Oxidation is a key transformation in chemistry being involved in a wide range of processes. In natural products, this reaction plays a critical role in the biosynthesis of several classes from different sources. In this context, the oxidation of menthol to menthone is an important reaction with a variety of applications in several fields, such as natural products, organic synthesis, and medicinal chemistry. Considering this, the present article aims to review different methodologies and oxidation reagents capable of performing this transformation, including the green chemistry process.

More attentions have been paid for developing anti-counterfeiting technologies to fight the endless emergence of fake and inferior products. Compared with inorganic quantum dots, colloidal carbon dots (C-dots) are emerging fluorescent nanomaterials, which have been used for various types of optical and electrical applications, because they have composition-dependent optical properties, including high quantum yield, tunable absorption/emission spectra and good chemical-/photo-stability. In this minireview, we summarized and updated the most recent research works for the use of colloidal C-dots for optical anticounterfeiting applications. We focus on the fluorescent, persistent luminescence and phosphorescent C-dots. In the end, we enclosed this minireview with our owner perspectives on the challenges of C-dots based anticounterfeiting.

In the photovoltaic field, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are gaining momentum due to the implementation of interface and additive engineering as viable approaches to advance commercialization. Our review begins with an outline of the latest progress in PSCs, followed by essential background information. The primary focus is on recent studies of small molecules and ionic liquids employed in interface and additive engineering to enhance device stability and performance. Ferrocenyl-bis-thio- phene-2-carboxylate (FcTc ₂) and 3,4-bis(4-bromophenyl)-cyclobut-3-ene-1,2-dione (BED) belong to interface engineering, while 3-ethylbenzo[ b]thiophene-1,1-dioxide (PSAD), 1-bromo-4-(methylsulfinyl) benzene (BMMS), 1-(4-bromophenyl)-6,7-diphenylimidazo indolizine (PDPII) and 9-bromo-6,7-diphenyl- pyrido[2,1- a]isoquinolin-5-ium hexafluoro-phosphate (DPPIQ ⁺PF ₆ ^-), utilized in our previous research, are part of additive engineering. These studies centered around the potential interactions between additives and perovskites and the mechanisms these compounds minimize or passivate defects. Our aim with this review is to shed light on these findings and inspire continued theoretical and experimental investigations.

Phosgene, an important chemical warfare agent (CWA), has received great attention in the field of counterterrorism and public safety monitoring. Developing new sensing methods/tools for efficient detection of phosgene is an urgent challenge to be solved. For chemists, it is pivotal to create fast, low cost, portable, selective, sensitive, as well as visualizable chemical sensors/probes for real-time phosgene detection. This article reviewed and discussed current trend and statement of phosgene-specific fluorescent probes, providing concise “fast glance” and systematic “big picture” to the related researchers and public safety engineers. Moreover, the outlook in this field was also stated.

Visible-light mediated photoinduced reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) is a promising method for producing well-defined polymers; however, it typically requires metal-containing catalysts, which can be toxic and limit practical applications. Therefore, developing new RDRP techniques is crucial. One promising approach is visible-light mediated photoinduced atom transfer radical polymerization (photoATRP), which utilizes metal-free photocatalysts and eco-friendly light to catalyze polymerization. PhotoATRP offers more precise control over polymerization kinetics and can be performed in diverse solvents, including water, enhancing versatility and enabling the production of polymers with well-defined structures, low molecular weight distribution indexes, and controllable relative molecular weights. This minireview outlines recent advances on photoATRP using metal-free quantum dots (QDs) as photocatalysts. The research progress and influence factors for QDs-based photoATRP, as well as the mechanistic insights into the process, were discussed. Finally, we address the challenges and opportunities facing QDs-based photoATRP.

One-dimensional (1D) Al-doped V ₂O ₅ nanowires were synthesized by a hydrothermal method and subsequent heat treatment process. The microstructure, surface morphology, and electrochemical performance of the as-prepared 1D Al-doped V ₂O ₅ nanowires were analyzed by XRD, XPS, SEM, CV, EIS, and galvanostatic discharge/charge tests. The results show that Al ³⁺ doping can effectively increase the V ⁴⁺ concentration in V ₂O ₅ material and prevent the agglomeration of V ₂O ₅ nanowires. When used as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the Al-doped V ₂O ₅ sample exhibits much-enhanced cycling performance, improved high-rate capability, higher electrochemical reaction reversibility, and lower electrochemical reaction resistance than the pure V ₂O ₅ sample (without Al ³⁺ doping).

Among best known semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are CdSe/ZnS core/shell nanostructures, whose much enhanced photoexcited state properties over those of uncapped CdSe nanoparticles are rationalized in the literature such that “the ZnS capping with a higher bandgap than CdSe passivates the core crystallite removing the surface traps”. In this work, the method commonly employed in the ZnS capping of CdSe for CdSe/ZnS QDs was applied to the same capping of small carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) for CNP/ZnS core/shell nanostructures, which are conceptually and configuration-wise equivalent to the replacement of the semiconductor (CdSe) core with CNP in the classical core/shell QDs. The fluorescence emission properties of CNP/ZnS core/shell nanostructures were found to be similar to those of organic functionalized CNPs in classically defined carbon dots (CDots), both dramatically enhanced from those of “naked” CNPs in solvent dispersions. Mechanistic implications of the findings are discussed.