Two series of selectively deuterated cryptates with the lanthanoids Yb and Nd have been synthesized, and the luminescence lifetimes for the corresponding near-IR emission bands have been measured. Global fitting of these lifetime data combined with structural analysis allows for the accurate quantification of the contributions of individual C-H oscillators groups in the ligand to the nonradiative deactivation rates of the emissive lanthanoid states.

Molybdenum pentachloride combines a strong Lewis acid character with an unusually high oxidation potential creating a powerful reagent for oxidative transformations. Since the oxidative coupling reaction of aryls is induced at an extraordinarily high reaction rate, a variety of labile groups, e.g. iodo, tert-alkyl, etc., are tolerated on the aromatic core. Furthermore, the co-formed molybdenum salts can either be exploited for template effects to obtain uncommon geometries in a preferred manner, or redox-play starts after aqueous workup. Therefore MoCl(5) represents a unique and easily available reagent.

In recent years, Janus interface materials with wettability contrast have attracted remarkable attention because of their beneficial properties and versatile potential applications in materials science including transport, purification/ separation, analytical testing, and medical applications. Regarding the wide range of highly promising possible application areas, these materials will have a major impact on the next generation of smart systems. In this Review, our aim is to highlight the current status of the research on Janus interface materials with special emphasis on wettability contrast. In the first section, a brief history of the literature on Janus-type materials and interfaces, materials possessing different chemistries or topographies on opposing sites, is introduced. In the second section, theories behind wetting, including "wettability integration", are summarized, which can be regarded as the combination of opposing wetting properties within the same material. Afterwards, natural examples of Janus interfaces, a branch of superwettability integration, are discussed, which inspired the researchers to mimic the nature and develop artificial analogues. In the next section, the current status on artificial Janus interfaces with wettability contrast are reviewed, subcategories for which are implemented according to the (possible) application areas and also the origin of their base substrates. Then, the inorganic and organic based artificial Janus interfaces were compared in terms of advantages and disadvantages. Finally, a conclusion and outlook are given.

We introduce the design of Janus-type paper sheets where one side of the paper exhibits superhydrophobic properties, whereas the other side of the sheet remains hydrophilic and therefore can take up aqueous solutions by capillary wicking. Such papers are being prepared by chemically immobilizing a thin hybrid coating on paper sheets that consists of cross-linked poly­(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and inorganic particles of various sizes ranging from nanometers to several tens of micrometers. Both commercially available Whatman No. 1 filter paper and lab-engineered cotton linters-based paper substrates were treated with this approach. The hybrid paper sheets have high chemical durability, mechanical stability, and flexibility because of a covalent attachment of the particles to paper fibers and the inherent elasticity of PDMS chains. In spite of the superhydrophobicity of the coating, the untreated side of the paper substrates preserved its hydrophilicity, resulting in Janus-type wetting and wicking properties, respectively. The functionalized paper samples remained porous and permeable to gases, while possessing a gradual change in chemistry between the two sides exhibiting a dramatic wetting contrast. Such two-sided properties open up new applications for such hybrid paper materials, such as in wound dressings and/or bandages with a liquid directing and confinement ability.

The unique oxidizing power of molybdenum pentachloride provides an easy to perform, versatile, and high yielding method to construct carbazoles and the corresponding dibenzo analogues of thiophene, furan, and selenophene. The coupling reaction tolerates a variety of functional groups. The synthesis is highly modular. By this approach a precursor for the naturally occurring carbazole koenigicine was prepared.