In this paper, we design a new interrupted AST‐type zeolitic imidazolate framework with cub and interrupted ast cages, which exhibits permanent porosity, high hydrophobicity and strong solid‐state photoluminescent properties. More details are discussed in the article by Wang & Zhang et al. on page 449–452.
Cryo‐electron diffraction tomography (Cryo‐EDT) has been developed to determine the crystal structures of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and their host‐guest interaction at the atomic precision, whose crystals are only submicron‐sized, organic, porous, and dynamic. The keys of 3D electron diffraction (3D‐ED) techniques are low‐dose beam, sample cryo‐handling, fast data collection, sensitive detector, and direct space structure solution. We envision the development of COF chemistry will be propelled by such powerful 3D‐ED techniques for a better understanding at the molecular level and correlation of structures to chemicophysical properties. More details are discussed in the article by Zhang et al. on page 1153—1166.
The back cover picture shows the first LA‐catalyzed [3+2]IMCC of GDA‐epoxides with carbon‐carbon double bonds. This provides an efficient and general strategy for construction of bridged oxa‐[n.2.1] skeletons. A novel SN‐like mechanism through a carbon‐carbon bond cleavage of epoxide ring has been proposed. The colorful fireworks in the picture imply the generation of skeletal diversity from the epoxide‐diene, and express a dedication to the 100th Anniversary of Nankai University as well. More details are discussed in the article by Wang et al. on page 695–699.
The inside cover picture shows a dehydrative glycosylation mediated by 2‐aryl‐1,3‐dithiane 1‐oxides. Upon activation of the sulfoxide of the reagent with Tf2O, a temporary leaving group is installed on 1‐OH sugar, which undergoes a comproportionation reaction to deliver the oxocarbenium ion, thus facilitates the glycosylation reaction. In the picture, the ring formed by two great egrets represents the important cyclic 1,3‐dithiane 1‐oxides dehydrative reagent. This picture was captured in Xiangshan town, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province of China by Mr. Yuguo Chen. More details are discussed in the article by Wan et al. on page 43—49.
The cover picture shows a typical building within the Campus of Xiamen University displaying Chen Jiageng (Tan Kah Kee)'s style. Just like many beautiful buildings designed and constructed by human, Nature “designs and constructs” a huge number of useful molecules with fascinating structures called natural products. Many natural products possess a fused six or seven‐membered carbocyclic unity. On page 315–322, the Huang's group disclosed a three‐step “[2+n]” annulation method for the construction of fused six and seven‐membered carbocyclic enimines and enones. The method starts from simple cyclic ketones and terminal olefinic amides, and relies on both the Suzuki coupling reaction and the olefin‐amide based Friedel‐Crafts type acylating reaction, a method developed by Huang and coworkers.
The back cover picture shows an electrochemical strategy for the borylation of aryl iodides via a radical pathway using current as a driving force. This method features mild reaction conditions, good functional groups tolerance, and prompt reaction time. EPR, CV and DPV experiments verified the formation of aryl radicals in this electrochemical borylation reaction, and the current plays an important role in the generation of radical intermediate. More details are discussed in the article by Mo et al. on page 347–351.
This cover picture shows a heterogeneous photocatalytic decarboxylative coupling reaction of imidazo-fused heterocycles with N-arylglycines. In this reaction, eco-friendly carbon nitride nanosheet is found to be an efficient and recyclable photocatalyst, which could be recovered and reused at least 7 times. More details are given in the article by Yu et al. on page 97–103.
The cover picture shows a synergistically directed assembly route towards novel multi‐component coordination architectures driven by aromatic donor‐acceptor and coordination interactions. The huge structural discrepancies between coronene donor present and absent experiments clearly prove the significance of aromatic donor‐accepter pairs and their inherent cooperation mechanism in these assembly processes. More details are discussed by Bu et al. on page 871–877.
The cover picture shows Schilancidilactones A, B and Schilancitrilactones A, B, C all belong to schinortriterpenoid. Preliminary bioassay shows some of them possess fascinating bioactivities, such as antitumor, antihepatitis, and anti‐HIV‐1 activities. The total synthesis of Schilancidilactones A, B and Schilancitrilactones A, B, C has been accomplished from the common intermediates for the first time by Tang group. An intramolecular radical cyclization, late‐stage halogenation and AIBN‐mediated or Ni‐catalyzed intermolecular radical cross coupling reaction were employed as the key steps. More details are discussed in the article by Tang et al. on page 255–268.
