Cellulose-based fluorescent materials for real-time visual detection of Fe3+/Cu2+ ions and anti-counterfeiting.

Heterointerface engineering via dual modification stabilizes O3-type layered oxides cathodes for high-voltage sodium-ion batteries.

Electronic delocalization in polyoxometalates creates electron highways for ultrastable lithium storage.

Interplay of chemical toxicants and urban microenvironments in the oxidative potential and comprehensive risk of road dust.

Defect-engineered N/Mn-doped iron-based transition metal silicate from copper smelting slag enable radical/nonradical pathway switching for efficient butyl xanthate degradation.

Comprehensive strategy through regulating specific atomic orbitals of electrocatalytic sites by heteronuclear double-atom doping for improving alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction.

Progress in methanol engine exhaust aftertreatment catalysts: Activity sources and synergistic mechanisms from precious metals to transition metal oxides

Adjacent quadruple-symmetric nitrogen-site doping enables high-efficiency multifunctional electrocatalysts based on graphene-supported transition metals: A DFT study

Prediction of superlubrication performance and friction mechanism of transition metal and nitrogen-doped bilayer graphene driven by machine learning

The reduction of carboxylic acid derivatives to alcohols and amines ranks among the most fundamental transformations in synthetic chemistry, with molecular hydrogen offering an atom-economical and sustainable approach to access these valuable products. While these reactions have traditionally relied on noble metal catalysts, the past decade has witnessed remarkable progress in the development of earth-abundant 3d transition metal alternatives. This review surveys recent advances in homogeneous manganese, iron, and cobalt catalysis for the hydrogenation of esters, amides, and nitriles. Special emphasis is placed on ligand design strategies, ranging from classical pincer architectures featuring metal-ligand cooperation to emerging N-heterocyclic carbene and non-pincer frameworks. For each metal, we discuss the evolution of catalytic systems, their substrate scope, and operational characteristics. Mechanistic aspects are examined in detail, revealing diverse activation modes including outer-sphere and inner-sphere pathways, aromatization-dearomatization processes, and Lewis acid-base cooperativity. The review highlights how increasing electron density at the metal center through ligand modification enhances hydride donor ability and catalytic activity. Recent breakthroughs in polyester depolymerization and challenging substrate classes demonstrate the potential of these base metal catalysts for circular economy applications. This comprehensive overview provides a foundation for future catalyst development and mechanistic investigation in this rapidly evolving field. • Comprehensive review on manganese, iron and cobalt catalysts for hydrogenation of esters, amides and nitriles • Mechanistic analysis reveals diverse pathways beyond classical MLC cooperativity • Recent advances enable polyester depolymerization for circular economy applications

Maximizing oxygen vacancy content via Ni/Mo/S triple-doping and electrochemical surface reconstruction for highly efficient oxygen evolution reaction.

Regulating the d-band center of tungsten‑molybdenum bimetallic alloys via incomplete carbon coating for enhanced proton dissociation and the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution of transition metal sulfides.

g-C3N4/transition metal dichalcogenide hybrid assemblies for emerging pharmaceutical drug detection: Recent advances in electrochemical sensing.

Outer mitochondrial membrane fusion is mediated by the mitofusin paralogs Mfn1 and Mfn2. Nucleotide-driven self-assembly and conformational changes are required for regulated membrane fusion activity, but the allosteric mechanisms remain enigmatic due to incomplete structural information. In this study, we investigate the GTP-coupled conformational dynamics of Mfn1 using time-resolved transition metal ion fluorescence resonance energy transfer (tmFRET). Using the minimal Mfn1 construct with the GTPase domain and helical bundle 1 (HB1) connected by Hinge 2, we engineered FRET pairs by incorporating a fluorescent noncanonical amino acid donor and a metal ion acceptor. For each state of the catalytic cycle, we measured tmFRET with fluorescence lifetimes and determined distance distributions, which can capture complex structural heterogeneity. Our distance measurements for the GDP-bound state matched predictions from the atomic resolution structure, establishing that the same open state, with GTPase and HB1 domains far apart, exists in solution. Our data reveal that the transition state is not a single closed state with HB1 stably contacting the GTPase domain. Rather, the distance distributions indicate that the presence of GDP + Pi results in an equilibrium between the open and closed states. We also captured the GTP-bound and nucleotide-free states of Mfn1. GTP binding favors the open state, and the conformation of the apo state is distinct from any nucleotide-bound state. Together, these findings redefine our understanding of GTP-driven conformational dynamics in Mfn1, demonstrating an unexpected conformational reversal in a single catalytic cycle and a heterogeneous transition state ensemble with implications for the mechanism and regulation of mitochondrial membrane fusion.

