CrystEngCommPub Date : 2026-09-04DOI: 10.1039/d6ce00611f
Giau Le-Hoang, Laure Guénée, Claude Piguet
{"title":"Generating, visualizing and tuning π-π interactions in metal-induced supramolecular assembly.","authors":"Giau Le-Hoang, Laure Guénée, Claude Piguet","doi":"10.1039/d6ce00611f","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d6ce00611f","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This work emphasizes the role of metal complexation for controlling and tuning static/dynamic π-stacked organizations responsible for the programmed light emission of the bichromophoric pyrene-terimine ligand <b>L2</b> upon photoexcitation. Its binding to the closed-shell trivalent yttrium guest [Y(hfac)<sub>3</sub>] (hfac = 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoro-pentane-2,4-dione) provides a diamagnetic heteroleptic [<b>L2</b>Y(hfac)<sub>3</sub>] adduct for which the static intramolecular pyrene-pyrene excimer emission operating in the free ligand <b>L2</b> is transformed into a dynamic intramolecular pyrene-pyrene excimer emission in the resulting complex. The transition from static-to-dynamic intramolecular excimers results in an enhanced sensitivity toward interactions with electron-poor nitrobenzene guests, which is supported by a considerable Stern-Volmer quenching constant measured for [<b>L2</b>Y(hfac)<sub>3</sub>]. This demonstrates that the metal-directed organization of the polyaromatic ligand in [<b>L2</b>Y(hfac)<sub>3</sub>] can boost the excimeric chemical sensing of target aromatic analytes.</p>","PeriodicalId":70,"journal":{"name":"CrystEngComm","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13622079/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149078970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CrystEngCommPub Date : 2026-08-21DOI: 10.1039/d6ce00589f
Nippich Kaeosamut, Dukula De Alwis Jayasinghe, Tianze Zhou, Justyna M Rogacka, Sergei A Sapchenko, George Whitehead, Martin Schröder, Sihai Yang
{"title":"A flexible Ni(ii)-based metal-organic framework exhibiting reversible breathing and enhanced proton conductivity.","authors":"Nippich Kaeosamut, Dukula De Alwis Jayasinghe, Tianze Zhou, Justyna M Rogacka, Sergei A Sapchenko, George Whitehead, Martin Schröder, Sihai Yang","doi":"10.1039/d6ce00589f","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6ce00589f","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Flexible metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit stimuli-responsive phase transitions that enable diverse applications. In this article we report the synthesis and characterisation of a flexible MOF, MFM-261a, [H<sub>2</sub>N(CH<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>]<sub>2</sub>[Ni<sub>3</sub>(sbpdc)<sub>4</sub>(η-H<sub>2</sub>O)<sub>2</sub>(μ-OH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>]·solv (H<sub>2</sub>sbpdc = sulfonyl-4,4'-biphenyldicarboxylic acid), which exhibits a reversible structural phase transition. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that MFM-261a crystallises in the orthorhombic space group <i>Pnnm</i>. Upon activation <i>via</i> desolvation, MFM-261a undergoes a single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) transformation to yield MFM-261b, [H<sub>2</sub>N(CH<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>]<sub>2</sub>[Ni<sub>3</sub>(sbpdc)<sub>4</sub>(η-H<sub>2</sub>O)<sub>2</sub>(μ-OH<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>]. Crystallographic analysis confirms that MFM-261b retains the metal-ligand coordination as the parent framework but shows a different pore geometry. Notably, MFM-261b can be reversibly converted to MFM-261a by exposure to dimethylformamide, demonstrating structural breathing. Impedance spectroscopic measurements reveal a proton conductivity of 3.00 × 10<sup>-5</sup> S cm<sup>-1</sup> for MFM-261a at 50 °C and 3.41 × 10<sup>-6</sup> S cm<sup>-1</sup> for MFM-261b at 70 °C under 99% relative humidity. The calculated activation energies of 0.63 and 0.68 eV support a vehicular transport mechanism with water molecules facilitating proton transfer. This work demonstrates the potential of flexible MOFs for applications requiring tuneable proton conduction properties.