This Research Front is dedicated to the highly interdisciplinary field of Physical Organic Chemistry.

This review examines several strategies for fluorescently labelling proteins with a particular focus on the trade-off between size and utility for fluorophores, where large size can be disruptive to the protein’s fold or function, but valuable characteristics such as visible wavelength absorption and emission or brightness require sizable chromophores.

Metal mediated reactions of carboxylic acids that produce reactive organometallics that can then be used in C–C bond forming reactions have attracted considerable interest. Multistage mass spectrometry experiments were used to uncover the first examples of cobalt-mediated decarboxylative Glaser-like C–C bond coupling of alkynyl carboxylic acids.

Four new one-dimensional and two-dimensional BBO–BDT-based copolymers were synthesised using Stille cross-coupling. The new polymers show tunable electronic and optical properties that vary with the location and number of extended conjugation monomers. Density functional theory was used to further elucidate the structure–property relationship of the polymers.

Cationic oligothiophenes are extensively studied as models of p-doped polythiophenes. However, little is known about the relationship between the structure and diradical character of the dications. In this study, a benzo-annelation process afforded enhancement of the diradical character, thus showing potential for designing π-conjugated oligomers for supramolecular chemistry based on π-dimerisation of radicals.

Recent experimental data is now suggesting quantum coherence takes places in relatively weakly (intermediately) coupled donor–acceptor systems including natural light-harvesting complexes. This highlight review seeks to give an overview of these developments for the benefit of chemists in areas such as synthetic chemistry and photovoltaic research.

Low-valent silylenes, which contain a lone pair of electrons and one low-lying vacant orbital, are of interest for their unique chemistry and as potential synthetic precursors for various applications. This paper describes a new di-bridged tri-coordinate silylene, which is stabilised by intermolecular donor–accept interactions.

Activated carbon-supported Cu–Cu₂O–CuO heterostructure composites with effective visible-light activity have been successfully synthesized by simple carbothermal reduction. The Cu–Cu₂O–CuO/AC heterostructure composites showed excellent photocatalytic activity compared with other catalysts (pure CuO, Cu₂O/AC, CuO/AC, and Cu₂O–CuO/AC), which is ascribed to synergistic action between the AC support and photoactive copper species, and efficient transfer and separation of photogenerated carriers at the hetero-interface (e.g. Cu₂O/CuO, Cu/Cu₂O or Cu/CuO and Cu₂O/Cu/CuO). Moreover, the composition of Cu–Cu₂O–CuO /AC can be tailored by varying the Cu loading, heat-treatment temperature, and heat-treatment time.

A new tetranuclear copper complex, [Cu(dmae)(TFA)]₄CH₂Cl₂ (1), was synthesized, characterized, and directly applied in AACVD to give morphology- and phase-tailored thin films of Cu₂O and Cu nanowires for possible applications in tandem photoelectrochemical devices.

A new iodate Er(IO₃)₃·2H₂O was synthesized under mild hydrothermal conditions. The overall framework of Er(IO₃)₃·2H₂O is based on one-dimensional chains. The adjacent chains are further linked with each other by hydrogen bonds to form a three-dimensional supramolecular network. The luminescent and magnetic properties of Er(IO₃)₃·2H₂O were also studied.

An efficient and highly regioselective γ-addition of β-keto sulfones on isatins has been achieved in the presence of a catalytic amount 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) to afford a γ-(3-hydroxy-2-oxindole)-β-keto sulfone structural framework. The described method is very handy and provides straightforward access to diversely functionalized 3-β-keto sulfone substituted-3-hydroxy-2-oxindole structural scaffolds in good yields from readily available starting materials under metal-free conditions.

Sr₃Ru₂O_7–δ reduced phases were obtained by H₂-reduction of Sr₃Ru₂O₇ compound. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra showed the presence of Ru³⁺ in the reduced phases.

Ferrocenyl silyl ethers are interesting in organic synthesis, as intermediates for the synthesis of new compounds, and are used in the synthesis of redox electrochemically active materials and polymers. Ferrocenyl compounds are widely used in materials science, biology, and catalysts.

Uniform 1-D PbTiO₃ nanowires with a new crystal structure were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal strategy, and featured reversible unidirectional bending behaviour.

To seek and prepare functional materials sensitive to nitrobenzene, we show here the enhanced electrochemical behaviour of porphyrin-functionalized N-doped ordered mesoporous carbon towards the electrochemical reduction and detection of nitrobenzene based on the π–π interaction of porphyrin and nitrobenzene.

The balance between ionic and radical processes during non-enzymatic browning of glucose and lysine is strongly dependent on temperature, with ionic processes involving heterolytic bond cleavage dominating at lower temperatures. Lipids oxidation does not seem to influence this balance; contrarily, the effects of lipids on Maillard reactions for conditions of food processing are matrix-related.

Owing to the high toxicity of arsenic(iii), As^III, to the environment and human health, the development of sensors for As^III detection has attracted worldwide attention. A simple and fast colorimetric assay for As^III detection was designed using arsenic aptamer and gold nanoparticles.

Porphyrins tend to aggregate on the surface of ZnO nanorods. Fullerene molecules have the potential to break these aggregates down through interaction with prophyrins.