The function of the type II peptidyl carrier protein (PCP) ColA1a in collismycin (COL) biosynthesis was characterized in this study. ColA1a was involved in the selection and loading of picolinic acid (PA), instead of normal amino acid substrates, as the origin of ring B in COLs. The 2.1 Å crystal structure of ColA1a was solved. Primary and tertiary structural comparison of ColA1a with other PCPs revealed the structural basis for their typical α‐helical bundles. More details are discussed in the article by Ma et al. on page 963—969.
Glycerol molecules can be selectively converted into 1,2‐propanediol in water by the way of Ni‐based Great‐Wall Catalysts with Beacon‐like macropores and Passage‐like mesoporous channels. Otherwise, an amount of by‐product lactic acid was produced via rearrangement from glycerol. More details are discussed in the article by Zhang & Ma et al. on page 439–444.
Two‐dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) usually have poly‐phases, such as 2H, 3R and 1T. Controlling the structure phase of 2D TMDs is the key for engineering the physical and chemical properties of the materials and hence is vital to the applications. Many approaches, including doping/intercalation, alloying, defects, strain, electric field and so on, have been developed to tune the thermodynamic stability of the different phases of TMDs and then phase selective synthesis or controlled phase conversion has been achieved. More details are discussed in the article by Xie et al. on page 753–760.
The inside back cover picture depicts the inverse-electron-demand Diels–Alder reactions of 2-pyrones with various readily available dihydropyrroles and dihydrofurans. By the catalysis of lanthanide salts, these reactions occur with high yields and enantioselectivities, thus providing a step-economical synthetic platform for densely functionalized cis-hydroindoles and cis-hydrobenzofurans. The synthetic utility of this approach is demonstrated by the concise synthesis of (–)-α-lycorane and (–)-lycorine alkaloids. More details are discussed in the article by Cai et al. on page 21—26.
The cover picture shows an efficient one‐pot condensation of maleimide derivatives in the presence of acetic acid and water to afford a series of benzene triimides (BTIs). The structure, physicochemical properties and electrochemistry behavior of BTIs were systematically investigated. Owing to the planar structure and unique electron‐deficient nature, BTIs can self‐assemble into different motifs. More details are discussed by Wang et al. on page 684–688.
The inside cover picture shows the hydrogen transfer process of the production of acetic acid from ethanol and water mixture catalyzed by iridium catalyst owning bpyO ligand. A DFT mechanistic study indicates that the cooperation of the iridium center and bpyO ligand plays an important role in the catalytic activity, and that the hydrogen release process from the iridium center is the rate‐determining step. More details are discussed in the article by Lei et al. on page 883–886.
A copper‐catalyzed aerobic oxidative ring expansion reaction of isatins with 1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroisoquinoline for the synthesis of tetracyclic quinazolinones has been developed. The capacity of the resultant 5H‐isoquinolino[1,2‐b]quinazolin‐8(6H)‐one for a range of palladium‐catalyzed directing C—H activation has been further demonstrated, thus giving a broader access to diverse tetracyclic quinazolinones. More details are discussed in the article by Xiao and Deng et al. on page 87—92.
The cover picture shows a facile synthetic methodology towards S-fused multi-membered polycyclic heterocycles containing five-membered thiophene, six-membered thiopyran, and seven-membered thiepine. A construction strategy for thermally stable thiepine derivatives is thus established. More details are discussed in the article by Zhou et al. on page 13—20.
Metal‐air batteries have achieved great proceedings in the past decade. This review summarizes progresses of cathode evolution and anode protection strategies in the area of Li/Na‐air batteries and prototypes of flexible batteries are presented. More details are discussed in the article by Zhang et al. on page 32—42.
The cover picture shows A new strategy for preparing antimicrobial peptides from the natural occurring peptide gramicidin A has been developed by simply removing its N‐terminal formyl group and decoration at the terminal NH2 group. The peptides are able to selectively insert into Gram‐positive bacterial membrane to form transmembrane channels but not that of erythrocyte membrane, which leads to their high antimicrobial activity and low hemolytic toxicity. More details are discussed in the article by Hou et al. on page 25–29.
The bifunctional roles of CH3COO– (complexation effect and decreasing temperature of PVP complete decomposition) are utilized to synthesize electrospun LaCoO3 perovskites at a low‐temperature 400 °C. The obtained material can be applied in the catalytic oxidation of volatile organic compounds, like stable propane. More details are discussed in the article by Luo and Qian et al. on page 144 ‐ 150.
