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\title{\protect\textit{Synthesis and Applications in Chemistry and
Materials} (ed. A. J. L. Pombeiro, K. T. Mahmudov and M. F. C. Guedes
da Silva), Series on Chemistry, Energy and the Environment, vol.
11--14, World Scientific Publishing (March 2024): a review}

\alttitle{Synthesis and Applications in Chemistry and Materials
(\'{e}d. A. J. L. Pombeiro, K. T. Mahmudov et M. F. C. Guedes da
Silva), Series on Chemistry, Energy and the Environment, vol. 11--14,
World Scientific Publishing (mars 2024) : compte rendu}

\author{\firstname{Pierre} \lastname{Braunstein}\CDRorcid{0000-0002-4377-604X}}
\address{Institut de Chimie (UMR 7177 CNRS), Universit\'e de Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, F-67081 Strasbourg, France}
\email{braunstein@unistra.fr}

\keywords{\kwd{Chemistry}\kwd{Synthesis}\kwd{Materials}}

\altkeywords{\kwd{Chimie}\kwd{Chimie des mat\'{e}riaux}\kwd{Chimie de synth\`{e}se}}

\begin{abstract}
Critical review of four new volumes in the book series ``Series on
Chemistry, Energy and the Environment'' (World Scientific Publishing,
Singapore): \textit{Synthesis and Applications in Chemistry and
Materials}, 4 volumes, 2100 pages (March 2024).
\url{https://doi.org/10.1142/13309}.
\begin{itemize}
\item Volume 11: \textit{Metal Coordination and Nanomaterials}
\item Volume 12: \textit{Enzymatic and Organic Systems}
\item Volume 13: \textit{Metal Complex Catalytic Systems and Materials}
\item Volume 14: \textit{Biomass and Waste Valorisation, Functional Materials, Energy Conversion and Supercritical Systems}
\end{itemize}

These volumes were edited by Armando J. L. Pombeiro (Universidade de
Lisboa, Portugal), Kamran T. Mahmudov (Universidade de Lisboa,
Portugal) and M. F\'{a}tima C. Guedes da Silva (Universidade de Lisboa,
Portugal).
\end{abstract}

\begin{altabstract}
Compte rendu de lecture de quatre nouveaux volumes parus dans la
s\'{e}rie \og{} Series on Chemistry, Energy and the Environment \fg{} 
(World Scientific Publishing, Singapore): \textit{Synthesis and
Applications in Chemistry and Materials}, 4 volumes, 2100 pages (mars
2024). \url{https://doi.org/10.1142/13309}.
\begin{itemize}
\item Volume 11: \textit{Metal Coordination and Nanomaterials}
\item Volume 12: \textit{Enzymatic and Organic Systems}
\item Volume 13: \textit{Metal Complex Catalytic Systems and Materials}
\item Volume 14: \textit{Biomass and Waste Valorisation, Functional Materials, Energy Conversion and Supercritical Systems}
\end{itemize}

Volumes \'{e}dit\'{e}s par Armando J. L. Pombeiro (Universidade de
Lisboa, Portugal), Kamran T. Mahmudov (Universidade de Lisboa,
Portugal) et M. F\'{a}tima C. Guedes da Silva (Universidade de Lisboa,
Portugal).
\end{altabstract}

\maketitle

{\vspace*{1pc}}

\twocolumngrid

\end{noXML}

\xsection{}

The well-established series of books on ``Chemistry, Energy and the
Environment'', edited by Karl M. Kadish (Univ.\ of Houston, USA) and
Roger Guilard (Universit\'{e} de Bourgogne, France) aims at emphasising
the multidisciplinary character of chemistry and its numerous
interfaces with energy- and environment-related fields. Four new
volumes have recently been dedicated to the ``Synthesis and
Applications in Chemistry and Materials'', edited by Armando J. L.
Pombeiro, Kamran T. Mahmudov and M.~F\'{a}tima C. Guedes da Silva from
the University of Lisbon (Portugal), Armando J. L. Pombeiro acting has
the set editor. The approach followed by the editors has been to
highlight research carried out in Portugal and by international teams
that have developed longstanding collaborations with Portugal. The
topics cover very important and diversified areas of chemistry where
progress has been particularly significant over the past 20 years. The
editors have been able to collect a total of 50 chapters with 168
authors from 63 international institutions an offer an up to date and
most informative panorama of chemistry and material sciences in their
diversity and relevance.

