Chemical Society Reviews最新文献

Starting materials for non-aqueous uranium chemistry usually must be synthesised in-house, as they are rarely available commercially. Various routes to uranium precursors in oxidation states +III to +VI have been reported and developed further according to the availability of uranium compounds. This tutorial review discusses wet-chemical and selected solid-state routes to anhydrous uranium halide, amide and borohydride starting materials in oxidation states +III to +VI suitable for research laboratories. Oxidative, reductive, as well as halide interconversion routes are discussed to give a comprehensive overview on synthetically established routes and promising directions for future development.

Magnetism has been a central theme of research in chemistry, physics, and materials science, with chemical composition and bonding playing key roles in determining magnetic behavior. Altermagnets are a newly identified class of magnetic materials that combine features of conventional ferromagnets and antiferromagnets, arising from specific symmetry and electronic structure motifs. In this review, we present a chemistry-driven viewpoint on altermagnetism, highlighting how crystal chemistry, bonding, and electronic structure enable this unconventional magnetic order. We begin by introducing the fundamental concepts required to understand altermagnets, with an emphasis on symmetry considerations, orbital character, and electronic structure signatures. We then survey the diverse material families in which altermagnetism has been identified, including pnictides, oxides, and metal-organic and covalent-organic frameworks, drawing attention to coordination environments and structure-property relationships that favor altermagnetic order. We subsequently present experimental approaches which are useful for the synthesis and characterization of altermagnetic materials. We examine ab initio materials discovery as a promising strategy for identifying new altermagnets, emphasizing how chemical constraints, such as symmetry and bonding, can guide computational searches. Other than their intrinsic importance, altermagnets provide interesting possibilities for technology. For this reason, we highlight possible applications that may be enabled through altermagnetic materials, along with their coupling with existing orders such as ferroelectricity and superconductivity. In conclusion, we point out some challenges and prospects, where chemically-based design guidelines can play an important role towards advancing altermagnetism research. In summary, this review offers an account of recent developments in altermagnetism, from basic concepts to the current state-of-the-art.

Organosulfur compounds, including thiols, thiobenzoic acids, and arene thiolates, have emerged as versatile and sustainable catalysts in visible-light photochemistry. Their ability to serve as photocatalysts, hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) reagents, and electron donors enables direct photoexcitation to generate S-centered radicals that participate in single-electron transfer (SET) and HAT processes under mild, metal-free conditions. This review highlights recent advances (2013-2026) in the multifunctional roles of organosulfur compounds, with a focus on three distinct behaviors: (1) as photocatalysts enabling redox-neutral cross-couplings; (2) HAT catalysts for selective C-H and X-H bond functionalization; and (3) electron donors via EDA complex formation. Mechanistic insights and synthetic applications are discussed, with an emphasis on green chemistry principles such as catalyst-free conditions, low toxicity, and the use of visible light. The review concludes with an outlook on current limitations and future opportunities for sulfur-based photochemistry in sustainable synthesis.

Intracellular energy conversion and information transfer are associated with local fluctuations of multiple physical fields, including chemical concentration field, thermal field, magnetic field, electric field and mechanical force field. How these fields coordinately influence cellular activities in space and time remains largely unknown. Imaging platforms that convert physical field fluctuations into optical signals provide essential tools for in situ sensing of these invisible physical fields at the single cell level. While existing reviews largely focus on optical probes for a single physical field, a systematic discussion linking cellular activities to multi-field synergy is still lacking. In this review, we propose the concept of "physical field-optical signal conversion" as a bridge that links physical field fluctuations to optical signals, and then systematically summarize signal readout systems designed for imaging multiple physical fields in single living cells. We summarize in detail how multi-physical field imaging can address biological questions that single dimensional detection cannot resolve. Finally, we comprehensively discuss the challenges and future prospects of single cell multi-physical field imaging, with the aim of fostering a deeper understanding of intracellular signalling pathways and life processes.

