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For some professionally, vocationally, or technically oriented careers, curricula delivered in higher education establishments may focus on teaching material related to a single discipline. By contrast, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary teaching(MITT) results in improved affective and cognitive learning and critical thinking, offering learners/students the opportunity to obtain a broad general knowledge base. Chemistry is a discipline that sits at the interface of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine(STEMM) subjects (and those aligned with or informed by STEMM subjects). This article discusses the significant potential of inclusion of chemistry in MITT activities in higher education and the real-world importance in personal, organizational, national, and global contexts. It outlines the development and implementation challenges attributed to legacy higher education infrastructures (that call for creative visionary leadership with strong and supportive management and administrative functions), and curriculum design that ensures inclusivity and collaboration and is pitched and balanced appropriately. It concludes with future possibilities, notably highlighting that chemistry, as a discipline, underpins industries that have multibillion dollar turnovers and employ millions of people across the world.

Understanding structure/property correlations in self‐assembly is a key but challenging requirement for developing functional materials. Herein, we explore the importance of ligand geometry to fine‐tune photophysical properties (MMLCT vs. MLCT excited states) and self‐assembly pathways in metallosupramolecular polymerization. To this end, we have designed two hydrophobic Pt(II) complexes, 1 and 2, containing a π‐extended bidentate bipyridine ligand with different substitution pattern, resulting in different molecular geometries (linear vs. V‐shaped). Detailed comparative studies revealed significant differences for both complexes in terms of their photophysical properties and self‐assembly pathways in non‐polar media. The V‐shaped topology of 1 enables facile face‐to‐face molecular stacking with a certain curvature leading to luminescent spherical assemblies exhibiting MMLCT states and short Pt⋅⋅⋅Pt contacts via a single‐step cooperative pathway. On the other hand, the higher preorganized linear topology of complex 2 induces a two‐step competitive self‐assembly process leading to the formation of one‐dimensional supramolecular polymers with slipped packing and MLCT‐originated emission. Our findings broaden the monomer scope for supramolecular polymerization and provide design guidelines for the realization of luminescent supramolecular assemblies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composite hydrogel of a nanoscale metal–organic framework (NMOF) and nanoclay has emerged as a new soft‐material with advanced properties and applications. Herein, we report a facile synthesis of a hydrogel nanocomposite by charge‐assisted self‐assembly of Pd@ZIF‐8 nanoparticles with Laponite® nanoclay which coat the surface of Pd@ZIF‐8 nanoparticles. Such surface coating significantly enhanced the thermal stability of the ZIF‐8 compared to the pristine framework. Further, the Pd@ZIF‐8+LP hydrogel nanocomposite shows better size‐selective catalytic hydrogenation of olefins than Pd@ZIF‐8 nanoparticles based on selective diffusion of the substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational design and synthesis of a new low molecular weight gelator (LMWG) having 9,10-diphenylanthracene core and terminal terpyridine is reported. TbIII and EuIII ion coordination to a LMWG results in green and pink emissive coordination polymer gels, respectively, with coiled nanofiber morphology. Further, control over stoichiometry of LMWG:TbIII:EuIII leads to yellow and white light emitting bimetallic gels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]