</p>","PeriodicalId":70,"journal":{"name":"CrystEngComm","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13632670/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149101112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Room-temperature single-photon emission from III-nitride nanowire quantum dots: towards realization of the photonic qubit-based quantum computer","authors":"Swagata Bhunia, Soumyadip Chatterjee, Ayan Majumder, Kasturi Saha, Suddhasatta Mahapatra and Apurba Laha","doi":"10.1039/D5CE01123J","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D5CE01123J","url":null,"abstract":"<p >III-nitride nanowire quantum dots (NWQDs) are in high-demand due to their ability to emit single photons at room temperature across the entire UV to visible wavelength range. Although tremendous progress has been made over the past decade, the efficiency of these QDs has not improved significantly. This limitation arises because true lateral confinement was difficult to achieve owing to challenges in reducing the QD diameter to the radial confinement limit. Furthermore, the presence of a giant built-in potential in NWQDs has restricted their fast operation. In this review article, we present the evolution of the III-nitride NWQD field and discuss how these challenges have been addressed to realize high-efficiency single-photon sources. Towards the end of the article, we demonstrate how these NWQDs can be leveraged to build up a photonic qubit-based quantum computer, which will be capable of operating at room temperature.</p>","PeriodicalId":70,"journal":{"name":"CrystEngComm","volume":" 25","pages":" 3815-3832"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148336601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CrystEngCommPub Date : 2026-06-12DOI: 10.1039/D6CE00189K
Keshav Kumar Harish, Omantheswara Nagaraja, Mohankumar Devaraju, Jagadeesh Prasad Dasappa, Honnappa Nagarajaiah, Divya Suresh, Vindu Vahini M. and Mahendra Madegowda
{"title":"The structural role of the carbonyl bridge in substituted pyridine derivatives: crystallographic and computational insights towards butyrylcholinesterase recognition","authors":"Keshav Kumar Harish, Omantheswara Nagaraja, Mohankumar Devaraju, Jagadeesh Prasad Dasappa, Honnappa Nagarajaiah, Divya Suresh, Vindu Vahini M. and Mahendra Madegowda","doi":"10.1039/D6CE00189K","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6CE00189K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The present study is focused on a structure-guided investigation of the pyridine-based scaffold, 1-(3,5-diphenylpyridin-2-yl)ethan-1-one. The study is designed to probe how substitution variation influences the molecular conformation, crystal packing, electronic structure, and biological recognition. The rigid 3,5-diphenyl substitution limits rotational flexibility around the pyridine–carbonyl linkage, providing a structurally defined platform in which substituent-dependent effects are systematically evaluated. Four representative derivatives (<strong>MK1–MK4</strong>), bearing electron-rich 3,4-dimethoxyphenyl, halogenated dichlorophenyl, hetero aromatic thiophen-2-yl, and extended aromatic naphthyl substituents, were selected to assess substituent-dependent structural variation. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that <strong>MK1</strong>, <strong>MK2</strong>, and <strong>MK3</strong> crystallize in the monoclinic space group, whereas the naphthalene-substituted derivative <strong>MK4</strong> adopts a triclinic crystal system. The torsional analysis indicates that the carbonyl bridge exhibits substituent-dependent conformational variation. The presence of the carbonyl group (C<img>O) facilitated hydrogen-bond interactions, contributing to overall molecular stabilisation, while also influencing intramolecular charge distribution and potential enzyme binding. Computational DFT analyses revealed differences in π-delocalization and donor–acceptor interactions across the series, with <strong>MK3</strong> showing the most consistent electronic interaction. Molecular docking against human butyrylcholinesterase (hBChE), benchmarked against the co-crystal ligand 5HF, identifies <strong>MK3</strong> as the compound with the highest binding affinity for the enzyme. Subsequent 100 ns molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that <strong>MK3</strong> retained dynamic stability, reflected by reduced ligand <em>R</em><small><sub>g</sub></small>, SASA, and MOLSA, indicating compact, solvent-shielded binding. Overall, the structural findings provide insight into how substituent-dependent conformational variation may relate to differences in enzyme binding behaviour across the series.</p>","PeriodicalId":70,"journal":{"name":"CrystEngComm","volume":" 24","pages":" 3707-3732"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The ordered organization of hydrogen-bonded organic macrocycles into a permanently porous framework","authors":"Peng Cui, Cailan Chen, Kaihao Mo, Hanyu Zhang and Qiang Zhu","doi":"10.1039/D6CE00249H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6CE00249H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >A hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF) was obtained <em>via</em> the formation of a cyclic dimer hydrogen-bonded organic macrocycle (HOM) through rational molecular design. The ordered arrangement of HOMs formed permanently porous 1D channels in the HOF. These channels exhibited the selective adsorption of naphthalene.</p>","PeriodicalId":70,"journal":{"name":"CrystEngComm","volume":" 25","pages":" 3838-3842"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148336603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CrystEngCommPub Date : 2026-06-09DOI: 10.1039/D6CE00131A
