Chemical recycling is one of the most promising technologies that could contribute to circular economy targets by providing solutions to plastic waste; however, it is still at an early stage of development. In this work, we describe the first light-driven, acid-catalyzed protocol for chemical recycling of polystyrene waste to valuable chemicals under 1 bar of O2.

Herein, we describe two isomeric macrocycles with clamp-like open and closed geometries, which crystallize as separate polymorphs but interconvert freely in solution. Using mechanistic information from NMR kinetic studies and at-line mass spectrometry, we developed a semicontinuous flow synthesis with maximum conversions of 85–93% and over 80% selectivity for a single isomer.

A combined experimental–computational approach enabled the synthesis of low-symmetry imine cages from mixtures of tetraaldehyde building blocks. This “social self-sorting” approach was applied to obtain a family of new cages containing heteroatoms, showing that pores of varying geometries and surface chemistries may be reliably accessed.

Methods to make microcapsules–used in a broad range of healthcare and energy applications–currently suffer from poor size control, limiting the establishment of size/property relationships. Here, we use microfluidics to produce monodisperse polyurea microcapsules (PUMC) with a limonene core.

Furocoumarin derivatives have been synthesized from single step, high yielding chemistry. They are characterized by FTIR, 1H-NMR, and, for the first time, a comprehensive UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy study has been carried out to determine if these compounds can serve as useful sensors.

Here, we narrow the pore size of a cage molecule, CC3, in a systematic way by introducing methyl groups into the cage windows. Computational crystal structure prediction was used to anticipate the packing preferences of two homochiral methylated cages, CC14-R and CC15-R, and to assess the structure–energy landscape of a CC15-R/CC3-S cocrystal, designed such that both component cages could be directed to pack with a 3-D, interconnected pore structure.

Here we apply a chiral recognition strategy to a new family of tubular covalent cages to create both 1D porous nanotubes and 3D diamondoid pillared porous networks. These results are a blueprint for applying the ‘node and strut’ principles of reticular synthesis to molecular crystals.

The dynamic covalent synthesis of two imine-based porous organic cages was successfully transferred from batch to continuous flow. The same flow reactor was then used to scramble the constituents of these two cages in differing ratios to form cage mixtures. Preparative HPLC purification of one of these mixtures allowed rapid access to a desymmetrised cage molecule.

Three fluorescent organic compounds—furocoumarin (FC), dansyl aniline (DA), and 7-hydroxycoumarin3-carboxylic acid (CC)—are mixed to produce almost pure white light emission (WLE). This novel mixture is immobilised in silica aerogel and applied as a coating to a UV LED to demonstrate its applicability as a low-cost, organic coating for WLE via simultaneous emission.

In this work, the formation of nucleobase quartets consisting of adenine and thymine groups was used to control the 2D self-assembly of porphyrins.

Two dissymmetric racemic analogues of the chiral porous organic cage, CC3, were isolated and unambiguously characterised as a racemate pair of the R,R,R,S,S,S and S,S,S,R,R,R-diastereomers (CC3-RS and CC3-SR). CC3-RS/CC3-SR equals the highest porosity measured for CC3 but is an order of magnitude more soluble, making it an excellent candidate for incorporation into a membrane for separation applications.

Using variable temperature 2H static NMR spectra and 13C spin-lattice relaxation times (T1), we show that two different porous organic cages with tubular architectures are ultra-fast molecular rotors.

From kitchen sieves and strainers to coffee filters, porous materials have a wide range of uses. On an industrial scale, they are used as sorbents, filters, membranes, and catalysts. Slater and Cooper review how each application will limit the materials that can be used, and also the size and connectivity of the pores required. They go on to compare and contrast a growing range of porous materials that are finding increasing use in academic and industrial applications.