Volume 11, the first in this set of four volumes deals with metal
coordination and nanomaterials (480 pages). Part I focuses on the
``Synthesis of metal coordination compounds and applications'' and
\mbox{contains} 4 chapters. The first chapter, by C. Pettinari et~al.\ 
from the University of Camerino (Italy), summarises in 42 pages the
major achievements of the long-standing collaboration between the
chemists in Camerino and their colleagues in Lisbon. It highlights
their achievements in the use of scorpionates, pyrazolone and
arylhydrazones of barbituric acid as ligands in coordination chemistry,
and the formation of coordination polymers and metal organic
frameworks. The synthesis and structural characterization of numerous
metal compounds have led to interesting applications in homogeneous and
heterogeneous catalysis and to the study of their antitumour and
antimicrobial activity. The second chapter in this volume (31 pages),
by K. T. Mahmudov and co-authors from Lisbon, deals with tetrel bonding
in coordination chemistry. The authors analyse the occurrence,
structural features and consequences of these weak interactions between
the electron density deficient side of a covalently bonded tetrel atom
(C, Si, Ge, Sn or Pb) and a nucleophilic region in the same or another
molecular entity. The occurrence of tetrel bonding can have a
significant impact on the structure, catalytic or physical features of
the corresponding molecules. These interactions offer interesting
extensions to the better-known hydrogen, halogen, and chalcogen bonds.
The next chapter (30 pages) focuses of a collaboration between
scientists in Lisbon and in Wroclaw (Poland) and offers a comprehensive
review of the synthesis, chemical properties of copper complexes and
coordination polymers bearing the well-known, water soluble
monodentate, cage-like phosphine
1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphatricyclo[3.3.1.1]decane (PTA, also known as
1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphadamantane) and their applications as catalysts,
in azide-alkyne cycloaddition reactions, nitroaldol condensation, and
benzyl alcohol and catechol oxidation and as antitumour agents.
Chapter 4 (35 pages) by M. Wo\'{z}niczka and M. Swiatek (Medical
University of Lodz, Poland) deals with cobalt complexes of hydroxamic
acids, reduced Schiff base ligands and their solution behaviour. The
study of equilibria in solution as a function of pH is relevant to the
bioactivity of the complexes. 

Part II in volume 11 deals with ``Polynuclear Metal Assemblies, MOFs
and Applications''. It begins with Chapter 5 (30 pages) on
``Photoluminescent MOF sensors: on the road to cancer diagnostics'' and
is written by F. Figueira et~al.\  from the University of Aveiro
(Portugal).  Photoluminescent Metal-Organic Frameworks have emerged as
promising candidates for the development of sensors capable of
detecting cancer biomarkers with high sensitivity and selectivity. This
chapter reviews the various strategies reported in the literature for
the synthesis and modification of photoluminescent MOFs and their role
in sensing cancer biomarkers. The following chapter (28 pages) by M.
Aureliano from the University of Algarve (Portugal) is a joint effort
with co-authors from this university, the National Institute of
Technology Karnataka in Bangalore (India), the Algarve Biomedical
Centre Research Institute in Faro (Portugal), the Champalimaud Centre
for the Unknown in Lisbon and the University of Vienna (Austria). It
summarizes the structures, catalytic applications, antimicrobial and
anticancer activity of polyoxovanadates, with a special emphasis on
decavanadates which are the most studied polyoxovanadates in biology.
Chapter 7 (42 pages) by D. S. Nesterov from the University of Lisbon,
deals with ``Heterobimetallic Polynuclear Complexes: Synthesis from
Zero-Valent Metals or their Oxides, Magnetic and Catalytic
Applications''. The syntheses and structures are clearly organized as a
function of the nuclearity of the metal complexes and this is followed
by a summary of their magnetic and catalytic properties, the
latter being focused on alkane oxidation with H\tsub{2}O\tsub{2} and
with \textit{m}-chloroperoxybenzoic acid. The following chapter (35
pages) by A. J. L. Pombeiro and co-authors from the Russian Academy of
Sciences in Moscow (Russia), the University of Russia in Moscow, the
University of Lisbon, the Baku State University (Azerbaijan) and covers
the ``Synthesis, Structure and Catalytic Application of Cage
Metallasilsesquioxanes''. These molecules display a range of
architectures and possess interesting magnetic and photophysical
properties; they have found numerous applications in catalysis and
material sciences where they can be used as precursors to hybrid
materials and composites. They can also be associated with additional
P,P- or N,N-ligands, which impact their structures and catalytic
properties, such as the homogeneous oxidation of organic compounds and
the tandem oxidation or amidation of benzyl alcohol with primary and
secondary amines to yield benzamides. As part of a collaboration
between the Universities of Lisbon and Peoples' Friendship University
of Russia (RUDN) in Moscow, Chapter 9 (32 pages) by A. Paul et~al.\ 
addresses hydrothermal and solvothermal methods in MOF chemistry. This
field of research has grown considerably over the years and the authors
have rightly focused on selected aspects, such as the synthesis and
structure of MOFs of different dimensionalities containing Zn(II),
Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cd(II), Cr(III), Fe(III), Al(III), Ln(III) and
Zr(IV) ions, and the influence of solvents, temperature, reagents
stoichiometry and pH. 

