Wei-Quan Lin

Non-strained tris-nuclear circular helicate reveals a rare thermally induced SCO of Co ^II ions ( T _1/2 ≈ 100 K) and spontaneous resolution, in contrast, highly strained Co ^II tetrakis-nuclear circular helicate shows no SCO and crystallizes as racemate.

Reduction of Au ^III to Au ^I in a 2D Fe ^II –Au ^III Hofmann-type clathrate induces the distinct layer-stacking reorganization, switching the spin-crossover behavior from an abrupt one-step to a two-step process at lower temperature.

The ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of organic pollutants is fundamentally limited by their weak intrinsic electrochemical responses.

Molecular oxygen is a highly efficient radical scavenger, yet the development of radical-based oxygen sensors remains challenging due to the intrinsic instability of organic radicals under ambient conditions. Herein, we report a tetrahedral metal–organic cage (XM1) that enables the generation, stabilization, and partially recoverable chemical switching of imidazolyl radicals under mild ultraviolet irradiation. Upon UV exposure, homolytic C–N bond cleavage within the imidazolium units generates nitrogen-centered imidazolyl radicals, as evidenced by EPR spectroscopy (g = 2.004) and mass spectrometric identification of selectively cleaved imidazole-containing fragments. The accumulation of radicals gives rise to a pronounced photoinduced color change and a characteristic absorption band at 620 nm. Owing to their high reactivity toward molecular oxygen, the cage-stabilized radicals are rapidly quenched, resulting in instantaneous decolorization. Control experiments demonstrate that analogous mononuclear or single-arm complexes fail to stabilize persistent radicals, highlighting the critical role of cage topology in suppressing radical–radical recombination through spatial separation. This work establishes supramolecular topology as an effective strategy for stabilizing reactive open-shell species and introduces a chemically specific, radical-mediated paradigm for oxygen sensing.

We report the synthesis, structural characterization, and magnetic properties of three pentacoordinate Co(II) complexes [CoX(dppb)₂]X (X = Cl (1Cl), Br (2Br), and I (3I)) supported by the bidentate phosphine ligand 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene (dppb). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that all three complexes adopt similar vacant octahedron (C_4v) geometries with the halide ligand in one axial position. Magnetic studies demonstrate that these complexes exhibit field-induced slow magnetic relaxation behaviors, with positive D values of 25.3(2), 21.6(1), and 19.4(2) cm⁻¹ for 1Cl, 2Br, and 3I, respectively. Detailed analysis of the relaxation dynamics reveals that Raman processes dominate at higher temperatures, with systematic variations in relaxation parameters across the series. The systematic variations in magnetic anisotropy and slow magnetic relaxation behaviors of the three complexes correlate with the decreasing electronegativity of the halide ligands.

This work reports three six-coordinate lanthanide complexes showing field-induced slow magnetic relaxation, where the unique cis-arrangement of chloride ligands leads to distinct magnetic relaxation dynamics.

A fluorescent probe with an anti AIE single-molecule switch for ultra-sensitive detection of heavy metal ions.

This study presents the synthesis, structural characterization, and evaluation of the photocatalytic performance of two novel one-dimensional (1D) lead(II) bromide hybrids, [Co(2,2′-bpy)₃][Pb₂Br₆CH₃OH] (1) and [Fe(2,2′-bpy)₃][Pb₂Br₆] (2), synthesized via solvothermal reactions. These compounds incorporate transition metal complex cations as structural directors, contributing to the unique photophysical and photocatalytic properties of the resulting materials. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that both compounds crystallize in monoclinic space groups with distinct 1D lead bromide chain configurations influenced by the nature of the complex cations. Optical property assessments show band gaps of 3.04 eV and 2.02 eV for compounds 1 and 2, respectively, indicating their potential for visible light absorption. Photocurrent measurements indicate a significantly higher electron–hole separation efficiency in compound 2, correlated with its narrower band gap. Additionally, photocatalytic evaluations demonstrate that while both compounds degrade organic dyes effectively, compound 2 also exhibits notable hydrogen evolution activity under visible light, a property not observed in 1. These findings highlight the role of metal complex cations in tuning the electronic and structural properties of lead(II) bromide hybrids, enhancing their applicability in photocatalytic and optoelectronic devices.

Designing and innovating organic structure-directing agents is the key to synthesizing novel molecular sieve structures. Herein, we design a novel carbazolyl-modified template and further synthesize a two-dimensional layered aluminophosphate with [C17H21N2](3)[Al-3(PO4)(4)]5H(2)O (denoted as ZHKU-2). ZHKU-2 is composed of AA-stacked [Al(3)P(4)O16](3-) layers constructed from alternating AlO4 and PO3(=O) tetrahedrons to form a 4.6.8 network featured by capped six-ring secondary building units. Carbazolyl-templated ZHKU-2 exhibits strong purple fluorescence with a high quantum yield of 25.98%. This work expands aluminophosphate materials of the [Al3P4O16](3-) family and provides a view for synthesizing new molecular sieves by exploring the organic luminescence structure-directing agents.