• The first Mo/phenanthroline polymeric hybrid applied for catalytic olefin epoxidation • Robust performance of the Mo/phenanthroline hybrid catalyst for limonene valorization • Limonene to limonene oxide with TOF of thousands per hour and high selectivity • Hybrid generates soluble active species that self-construct into the original hybrid • Structure of peroxo active species inferred from catalytic and spectroscopic evidence In this work, the first Mo/phenanthroline polymeric hybrid is reported for the chemical valorization of biobased olefins via selective catalytic epoxidation. Catalytic epoxidation is of strategic importance to the chemical industry, as it produces epoxides that serve as renewable key intermediates for many end-user products. A relevant example is limonene (Lim), a terpene abundantly found in biobased waste, which can be valorized to limonene oxide (LimO) for the manufacture of renewable chemicals and materials. Molybdenum coordination compounds are effective epoxidation catalysts due to their ability to coordinate with a wide range of ligands. Among them, the bidentate N,N′ -donor ligand 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) is attractive because of its strong affinity toward transition metals and its stable, versatile heterocyclic structure. A newly developed hybrid, namely [MoO 3 (phen)] ( 2 ), was synthesized from the mononuclear precursor [MoO 2 Cl 2 (phen)] ( 1 ) using water as the solvent. Its structure was investigated using a combination of techniques, including elemental and thermogravimetric analyses, ATR FT-IR and Raman vibrational spectroscopies, powder X-ray diffraction, and solid-state 13 C{ 1 H} magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy. This hybrid promoted the catalytic epoxidation of Lim with tert -butyl hydroperoxide at 70°C, with a turnover frequency of 2000 mol mol Mo −1 h −1 and 100% selectivity toward LimO. This study combines the identification of the structure of the active species, the investigation of catalytic reaction conditions, and mechanistic studies supported by kinetic modeling. The results suggest the formation of monooxodiperoxomolybdenum active species and a mechanism involving hydroperoxide activation followed by oxo transfer to Lim, giving LimO.

An ongoing goal to use Main Group elements like phosphorus to promote transition metal-type reactivity has received significant attention across the chemistry community. Transition metal (TM) complexes are unique because their frontier orbitals are closed spaced with the proper symmetry to activate small molecules and then incorporate them, in the presence of additional substrates, into a two-electron catalytic cycle, affording higher value chemicals. By using multidentate ligands to structurally distort trivalent P-centers into a strained geometry, a frontier orbital environment similar to a TM can be unlocked. This Perspective will highlight specific examples where geometrically confined P(III)-species directly promote bond activation via two-electron processes like oxidative addition or phosphorus-ligand cooperativity. In some cases, a second substrate can be introduced, and catalytic transformations like (transfer) hydrogenation, hydroboration, hydrodefluorination, hydrosilylation, etc. that normally occur with transition metal complexes can be achieved. Related two-electron functionalization processes with P-heterocycles that hinge on manipulating strain will also be discussed.

Li/Cu synergistic stabilization surface in P2-type Mn-based layered oxides: inhibiting Jahn-Teller effect via regulating spin state for stable sodium-ion batteries.

Metformin (Met), a widely prescribed antidiabetic drug, has gained growing attention in oncology because of its dual roles in metabolic regulation and metal coordination. Its biguanide moiety offers a flexible chelating framework to form stable complexes with transition metals, influencing their redox potential and biological behaviour. In such systems, the metal centre dictates redox characteristics and geometry, while Met enhances aqueous solubility and biomolecular recognition. These synergistic features make metal-metformin complexes promising scaffolds for anticancer drug development through DNA/protein binding and cleavage activities. This review focuses on complexes of Met with bio-relevant first-row transition metals, particularly chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni), which have attracted increasing interest over the years, while also briefly addressing comparatively less explored Mn-, Fe- and Zn-based systems to highlight current limitations and future prospects. Consistent with their coordination geometries and electronic configurations, most reported complexes exhibit groove-type DNA binding. Here, we summarize recent progress in the synthesis, structural characterization and biological evaluation of these systems, highlighting how metal coordination modulates Met's properties toward the rational design of redox-active metallodrugs with anticancer therapeutic potential.

Transition metal/dECM hydrogel complexation for large-sized cell spheroid.

Efficient, low-cost, and stable electrocatalysts are critical for sustainable hydrogen production. In this work, single transition metal (TM) atoms anchored on Stone-Wales defect graphene (SW-G) were investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. SW defects provide stable anchoring sites, modulating the electronic structure and hydrogen adsorption behavior of graphene. Among the studied systems, V@SW-G, Mn@SW-G, Ni@SW-G, Cr@SW-G, and Rh@SW-G show Gibbs free energies of hydrogen adsorption (ΔGH*) near zero, indicating favorable HER activity. Electronic structure analysis reveals that strong metal-substrate interactions and defect-induced charge transfer weaken the direct correlation between the d-band center and ΔGH*, while the d-band center-Bader charge relationship highlights the role of electronic reconstruction. Kinetic analysis further shows that different TM@SW-G catalysts preferentially follow distinct HER pathways. This work provides mechanistic insights into defect-regulated single-atom catalysis and guides the rational design of high-performance graphene-based HER catalysts.