problems from a brand-new perspective of element circulation, decomposing the factors affecting synthetic efficiency into three elements: element sources, driving force, and output. Different from the retrosynthetic analysis method and the atom economy theory, the ETR theory places more emphasis on examining the problem as a whole and comprehensively considering various factors involved in industrial applications. This perspective intends to elaborate on the scientific connotation of the ETR theory and explore its characteristics by discussing the practical application cases.

Pyrazole derivatives have made impressive achievements in the discovery of new pesticides, especially novel fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides. The pyrazole ring containing two adjacent nitrogen atoms is an important active fragment, which showed broad-spectrum and efficient biological activities. With the great interest and focus on pyrazoles, it is necessary to keep up-to-date with the latest research progress on pyrazole derivatives in the discovery of new pesticides. Based on this, we reviewed the progress and applications of pyrazole derivatives in the discovery of fungicides, antibacterial agents, insecticides, herbicides, antiviral agents, and nematicides in the past decade, summarized the fungicidal, antibacterial, insecticidal, herbicidal, antiviral, and nematicidal activities of pyrazoles, as well as the synthetic methods of the representative compounds. We also discussed the structure-activity relationship (SAR) and mechanism of action of the active compounds, aiming to provide new clues and ideas for the search of new pyrazole pesticides with high efficiency, low toxicity, and unique mechanism of action.

P-stereogenic compounds play pivotal roles in natural products, pharmaceuticals, bioactive molecules, and catalysts/ligands, making their synthesis a highly researched area. Current studies have predominantly concentrated on fully carbon-substituted P-stereogenic species, despite the fact that many therapeutically relevant compounds feature P-O, P-N, or P-S bonds. The catalytic and stereoselective nucleophilic substitution at the P-center is acknowledged as a highly efficient and straightforward approach for constructing high-value P-stereogenic compounds, offering significant potential for further development. This review provides an overview of advancements in the construction of P-stereogenic centers based on P-centered nucleophilic substitution, highlighting key challenges, breakthroughs, and future opportunities in the field.

A category of highly fused diterpenoid natural products possessing a characteristic perhydropyrene-like or rearranged tetracyclic skeleton structure are distributed in different life forms. Compared to traditional polycyclic diterpenoids, their biosynthetic pathways are quite unique and diverse. Chemists have pinpointed a range of this type of unusual diterpenoids: cycloamphilectanes and isocycloamphilectanes, kempenes and rippertanes, hydropyrene and hydropyrenol, along with recently disclosed cephalotanes. This review describes developments in this field and discusses the challenges associated with synthesizing this class of highly complex compounds.

Plant bacterial diseases cause significant harm to agricultural production because of their frequent, intermittent and regional outbreaks. Currently, chemical control is still a more effective method for bacterial disease. To develop new, efficient and safe antibacterial agrochemicals, we summarize the research progress of compounds with antibacterial activities in the past ten years, classify them according to their active skeletons, and discuss their structure-activity relationships and mechanisms of action. Finally, the development trend of antibacterial agrochemicals was prospected. This review provides valuable information for the development of antibacterial agrochemicals.

Antibiotic-contaminated wastewater poses a global threat to aquatic ecosystems. Fenton-like oxidative processes effectively decompose recalcitrant pollutants. While these oxidative processes effectively break down target contaminants, they may also produce uncontrolled intermediates, potentially resulting in unexpected combined toxicities. This review explores the chemical mechanisms behind Fenton-like reactions, particularly in antibiotic removal, and evaluates the formation of byproducts and their potential toxicological effects. Furthermore, recommendations for optimizing catalyst design and treatment conditions are provided to enhance degradation performance while minimizing ecological risks. This study highlights critical concerns regarding the toxicity of degradation byproducts and their impact on ecosystems by integrating chemical and biological risk assessments. By integrating chemical and biological risk assessments with computational toxicology, particularly quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) modeling, this study proposes a comprehensive approach to evaluate degradation and toxicity. This work highlights the importance of a comprehensive framework for evaluating degradation efficiency and toxicity, contributing to safer and more effective antibiotic wastewater treatment strategies. The findings underscore the importance of balancing degradation efficiency with environmental safety in wastewater treatment processes involving advanced oxidative technologies.

Energy storage plays a critical role in sustainable development, with secondary batteries serving as vital technologies for efficient energy conversion and utilization. This review provides a comprehensive summary of recent advancements across various battery systems, including lithium-ion, sodium-ion, potassium-ion, and multivalent metal-ion batteries such as magnesium, zinc, calcium, and aluminum. Emerging technologies, including dual-ion, redox flow, and anion batteries, are also discussed. Particular attention is given to alkali metal rechargeable systems, such as lithium-sulfur, lithium-air, sodium-sulfur, sodium-selenium, potassium-sulfur, potassium-selenium, potassium-air, and zinc-air batteries, which have shown significant promise for high-energy applications. The optimization of key components—cathodes, anodes, electrolytes, and interfaces—is extensively analyzed, supported by advanced characterization techniques like time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), synchrotron radiation, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and in-situ spectroscopy. Moreover, sustainable strategies for recycling spent batteries, including pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, and direct recycling, are critically evaluated to mitigate environmental impacts and resource scarcity. This review not only highlights the latest technological breakthroughs but also identifies key challenges in reaction mechanisms, material design, system integration, and waste battery recycling, and presents a roadmap for advancing high-performance and sustainable battery technologies.

