Two-dimensional materials have gained immense attention for technological applications owing to their characteristic properties. MXene is one of the fast-growing family of 2D materials that exhibits remarkable physiochemical properties that cater numerous applications in the field of energy and storage. This review comprises the significant advancement in the field of 2D MXene and discusses the evolution of the design, synthetic strategies, and stability. In addition to illuminating the state-of-the-art applications, we discuss the challenges and limitations that preclude the scientific fraternity from realizing functional MXene with controlled structures and properties for renewable clean energy conversion and storage applications.

Cyanide is highly toxic, with widespread industrial use posing serious environmental risks. Effective materials for detecting and filtering cyanide from water are urgently needed. This study introduces a novel approach utilizing Cu-TCPP (TCPP = o-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphine) metal-organic nanosheets (MONS) embedded in thin-film composite membranes, offering a multifunctional solution for cyanide detection and filtration. Ultrathin Cu-TCPP MONs were synthesized using a surfactant-assisted method featuring highly accessible metal centers that enhance cyanide interaction and detection. The membranes, developed by modifying cellulose acetate (CA) with Cu-TCPP MONs, demonstrated exceptional performance for cyanide removal. The 6% Cu-TCPP/CA membrane exhibited a 2.3-fold increase in pure water permeability and achieved a cyanide removal efficiency of 94.68%, significantly outperforming the pristine 0% Cu-TCPP/CA membrane (Pure Water Permeability (PWP) = 380.83 L m^-2 h^-1 bar^-1; CN^- removal = 5.01%). This is the first report describing the detection and removal of CN^- in water using the membrane technique in literature. In addition to its removal efficiency, the Cu-TCPP MONs showed remarkable detection capabilities, with a calculated limit of detection of 1.76 × 10^-7 M, surpassing World Health Organization (WHO) and United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safety standards for cyanide levels in water. Additionally, Cu-TCPP MONs, a bioimaging agent with excellent cell viability, were deployed to detect CN^- in MiaPaCa-2 cells, detecting concentrations as low as 0.1 ppm.

Here, we report the in situ formation of two novel metal organic frameworks based on copper and cobalt using tetrazole-5-carboxylate ethyl ester as the ligand synthesized by a hydrothermal route. Both MOFs show isostructural three-dimensional networks with kagomé tilling topology and show high chemical stability. Despite the iso-structural nature, both systems show distinct magnetic features. For the Cu-based kag-MOF system, the co-existence of energetically competing ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions resulted in the establishment of a long-range ferromagnetic order sustainable up to 52 K. On the contrary, dominant antiferromagnetic interactions identified in the Co-based MOF material were responsible for an antiferromagnetic order evolving below 7 K. Importantly, chemically different metallic ions gave rise to distinct magnetic ordering with different strength and temperature-sustainability. No dynamic magnetic phenomena were observed, implying that the concentration of the metal ions within the structure exceeded the percolation limit favoring the formation of the long-range magnetic order in the studied systems. Both designed kagomé-type MOFs were thus found to show a coexistence of high frustration and long range magnetic ordering with limited orbital quenching, resulting from the choice of the ligands and crystal arrangement. Thus, the results demonstrated the potentiality to effectively control and alter the magnetic features within the particular kagomé-type MOF lattice due to the chemical nature and structural incorporation of individual metal ions. The presented approach offers a promising strategy to further fine tune the physical characteristics of the MOF-based systems equipping them with more competitive potential and extending their application portfolio to other fields.

We report a dicyanovinyl-substituted thieno[3,2-b]thiophen-based probe (DCVTT), which exhibits promising potential for selective recognition of CN⁻ ions amidst a variety of other anions, driven by a binding-induced modulated ICT response.

Owing to their improved catalytic stability and ability to undergo repeated cycles, solid-supported catalysts show great potential for various catalytic reactions. In this study, we synthesized a catalyst comprising a palladium-2,2-bipyridine complex supported on TiO₂ nanoparticles (TiO₂@BDP-PdCl₂) fully characterised and investigated its efficacy in Suzuki–Miyaura cross coupling reactions involving phenyl boronic acid with various aryl halides under mild reaction conditions. The 2,2′- bipyridine (bp) has shown excellent complexation properties for Pd (II) and it could be easily anchored onto functionalized TiO₂ support by the bridging carboxylate ions. The composition and structure of the as-prepared catalyst was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The catalyst easily demonstrated separability, enhancing its practicality in catalytic processes. Subsequent utilization showed a consistent activity level, suggesting the stabilization of the aggregated catalyst species. This research sheds light on the importance of catalyst stability and maintenance during consecutive reaction cycles.

Here, we report the solvent-induced polymorphism in [Cu₁₅(PET)₁₃(TPP)₆][BF₄]₂(Cu₁₅) (TPP = triphenylphosphine, PET = 2-phenylethanthiol), and double-helical assembly of the [Cu₁₈H(PET)₁₄(TPP)₆Cl₃] (Cu₁₈) nanocluster (NC) from reaction intermediates. Both copper NCs have an intrinsically chiral triple-stranded helicate metal core, unlike traditional copper NCs with a polyhedral-based kernel. The chiral structure of Cu₁₅ resembles an enantiomeric pair in the unit cell. Moreover, Cu₁₈ has a three-layered 3D chirality of a sandwich constructed of sulfur-bridged copper NCs aligned in a top-middle-down configuration. Furthermore, the Cu₁₈ NC self-hierarchically assembles into a complex double-stranded helix secondary structure sustained by noncovalent interactions. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), density functional theory (DFT), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were utilized to validate the single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) data. Overall, this study provides an interesting example of polymorphism, chirality, and hierarchical double-helical assembly of NCs, allowing for extensive understanding of complicated structures at the atomic level.