Szymon Kamil Araj, Dariusz Maciej Pisklak and Łukasz Szeleszczuk
{"title":"Comment on “A cooperation molecular recognition study: syntheses and analysis of supramolecular assemblies of tetrafluoroterephthalic acid with some aza compounds” by L. Wang, L. Zhao, Y. Hu, W. Wang, R. Chen and Y. Yang, CrystEngComm, 2013, 15, 2835","authors":"Szymon Kamil Araj, Dariusz Maciej Pisklak and Łukasz Szeleszczuk","doi":"10.1039/D6CE00131A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6CE00131A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This is a Commentary on a paper by Lei Wang <em>et al.</em> (CrystEngComm, 2013, <strong>15</strong>, 2835). The protonation state of 2-aminopyrimidine in the crystal structure deposited as REXNIT has been re-examined using periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Motivated by recent literature suggestions questioning the assignment of protonation at the exocyclic amino group, several alternative protonation scenarios were systematically explored within the experimental crystal framework, allowing full relaxation of atomic positions and unit cell parameters. The results demonstrate that protonation at the ring nitrogen N1 represents the only robust and energetically preferred configuration, corresponding to a well-defined global minimum. Protonation at N3 leads to an unstable local minimum that is highly sensitive to the initial proton placement, while protonation at oxygen atoms results in spontaneous proton transfer to N1 during geometry optimization, in some cases yielding locally trapped lattice configurations. These findings provide quantitative support for reconsidering the protonation assignment in REXNIT and illustrate the value of periodic theoretical methods for validating crystallographic models involving proton transfer.</p>","PeriodicalId":70,"journal":{"name":"CrystEngComm","volume":" 24","pages":" 3803-3806"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148285401","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CrystEngCommPub Date : 2026-06-04DOI: 10.1039/D6CE00362A
Bei Hu, Guo-Xu Li, Li Zhu, Hui-Hui Yu, Yi-Cong Lou, Shu-Ying Luo, Fu-Pei Liang and Kai Wang
{"title":"Nested icosahedral Na4@Ln12@L20 nanocages with a {Na4} parallelogram core and a {L20} dodecahedral shell","authors":"Bei Hu, Guo-Xu Li, Li Zhu, Hui-Hui Yu, Yi-Cong Lou, Shu-Ying Luo, Fu-Pei Liang and Kai Wang","doi":"10.1039/D6CE00362A","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6CE00362A","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The first family of triple-layered nested lanthanide icosahedral nanocages, which feature a unique concentric architecture bearing a {Na<small><sub>4</sub></small>} parallelogram core, a {Ln<small><sub>12</sub></small>} icosahedral skeleton and a {L<small><sub>20</sub></small>} dodecahedral shell (Ln = Gd, Dy; L = ligand), have been constructed. Magnetocaloric effect and dual magnetic relaxation behaviour are observed in Gd- and Dy-analogs, respectively.</p>","PeriodicalId":70,"journal":{"name":"CrystEngComm","volume":" 25","pages":" 3833-3837"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148336602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CrystEngCommPub Date : 2026-06-03DOI: 10.1039/D6CE00336B
Qian Wu, Zhen-Zhong Lu and Rui Zhang
{"title":"Copper(i) iodide complexes based on [Cu5I7]2− units and cationic organic ligands for X-ray scintillation and imaging","authors":"Qian Wu, Zhen-Zhong Lu and Rui Zhang","doi":"10.1039/D6CE00336B","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6CE00336B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Copper(<small>I</small>) iodide complexes represent a kind of promising scintillator due to their high luminescence efficiency, low toxicity, cost-effectiveness, and high atomic number of iodine, which enhances X-ray absorption. Herein, we report two copper(<small>I</small>) iodide complexes, Cu<small><sub>5</sub></small>I<small><sub>7</sub></small>(Ted-Pre)<small><sub>2</sub></small> (<strong>1</strong>) and Cu<small><sub>5</sub></small>I<small><sub>7</sub></small>(Ted-EA)<small><sub>2</sub></small> (<strong>2</strong>), constructed