Agrochemicals, especially plant growth regulators (PGRs), are extensively used to modulate endogenous phytohormone signals in small quantities, significantly influencing plant growth and development. Plant hormones typically exhibit diverse chemical structures, with common examples including indole rings, terpenoid frameworks, adenine motifs, cyclic lactones, cyclopentanones, and steroidal compounds, which are extensively employed in pesticides. This article explores the interactions and biological activities of small molecules on proteins, enzymes, and other reactive sites involved in the biosynthesis, metabolism, transport, and signal transduction pathways of various plant hormones. Additionally, it analyzes the structure-activity relationships (SARs) of pesticides incorporating these structural motifs to elucidate the relationship between active fragments, pharmacophores, and targets, highlighting the characteristics of potent small molecules and their derivatives. This comprehensive review aims to provide novel perspectives for the development and design of pesticides, offering valuable insights for researchers in the field.

Linear mRNA vaccines are constrained by exonuclease susceptibility and instability, leading to compromised antigen expression. Circular RNA (circRNA) lacking canonical 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions demonstrates intrinsic exonuclease resistance. Current circularization strategies face three principal limitations: chemical methods produce non-native 2′,5′-phosphodiester bonds; ribozyme-mediated approaches are restricted to RNA fragments shorter than 500 nucleotides; the Anabaena Group I intron system retains immunogenic exon sequences. In contrast, the self-splicing Group I intron ribozyme from Tetrahymena enables precisely controlled circularization through autonomous structural rearrangement, yielding exon-free constructs. Through optimized purification protocols, historical scalability challenges are systematically addressed. This Perspective establishes the mechanistic rationale and therapeutic superiority of this engineered RNA circularization platform.

Catalytic electron donor-acceptor (EDA) complex photochemistry has recently emerged as a popular and sustainable alternative to photoredox synthetic methods. Yet, the catalytic EDA strategy is still in its infancy for organic synthesis due to the challenges of designing novel catalytic paradigm and expanding the substrate and reaction scope. Here, we disclose a catalytic EDA/Cu cooperative strategy by employing NaI as a catalytic donor for copper-catalyzed radical asymmetric carbocyanation. A diverse range of synthetically useful chiral benzyl nitriles are produced with high enantioselectivities. This synergetic EDA/copper catalysis enables the decarboxylative cyanation without request of any photoredox catalysts, further expanding the synthetic potential of catalytic EDA chemistry in organic synthesis.

Molecular recognition of fullerene using various host compounds is well-known in literature. But most studies focus on host-guest complexation in solution using host compounds with a single binding cavity. Herein, we report a series of highly preorganized janusarene derivatives with homoditopic binding sites. These novel janusarenes can bind and align various fullerenes such as C₆₀, C₇₀, C₈₄, and Gd@C₈₂ in a highly efficient manner. Robust shape complementary association and assembly are observed in solution, in the bulk solid state, in the liquid crystalline state, or on surface, and the assembled structures are characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) titration, X-ray diffraction, polarized optical microscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy.

With the rapid development of electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and smart grids, people's demand for large-scale energy storage devices is increasingly intense. As a new type of secondary battery, potassium ion battery is promising to replace the lithium-ion battery in the field of large-scale energy storage by virtue of its low price and environmental friendliness. At present, the research on the anode materials of potassium ion batteries mainly focuses on carbon materials and the design of various nanostructured metal-based materials. Problems such as poor rate performance and inferior cycle life caused by electrode structure comminution during charge and discharge have not been solved. Quantum dots/nanodots materials are a new type of nanomaterials that can effectively improve the utilization of electrode materials and reduce production costs. In addition, quantum dots/nanodots materials can enhance the electrode reaction kinetics, reduce the stress generated in cycling, and effectively alleviate the agglomeration and crushing of electrode materials. In this review, we will systematically introduce the synthesis methods, K⁺ storage properties and K⁺ storage mechanisms of carbon quantum dots and carbon-based transition metal compound quantum dots composites. This review will have significant references for potassium ion battery researchers.

