This special issue of the Journal contains a collection of papers contributed by women chemists from around Australia. It showcases their achievements and recognises the broad impact women have on chemistry and its related sciences.

The Chemistry Threshold Learning Outcomes (CTLOs) have been implemented through the RACI accreditation process and indicate a shared understanding of what constitutes a chemistry degree in Australia.

Methods to control porosity, solid acid and base character, and surface hydrophobicity are essential components of a toolkit for the design of heterogeneous catalysts for biomass processing.

Modification of interfaces between two immiscible electrolyte solutions with nanomaterials has increasingly been applied to interfacial catalysis and analytical chemistry. Recent developments for the formation of metallic nanomaterials, carbon-based nanomaterials, and nanoporous membranes at liquid–liquid interfaces for electrochemical applications are presented.

The illicit fentanyl crisis is worsening across the globe. The risk of accidental exposure to fentanyl and fentanyl analogues is a significant risk for first responders, health workers, and law enforcement. This review examines the current literature on methods of decomposition of fentanyls in operational settings and highlights the urgent need for further research.

This review outlines a brief history of nuclear science in Australia, followed by highlights in radioisotope production (nuclear reactor- or cyclotron-produced), radiochemistry methodology, and radiotracer development by Australian scientists, predominantly over the past decade.

Fluorescent redox sensors are invaluable in uncovering the complex redox processes that underpin health and disease. This study investigates the use of nicotinamide, a derivative of vitamin B3, as a redox switch for the preparation of fluorescent sensors. The work identifies a new fluorescent sensor for hypoxic cells.

Fluorescent molecules based on the chemotherapeutic tamoxifen have been synthesised. These probes have been assessed for their use with an imaging tool being developed for the intraoperative assessment of tumour margins during breast conservation surgery. The probes are compatible with the combined optical coherence tomography-fluorescence technique.

This article presents three novel mixed ramp-Gaussian basis sets – STO-R, STO-RG and STO-R2G – derived from the single zeta Slater basis set, with the aim of more accurately describing the core region. It is found that STO-RnG gives superior results to STO-(n+3)G.

The formation of uric acid crystals in our body is associated with kidney stone disease and gout. The structure of one of the possible forms of such crystals, namely uric acid dihydrate (UAD), was reexamined using theoretical methods. Of the several possible orientations of uric acid molecules in the solid, one arrangement is the most stable.

This paper describes the synthesis of heterotrimer nanoparticles through a relatively simple seeded-growth process.

DFT calculations are reported on asymmetric Diels–Alder reactions of chiral sulfinylquinones. The origins of stereoselectivity are found to include a stabilizing CH–π interaction between the diene and the sulfinyl substituent, which favours the addition of the diene to the more crowded face of the quinone.

A family of diaminomaleonitrile-functionalised Schiff bases with aggregation-induced emission property were prepared. Their structure and photophysical property relationship especially in response to different solvents is discussed. The application of intracellular lysosome targeting imaging is also revealed.

Sesquiterpenes isolated from the sponge Acanthodendrilla sp. 2510 included caparrapi oxide (1) and arenaran A (2). An extract of the nudibranch Chromodoris strigata, found feeding on the sponge, contained 2. Three additional hydroperoxides 3–5 derived from the oxocene skeleton of 2 were identified by NMR experiments, X-ray crystallography, and computational calculations. Their isolation provided insight into the reactivity of the oxocene skeleton.

Six complexes of the type [Ru(picenMe₂)(P_L)]²⁺ (where P_L = phen, dpq, dppzMe₂, phenpyrBz, phenpyrBzMe, or phenpyrBzNO₂) were synthesised and characterised. The in vitro cytotoxicity assays revealed that Ru-6 was 5, 10, and 40-fold more potent than oxaliplatin, cisplatin, and carboplatin, respectively.

A tethered dual catalyst has been synthesised and fully characterised, where a BODIPY photocatalyst and a palladium catalyst were combined in one complex. The catalytic activity of the catalyst was investigated through both photocatalytic and transition metal catalysed reactions, demonstrating that chemical tethering enhances catalysis. The dual catalytic ability of the complex was demonstrated through stimuli controlled (heat or light) sequential reactivity.

The interface between DNA and solid surfaces has wide relevance in bio-sensing applications. A deeper understanding of how common DNA motifs structurally adapt when adsorbed at sensor substrates is needed to advance these applications. Here, molecular dynamics simulations are used to predict DNA disorder due to adsorption at a gold surface, and investigate effects of temperature and salt concentration.

The electrochemical properties of a neutral verdazyl radical have been studied in 10 room temperature ionic liquids and propylene carbonate. Diffusion coefficients conformed to classic hydrodynamic theory; however, the reduction peak shape was significantly affected by the solvent environment. This suggests that careful choice of solvent should be considered for electrochemical studies of verdazyl species.

Modified nucleoside monophosphates are indispensable for drug discovery research, yet are challenging to synthesise. We have developed a straightforward method to regioselectively phosphorylate the 5′-OH group of unprotected nucleosides, overcoming some of the limitations of existing procedures for this transformation. These 5′-cyclosaligenyl phosphotriesters also have a variable 2′ substituent.

A low temperature synthesis approach with changes to the titania precursor (TiCl₄) concentration was used to obtain TiO₂ samples of varied phases. The photocatalytic degradation of phenol under UV irradiation was most effective when using the TiO₂ sample with the highest surface area that contained anatase, brookite, and rutile phases.

The time-dependent self-assembly of somatostatin into nanofibrils within the bicontinuous cubic phase led to a unique two-stage release mechanism, with diffusion-controlled release of the peptide monomer over the first 24 h followed by a much slower linear release of the peptide from the nanofibrils.