The foreword to this research front dedicated to Professor Alan Bond provides an account of his distinguished career in inorganic and electroanalytical chemistry in Australia and overseas, and also describes his many awards and achievements.

Grafting from aryldiazonium salts is a popular method for preparing strongly adherent organic coatings on many surfaces. Usually, the coatings are loosely packed disordered multilayers; however, over the past decade, strategies have emerged for generating monolayers. This review describes these approaches, illustrates some of their applications, and highlights the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Aerial oxidation of Cd(TCNQ)₂ during slow recrystallization in tetrahydrofuran produced a dicarboxylate ligand–Cd complex, with the N 1s XPS spectrum showing that this chemical transformation is complete.

An integrated device is developed that incorporates a sensor, readout system, and battery on paper. The electrochromic readout system allows the pH range of a sample solution to be determined visually rather than using an LCD display or voltmeter. The integrated potentiometric sensor and readout system provides a cost-effective and lightweight solution for pH monitoring.

The electropolymerisation of N-ethylanilinium trifluoroacetate, a protic ionic liquid (PIL), was carried out, where the PIL served as the monomer precursor, solvent, and supporting electrolyte for the polymerisation process resulting in different morphologies, a greener approach to production, and a highly processable polymer.

Electrochemical determination of mass-transport parameters is often subject to small errors, which influence the outcomes of voltammetric experiment–theory comparisons. In particular, a perilous situation emerges when a quasi-reversible model with slightly overestimated mass-transport parameters is used to quantify the electrode kinetics for a system that approaches a reversible limit.

Two related [Pt(NH₃)₄]²⁺ complexes, [Pt(NH₃)₄](TCNQ)₂·(DMF)₂ (1) and [Pt(NH₃)₄](TCNQ)₂ (2) are characterized using X-ray, electrochemistry, vibrational, and electronic spectroscopy. Unexpectedly, 2 is not a catalyst for the redox reaction of ferricyanide and thiosulfate, and the rationale for this is presented.

Oxidations of W(CO)₄(LL) compounds were investigated electrochemically. The electrogenerated radical cations are unstable toward disproportionation, carbon monoxide substitution, and nucleophilic attack. The kinetics of these reactions were examined using a number of techniques including a.c. voltammetry and chronocoulometry. Infrared spectroelectrochemistry was used to characterize two [W(CO)₄(LL)]⁺ species.

The electrical impedance of anodically formed iridium oxide is assessed and correlated with the effective electrode area and charge density for bionics applications.

The generation of a radical species from the reduction of 1-ethylpyridiniuim bromide has been shown to passivate Zn/Zn^II redox after one cycle. Both deposition morphology and nucleation process are also altered in the presence of the radical species.

Crystalline neutral red accelerates microbial methane generation from coal. Industrial scale-up requires knowledge of crystalline polymorphs that may behave differently with methanogens. Temperatures in the dark, subterranean environments where methanogenesis occurs range from 50–70°C, conditions where neutral red crystallises or transforms to a new polymorph.

A novel MoO₂ composite supported on mesoporous graphene oxide (m-MoO₂/GO) is successfully synthesised. The introduction of a mesoporous structure into GO sheets not only promotes the catalytic activity, but also makes m-MoO₂/GO more effective in catalysing olefins with a long carbon chain and large ring size.

A series of all-trans acceptor–π-donor (acceptor) compounds were conveniently synthesised via the three-step synthetic method Arbuzov reaction, solvent-free Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons reaction, and Mizoroki–Heck reaction. They all exhibit obvious solvatochromic effects, strong two-photon excited fluorescence, and large two-photon absorption cross-sections.

The ability of gold anti-arthritic agents and gold nanoparticles to alter production in RAW264.7 macrophages of a number of cellular mediators of inflammation, including reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, interleukin-10 and tumour necrosis factor, have been compared.