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have always been regarded as having great development potential in the field of oil-based lubrication due to their designable structures, functional groups, and abundant active sites. However, understanding the structure-performance relationship between the chemical structure of 2D nanomaterials and their lubrication performance from a comprehensive perspective is crucial for guiding their future development. This review provides a timely and comprehensive overview of the applications of 2D nanomaterials in oil-based lubrication. First, the bottlenecks and mechanisms of action of 2D nanomaterials are outlined, including adsorption protective films, charge adsorption effects, tribochemical reaction films, interlayer slip, and synergistic effects. On this basis, the review summarizes recent structural regulation strategies for 2D nanomaterials, including doping engineering, surface modification, structural optimization, and interfacial mixing engineering. Then, the focus was on analyzing the structure-performance relationship between the chemical structure of 2D nanomaterials and their lubrication performance. The effects of thickness, number of layers, sheet diameter, interlayer spacing, Moiré patterns, wettability, functional groups, concentration, as well as interfacial compatibility and dispersion behavior of 2D nanomaterials were systematically investigated in oil-based lubrication, with the intrinsic correlations resolved through computational simulations. Finally, the review offers a preliminary summary of the significant challenges and future directions for 2D nanomaterials in oil-based lubrication. This review aims to provide valuable insights and development strategies for the rational design of high-performance oil-based lubrication materials.

The efficient limitation of the "shuttle effect" of polysulfide from the rational construction of electrocatalysts to accelerate the redox kinetics of polysulfides is extremely important. In this work, the cobalt/Nickel bimetallic alloy polyhedrons decorated on layered TiO₂ heterostructure (CoNi@TiO₂/C) derived from MXene and bimetallic metal-organic framework have been prepared through liquid-phase deposition and high-temperature annealing processes. This heterostructure presents excellent electrical conductivity, which facilitates ion diffusion and electron transfer within the battery. Besides, the heterostructure from anchoring the CoNi bimetallic alloy on the layered TiO₂ ensures the full exposure of active sites and accelerates polysulfide redox kinetics through chemisorption and catalytic conversion. Considering these advantages mentioned above, when applied as the lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) separator modifier, the cell assembled from the CoNi@TiO₂/C modified separator demonstrates high specific capacity (1481.7 mAh/g at 0.5 C), superior rate capability (855.5 mAh/g at 3 C) and excellent cycling performance, which can maintain the high capacity of 856.09 mAh/g after 300 cycles with low capacity decay rate of 0.09% per cycle. Even under a high sulfur loading of 4.4 mg/cm², the cell can still present excellent cycling stability. This study paves the way for the design of novel material for the construction of an outstanding functional separator layer and shines the light on the effective and feasible way for the inhibition of shuttle effect in lithium-sulfur batteries.

Small interfering RNAs (siRNA) provide a novel and highly specific therapy due to their ability to effectively silence target genes, to date six siRNA therapeutics are approved for clinical use. Even so, some critical challenges remain to overcome in the therapeutic application of siRNAs, with delivery issues at the forefront. Among them, endo/lysosomal barrier is one of the important but often-neglected limitations hindering the delivery of siRNA therapeutics. In this review, we summarize the promising strategies that facilitate siRNAs overcoming endo/lysosomal barriers based on the cellular uptake and intracellular transport pathways, including promoting escape once endocytosis into the endo/lysosomes and bypassing lysosomes via endosome-Golgi-endoplasmic reticulum (ER) pathway or nonendocytosis pathway, and discuss the principal considerations and the future directions of promoting endo/lysosomal escape in the development of therapeutic siRNAs.

Glioma is the most common malignant tumor of the brain. The postoperative recurrence rate was high, and the 2-year survival rate only increased by 20%-25%. The reason is the blood-brain barrier (BBB). BBB is a physical barrier that stabilizes the physiological environment of brain tissue and protects the central nervous system from the invasion of harmful substances. Drug delivery based on nanotechnology and nanocarriers has attracted much attention due to its biological safety, continuous drug release time, increasing solubility, biological drug activity, and enhanced BBB permeability. By modifying different substances on the surface of nanocarriers, the BBB is bypassed by receptor-mediated and cell endocytosis and exocytosis. In addition, the purpose of bypassing BBB-targeted drug delivery can also be achieved by intranasal administration and local administration. This paper reviews different target transport mechanisms, mainly in invasive and non-invasive strategies, the nanocarriers that have made progress and the nanocarrier strategy of bypassing BBB are listed.

Bicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes (BCHs) are structurally unique C(sp³)-rich bicyclic hydrocarbons that are gaining prominence in the field of medicinal chemistry as bioisosteres of benzenoids. The nitrile is an important functionality in drug development due to its ability to improve physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties and facilitate potential noncovalent interactions with drug targets. Consequently, cyano-arene motifs are commonly found in drug development. The introduction of cyano-BCHs as potential bioisosteres of cyano-arenes shows great promise; however, there are currently no catalytic methods available for their synthesis. Herein, we report a palladium-catalyzed enantioselective [2σ + 2π] cycloadditions of bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes with arylidenemalononitriles for the preparation of chiral cyano-BCHs. This method accommodated a wide range of substrates and tolerated various functional groups. The cyano-BCH products could be transformed to molecules with diverse functionality. Control experiments suggest that the reaction proceeds via a zwitterionic intermediate generated by palladium-mediated ring opening of vinyl-carbonyl bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes followed by stereoselective 1,2-addition and intramolecular allylic substitution reactions.