Part III in this volume is dedicated to Nanomaterials. Chapter 10 (56
pages) provides a detailed account on the use of ``Gold nanoparticles
as a tool for combinatorial nanomedicine''. P. V. Baptista and
co-authors from various institutions in Lisbon highlight significant,
recent advances made in this field of growing importance and all the
benefits of gold nanoparticles in cancer medicine, although several
issues remain to be solved before their large-scale use can be
envisaged in cancer diagnosis and therapy. Chapter 11 (24 pages)
presents applications of ``Gold- and silver-based catalysts for
liquid-phase selective oxidation of alcohols'' and reports
investigations carried out in Tomsk (Russia) and Lisbon by E. Pakrieva
et~al.\  In addition to their size, the nature of the support and the
composition of the nanoparticles in the case of binary systems play a
major role in the catalytic performances. The last chapter in this
volume (76 pages) deals with ``Sustainable redox catalysts with
molybdenum complexes and nanoparticles'' and reports joint efforts by
C. D. Nunes and co-authors from the universities of Lisbon and Reading
(UK). Experimental data are analysed in combination with DFT studies.
The mechanisms of the catalytic oxidation of alkenes are discussed and
the results include the direct use of molecular precursors, their
immobilization on MCM-41-type supports, which can result in improved
enantioselectivity, and the properties of MoO\tsub{2} and MoO\tsub{3}
nanoparticles. A section is devoted to the electrochemical reduction of
CO\tsub{2} to CO and examines the mechanisms related to the use of
Mo(II) or Mo(0) precursor complexes. The photo-assisted
electrocatalytic conversion of CO\tsub{2} is considered as a promising
research area.

Volume 12 (460 pages) in this set deals with enzymatic and organic
systems and contains two parts: Part IV contains 3 chapters on
enzymatic and related systems and materials and Part V, with 8
chapters, deals with organic synthesis and \mbox{applications}. Chapter 13 (35
pages) by L. B. Maia et~al.\  from Lisbon deals with ``Molybdenum
enzymes: an unexploited biotechnological treasure and a challenge for
medicine'' and details the use of molybdenum in biology, landscapes for
molybdoenzymes biotechnological applications and molybdoenzymes and
human health disease. In particular, the enzymes belonging to the
sulfite oxidase, xanthine oxidase, dimethylsulfoxide reductase and
nitrogenase families are discussed. Promising perspectives are
identified in these important areas. In the next chapter (40 pages), L.
Cerofolini, C. F. G. C. Geraldes and co-authors report results obtained
in the framework of a collaboration between Universities in Florence
(Italy), Coimbra (Portugal) and Lisbon on ``Paramagnetic NMR of
transition metal derivatives of human carbonic anhydrase: implications
for enzyme catalysis and sustainability''. The authors illustrate the
application of NMR tools in the structural and dynamic characterization
of the enzyme active site, often complementing results obtained from
single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Chapter 15 (31 pages) by M.
M. Q. Sim\~{o}es et~al.\  from Aveiro and Porto (Portugal), discusses
``Metalloporphyrins as oxidative catalysts: synthesis of
high-value-added compounds'' and details the use of
\textit{meso}-pentafluorophenylporphyrin and derivatives as oxidation
catalysts under homogeneous and heterogeneous conditions, the oxidation
of organosulfur compounds, of indole and benzofuran derivatives of
industrial significance and the immobilisation of porphyrin catalysts.
This comprehensive contribution highlights several strategies that
were developed to improve the activity and robustness as well as the
recyclability or water solubility of the catalysts. 

