This issue of the Journal is a tribute to the life and work of Professor Richard (Rick) Francis Langler, who was a dedicated and inspirational teacher. Papers for this issue have been contributed by many of Rick’s former students, colleagues, and friends from all over the world.

Bis(diisopropylphosphino)amine and bis(di-t-butylphosphino)amine form adducts with carbon disulfide that are not labile in solution. The formal charges of the zwitterion are delocalized across the S–C–S and P–N–P moieties.

Aluminium–amidate complexes have been prepared in multiple ligand-to-metal stoichiometries. The complexes have been characterized structurally and spectroscopically. The Al–amidate complexes were applicable pre-catalysts for both the MPV (Meerwein–Ponndorf–Verley) reduction of carbonyls and the Oppenauer oxidation of alcohols.

The synthesis, characterisation, and antifungal activities against five species of potentially pathogenic fungi are described within.

Cationic bis(phosphinimine)dibenzofuran-supported zinc complexes [L_nZn^IIEt][BAr^F₄] were generated through reaction of cationic protonated ligands and [ZnEt₂] via an alkane elimination pathway. The ligands provide unique steric environments to potentially prevent transesterification processes during lactide polymerization catalysis.

Serine (X = O) and cysteine (X = S) X–H···π or X···π interactions were identified and characterized in over 100 high-resolution X-ray crystal structures of DNA–protein complexes found in nature. Although few contacts were identified with DNA nucleobase π-systems, many interactions involve the aromatic amino acids, thus adding to the list of π-contacts that must be considered when analyzing the binding patterns and/or stability of biological macromolecules.

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase entrapped in ultra-large-pore mesoporous silica generates a recyclable, separable biocatalyst. The entrapped materials showed excellent stabilization, even after significant exposure to prolonged heating and extremely high catalytic activity in the deamination of l-phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid in aqueous solution.

Hydrometallation of internal olefins with the Schwartz reagent gives the least hindered alkyl-zirconocene after thermal (60°C in THF) isomerization. After switching the solvent from THF to dichloromethane, the alkyl-zirconocenes can be used in copper-catalyzed asymmetric conjugate additions.

Expedient methods for the synthesis of hitherto unrecorded fused bridged azatetracyclic azocines, azonines, and azecines via Friedel–Crafts cyclialkylations and cycliacylations of suitable synthesized tertiary alcohols and carboxylic acids are described.

A new three-dimensional Cu₈-based magnetic metal–organic framework (MMOF) with a bcu topology net has been successfully obtained. Moreover, magnetic investigation of this complex suggests anti-ferromagnetic couplings between metal centres.

We show the influence that two metal salts, zinc chloride and magnesium chloride, have on the transport properties of the nanostructured 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium chloride, OMImCl, at varying water concentrations. The impact the metal salts have on the transport properties is directly related to their water structuring or destructing capabilities.

A new hybrid multilayer film containing Prussian blue and a bis-terpyridyl Ru^II complex was uniformly fabricated, which exhibited a significant cathodic photocurrent density of 7.72 μA cm^–2 for an 11-layer film, and three quasi-reversible redox couples associated with these two film-forming components.

Here two novel 3D frameworks are presented. Their magneto-structure is very similar; however, due to the distinct 2D structure and supramolecular interactions, different magnetic properties are observed in 1 and 2, such as spin-canting behaviour v. antiferromagnetic magnetic ordering.

This paper describes the selection, optimization, and application of sample treatment for the determination of total As in various crispbreads by hydride generation inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (HG–ICP–OES). A simple and dependable method, i.e. without the need of previous sample total acidic digestion was proposed.

Metal nanostructures encapsulated by plasma-polymerized aminosilane film for biomolecular detection using surface plasmon resonance.

DABCO promoted efficient protocol is described for the regioselective and chemoselective γ-addition of β-keto amides on isatins to afford γ-(3-hydroxy-2-oxindole)-β-keto amide framework under metal-free condition. The developed method is environmentally benign in nature and applicable for variety of isatins as well as β-keto amides to provide new 3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles from readily available starting materials.

The understanding of the nature of tautomeric equilibria is relevant to the study of processes of both organic chemistry and biochemistry. In the present work, a study of ring–chain tautomerism in 2-cyanobenzoic acids was carried out by means of mass spectrometry.

The use of reactive dyes has grown rapidly; however, ~20–50 % of these dyes are being discarded as coloured effluent. In this paper, systematic investigation of the effects of a wide range of reaction parameters on the catalytic photodegradation of the industrial dye Reactive Blue 19 (RB19) by titanium dioxide is reported.

The effects of exposure to BTEX comprise change in the liver and harmful influences on the kidneys, lungs, heart and nervous system. A special attention is focussed on the methods that are characterized by a considerable reduction or complete elimination of organic solvents. Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method is simple, efficient and fast.

Three chiral dinuclear lanthanide–carboxylate compounds with the chiral ligand of (S)-(+)-2-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl)propionate have been synthesized and structurally and magnetically characterized. The Dy-based compound exhibits slow magnetization relaxation with an energy barrier of 17.24(2) K.

Four rare-earth metal complexes with one-dimensional chain structures are synthesised. All complexes can efficiently cleave DNA in the presence of H₂O₂, most probably via an oxidative cleavage mechanism. The high cleaving activities may be ascribed to the combinative effects of their polynuclear structures, trivalent lanthanide ions and quaternised moieties.

The regioselective cleavage of epoxides under visible light leading to ring opening and formation of the corresponding alcohol in excellent yields is reported in this study as an alternative mild synthetic approach.

Novel hyperbranched co-polymers HP1–HP4 with twisted acene units and truxene groups have been synthesised through Suzuki coupling reaction and characterised. The polymers show blue light emission in organic solvents and thin films, as well as high stability, which might be utilised as potential candidates for organic electronic materials.

A metal-free aerobic oxidative bromination of aromatic compounds in water has been developed.