from anionic [Cu<small><sub>5</sub></small>I<small><sub>7</sub></small>]<small><sup>2−</sup></small> cluster units and cationic organic ligands derived from triethylenediamine (Ted). Structural analysis revealed distinct bridging modes of iodide anions within the [Cu<small><sub>5</sub></small>I<small><sub>7</sub></small>]<small><sup>2−</sup></small> cluster units. Complex <strong>1</strong> contained a rare μ<small><sub>5</sub></small>-bridging iodide that enhanced the structural rigidity for the [Cu<small><sub>5</sub></small>I<small><sub>7</sub></small>]<small><sup>2−</sup></small> unit, which should correlate with its superior photoluminescence quantum yield (72.8%) and improved thermal stability compared to complex <strong>2</strong>. Under X-ray excitation, <strong>1</strong> achieved a light yield of 19 010 photons per MeV, surpassing that of the commercial scintillator Bi<small><sub>4</sub></small>Ge<small><sub>3</sub></small>O<small><sub>12</sub></small> (BGO, 10 000 photons per MeV), along with a detection limit of 88.5 nGy s<small><sup>−1</sup></small>, well below the typical medical imaging threshold. When incorporated into a flexible polydimethylsiloxane film, <strong>1</strong> achieved a spatial resolution of 8 lp mm<small><sup>−1</sup></small> in X-ray imaging. These results highlight the potential of structurally tailored copper(<small>I</small>) iodide complexes as efficient and cost-effective scintillators for advanced X-ray imaging applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":70,"journal":{"name":"CrystEngComm","volume":" 25","pages":" 3892-3897"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148336613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CrystEngCommPub Date : 2026-06-02DOI: 10.1039/D6CE00164E
Deepak Rajput and Sameer V. Dalvi
{"title":"Brittle or plastic? Revisiting the mechanical behavior of benzoic acid crystals","authors":"Deepak Rajput and Sameer V. Dalvi","doi":"10.1039/D6CE00164E","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6CE00164E","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Understanding the mechanical behaviour of organic molecular crystals is essential for their reliable handling, processing, and performance in solid-state applications. Benzoic acid crystals have been reported to be brittle in previous studies. However, in this work, the benzoic acid crystals grown using slow evaporation and sublimation processes exhibited plastic bending upon the application of force on a wider (001) crystallographic face. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and pairwise interaction energy calculations revealed the presence of a slip plane along the (001) direction, which was formed mainly due to the herringbone packing arrangement of the benzoic acid molecules and a weak edge-to-edge aromatic interaction. A low-energy (001) slip plane with an interlayer separation of approximately 0.896 Å facilitates the plastic deformation of benzoic acid crystals. Nanoindentation analysis of the (001) face yielded elastic modulus (<em>E</em>) and hardness (<em>H</em>) values of 4.26 ± 0.68 GPa and 128.03 ± 38 MPa, respectively, which fall within the range of values reported for plastic organic crystals.</p>","PeriodicalId":70,"journal":{"name":"CrystEngComm","volume":" 25","pages":" 3874-3883"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148336611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CrystEngCommPub Date : 2026-06-01DOI: 10.1039/D6CE00269B
Jack Harrowfield, Juan Ramirez and Adrian-Mihail Stadler
{"title":"Weak interactions in metallo-supramolecular grid crystals: an analysis of their effects†","authors":"Jack Harrowfield, Juan Ramirez and Adrian-Mihail Stadler","doi":"10.1039/D6CE00269B","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D6CE00269B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The technique of Hirshfeld surface analysis has been applied to a selection of crystal structures of metallo-supramolecular grids in order to better define the modes of interaction of the grids with both anionic and neutral species, and to assess the possibilities of using grids as selective receptors. The influence of weak interactions on grid symmetry and hence inequivalence of metal sites within the grids has also been considered as a factor influencing possible electronic uses of grid species.</p>","PeriodicalId":70,"journal":{"name":"CrystEngComm","volume":" 23","pages":" 3589-3600"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2026/ce/d6ce00269b?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148247648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}