Quantum materials offer a powerful platform for exploring emergent condensed matter phenomena and developing functional devices, owing to their tunable electronic structures, quasiparticle excitations and collective quantum effects. Layered superlattices are a class of layered heterostructures formed by the periodic stacking of two or more sublattices along the direction perpendicular to the layers, with the constituent layers differing in composition, structure, or electronic properties. Such structural versatility establishes layered superlattices as a materials platform for connecting emergent quantum states with functional implementation. This review systematically summarizes the classification of sublattices in layered superlattices, including systems composed of inorganic sublattices and hybrid architectures comprising organic components and coordination-complex building blocks. It then discusses the major fabrication strategies, ranging from physical assembly to chemical synthesis, with an emphasis on the material compatibility, structural controllability and scalability of each approach. The review examines how quantum confinement, resonant tunneling, interlayer coupling and cooperative interfacial effects govern emergent physical properties and device performance. Recent progress in superconductivity, thermoelectrics, optoelectronic detection, sensing, and energy storage and conversion is also summarized. Finally, this review discusses key challenges in structural control, scalable synthesis, stability improvement, dynamic characterization and nonequilibrium photophysics, while highlighting future opportunities enabled by machine learning, high-throughput experimentation, multiscale simulations and advanced characterization. Layered superlattices are poised to accelerate the transition of quantum materials from structural design to functional integration and to provide a materials foundation for future electronic, optoelectronic and energy technologies.

Perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells (PSTSCs) are among the most promising photovoltaic technologies for surpassing the efficiency limits of single-junction solar cells. A major breakthrough in this field has been the introduction of ultrathin hole-selective self-assembled monolayers (HS-SAMs). These molecular interfacial layers enable precise energy-level alignment, efficient hole extraction, and effective passivation of interfacial defects, while remaining compatible with textured silicon and large-area substrates. In this review, we discuss the molecular design principles of HS-SAMs, including anchoring groups, conjugated donor units, linkers, dipole engineering, wettability, and packing density, highlighting how these parameters influence charge extraction, perovskite crystallization, interfacial passivation, and device stability. We also summarize key advances in PSTSCs enabled by HS-SAMs, including a certified PCE of 29.2% with Me-4PACz and efficiencies above 32% with optimized PACz derivatives and 32.5% with 2PACz/IZO interlayers, together with operational stability exceeding 1000 h under damp-heat or continuous illumination conditions. By consolidating recent progress in molecular engineering, interfacial passivation, scalable deposition, and manufacturability, this review identifies HS-SAMs as a cornerstone for the development of efficient, stable, and commercially relevant perovskite and perovskite/silicon tandem photovoltaics.

Liquid hydrocarbon separation is in great demand in the modern petrochemical industry. Membrane-based liquid hydrocarbon separation has emerged as a next-generation technology with great potential to address energy and environmental challenges, representing one of the most rapidly evolving and demanding frontiers. Despite its promise to revolutionize energy-intensive processes, practical application remains hindered by the complexity of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures and the stringent requirements on membrane materials. In this review, microenvironment engineering is employed as the central concept to establish an integrated chain linking molecular transport mechanisms, material design, and industrial applications of liquid hydrocarbon separation membranes (LHSMs). Based on the molecular transmembrane transport mechanisms, we identify typical microenvironments in LHSMs and systematically classify liquid hydrocarbon separations into coarse, precise, and ultrafine regimes. This mechanism-based understanding of membrane microenvironments and separation regimes represents the first unified classification framework for LHSMs. Furthermore, we highlight membrane microenvironment engineering as a critical bridge connecting advanced membrane materials with practical separation performance. In particular, we propose the efficient management of membrane microenvironments, which enables the reproducibility and scalability of membrane fabrication while ensuring effective separation performance. Moreover, emerging techniques for microenvironment engineering are discussed, including in situ and operando monitoring techniques, as well as machine learning/artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted microenvironment engineering. Finally, future directions are outlined, including deeper mechanistic understanding, scalable membrane fabrication and process integration, LHSM-specific fouling understanding, and operando- and data-driven microenvironment engineering. Collectively, this review provides a coherent roadmap for the rational design and practical implementation of next-generation membranes for sustainable liquid hydrocarbon separations.