In response to rising environmental concerns, chemistry is experiencing a considerable change in both concepts and practices to adopt more efficient and sustainable technologies. One of the alternative technologies that offer many advantages over the conventional solution-based techniques is mechanochemistry which utilizes mechanical energy to induce chemical reactions. Despite the fact that mechanochemistry has reached high significance in the creation of advanced materials, such as alloys, ceramics, electrode materials, and nanocomposites, in the field of small molecule synthesis its potential remains largely untapped.

This review highlights the opportunities and prospects of different mechanochemical tools in the synthesis of organometallic compounds, including transition metal complexes with N-heterocyclic carbene, arene, and cyclopentadienyl ligands, monometallacyclic and pincer derivatives, as well as main group metal compounds (e.g., allyl complexes and the Grignard reagents). Many important organometallic transformations such as C–H bond metalation, transmetalation, and oxidative addition can be successfully implemented under mechanochemical conditions in a highly productive and energy-saving manner. Furthermore, the postmodification of metal-containing species upon grinding or milling is shown to be a powerful route to both new discrete metal complexes and different supramolecular architectures (metal-containing organic cages, macrocylces, networks).

Signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) is a rapidly developing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) hyperpolarization technique utilizing parahydrogen for dramatic increase of NMR sensitivity to benefit its biomedical and analytic applications.

This mini-review covers the most important methodological advances of SABRE with the focus on recent developments. We discuss the mechanistic aspects of SABRE effects, hyperpolarization of protons and heteronuclei including the novel SABRE-Relay approach, the ongoing work to make SABRE biocompatible, the analytical applications, the advances in instrumentation and, finally, more exotic developments such as the low-field detection of SABRE and the SABRE-initiated radiofrequency amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (RASER) effects.

The photochemistry of a potential light-activated anticancer complex, trans,trans,trans-[PtIV(py)2(N3)2(OH)2], was explored by steady-state and laser flash photolysis. The photolysis was a multistage process with the formation of complexes trans-[PtIV(py)2(N3)(OH)2(H2O)]+ and/or trans-[PtIV(py)2(N3)(OH)3] due to chain photoaquation at the first stage.

It is shown that the electronic virial-based correlation should be used to estimate bonding contributions to the rigidity of molecular vibrations in crystals.

Water-soluble blue-emitting gold nanoclusters have been synthesized using dsDNA as a template without any additional reducing agent. The features of the formed nanoclusters have been revealed by fluorescence and electronic absorption spectroscopy as well as transmission electron microscopy. The prepared gold nanoclusters have been highly stable at physiological pH without any further modification.

The oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane into ethylene using CO2 as an oxidant at temperatures of 650–750 °C was carried out over Fe/C, Cr/C and Fe–Cr/C catalysts deposited on a carbon support. Before and after the reaction the catalysts were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), in situ magnetometry and transmission electron microscopy methods. The correlation between activity of Fe/C, Cr/C and Fe–Cr/C catalytic systems and their phase composition was established.

Acetylene reacts with 2-aminopyridines in the superbase system KOBut/DMSO (the initial acetylene pressure ∼8 atm, 80 °C, 5 min) to give 2,3-dimethylimidazo[1,2-α]-pyridines in up to 60% yields. In the case of 2-amino-5-chloropyridine, along with ‘normal’ product, (Z)-5-chloro- N-[2-(2,3-dimethylimidazo[1,2-α]pyridin-6-yl)vinyl]pyridin-2-amine is formed in 40% yield. These multi-molecular assemblies involve parallel nucleophilic addition of N-centered anions to the triple bond and ethynylation of the forming C=N bond.

The first insight into the nature of intramolecular interactions in the CaII–CuII alanine hydroximate metallacrowns is provided on the basis of the invariom refinement and DFT calculations.

The ability of hydrogels based on acrylate derivatives of polyethylene glycol (PEG) with different ratios of monomers to swell and degrade, as well as their behavior during heating, have been explored. The possibility to control the swelling and degradation processes in the model medium by varying the ratio of PEG-methacrylate (PEGMA) and PEG-diacrylate (PEGDA) monomers was demonstrated.

A three-component protocol was adopted to efficiently prepare new bis(pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines) linked to different spacers in 80-92% yields from 1H-pyrazole-3,5-diamines, malononitrile and bis(aldehydes). The p-xylene-linked bis(pyrimidine) bearing 3-positioned 4-methoxy-benzyl substituent had the best antibacterial activity with MIC / MBC values up to 2.2 / 4.4 µm.

Transition metal complexes of copper subgroup metals are actively studied objects for temperature sensors. Their luminescence arising from the 3ILCT, 3MLCT or 3CC excited states is characterized by emission in all ranges of visible spectra and high quantum yields. Due to the ability of the complexes to emit in a dual band mode, these complexes are attractive for the temperature sensing in the ratiometric mode. Dual emission of complexes is usually susceptible of the irregular changes in intensity of two emission bands during the temperature changes. This is an important and necessary property for the utilization of phosphors as ratiometric thermometers. The structures and emission properties of gold(i) and copper(i) complexes are considered with the aim to demonstrate the possibility to apply such complexes as ratiometric molecular luminescent thermometers for the remote control of the object’s temperature.

The effect of the support nature (SiO2, Al2O3, SiO2–Al2O3) on the catalytic performance of Ni-based catalysts prepared by the incipient wetness method was explored in the dry reforming of methane reaction, and the catalysts were characterized by TG-DTA, SEM-EDX, XRD and UV-VIS methods. The results demonstrate that NiO supported on SiO2-modified Al2O3 exhibits superior catalytic performance in methane dry reforming in the temperature range of 650–700 °C.