Part V begins with a presentation in Chapter 16 (47 pages) by P. S. M.
Amado et~al.\  from universities in Algarve, Faro, Liverpool (UK) and
Lisbon, of the various catalysis-based methodologies applied to the
synthesis of nonsymmetrical 1,2,4,5-tetraoxanes and of bridged
1,2,4,5-tetraoxanes, both families having a considerable relevance in
medicinal chemistry. In Chapter 17 (23 pages), A. J. Burke and A.
Moutayakine from various institutions in Evora, Coimbra (Portugal), and
Islas Canarias (Spain), discuss ``Catalytic routes to 1,2,3-triazoles:
new developments and applications''. Access to these molecules, which
find applications in several areas, in particular in drug discovery,
was based on click-chemistry approaches \mbox{involving} initially Huisgen's
cycloaddition reaction. Innovations in the biomedical fields, in
supramolecular chemistry and electronic chemicals are also detailed. In
Chapter 18 (33 pages), F. Siopa and C. A. M. Afonso, from the Faculty
of Pharmacy in Lisbon, show that pyridinium salts are valuable
synthetic building blocks to access, by photochemical activation,
bicyclic aziridines and aziridine-beta-hydroxycyclopentanones of
relevance in particular in the medical sector. Applications to total
synthesis are also mentioned. The ``Metal-based synthesis of
flavonoid-related compounds'' is discussed in Chapter 19 (56 pages) by
V. L. M. Silva et~al.\  from Aveiro and Oviedo (Spain). Flavonoids are a
family of polyphenolic metabolites that can be found in plants and
fruits and are endowed with low toxicity and unique mode of
physiological action. The authors provide a detailed analysis of
metal-promoted reactions and metal-catalysed reactions giving access to
the synthesis of such compounds and allowing further studies on
structure-activity relationships. In Chapter 20 (56 pages) A. M. de
Matos and A. Pilar Rauter from the University of Lisbon discuss
``Catalytic processes towards the synthesis of sugar-based molecules
with therapeutic interest'' and nicely illustrate the efficiency of
catalysis to produce such molecules, in particular for addressing
stereoselective reactions. It is significant that improved
catalysis-based synthetic routes have been developed for oseltamivir
(the so-called Tamiflu), remdesivir, the first antiviral approved for
COVID-19 treatment, and the \textit{C}-glucoside drugs approved for the
treatment of diabetes type~2, the gliflozins. Natural methacrylate
polysaccharides and proteins form a versatile group of modified
macromolecules and in the next Chapter (28~pages), D. H. A. Rocha and
J. F. Mano from the University of Aveiro present an overview of
``Methacrylated natural macromolecules as precursors of hydrogels for
biomedical applications'', such as tissue engineering, therapeutic
delivery, and stem cells modulation. Chapter 22 (43 pages) by C. D.
Maycock and M. R. Ventura from Lisbon describes ``Approaches to
asymmetric compounds using natural products''. They discuss the use of
quinic acid, tartaric acid, the synthesis of carbohydrates and access
to autoinducer-2 (AI-2), which is produced by phylogenetically distinct
bacteria, and analogues. Clearly, a constant effort is needed to
develop asymmetric multistep organic synthesis, an important sector to
the \mbox{pharmaceutical} industry. The last chapter in this volume is Chapter
23 (45 pages), by A. M. M. M. Faisca Phillips from the University of
Lisbon, which deals with ``Enantioselective organocatalysis in the
synthesis of phosphonates''. Some phosphonates are endowed with
important biological activities, and are used as antiviral compounds,
as antibiotics, for the treatment of bone diseases and as
radiopharmaceuticals, just to name a few applications in the medical
sector. They are also used as agrochemicals and in polymeric materials.
Their synthesis can be achieved through various steps and the author
nicely details their formation resulting from carbon-phosphorus or
carbon-carbon bond formation. Applications of organocatalysis to
phosphonate chemistry is growing. 

Volume 13 (373 pages) in this set is entitled ``Metal complex catalytic
systems and materials'' and contains two parts. Part VI deals with
``Metal complexes and supported materials'' and begins with Chapter 24
(42 pages) in which K. V. Luzyanin and M. A. Kinzhalov from the
Universities of Liverpool (UK), Lisbon, St Petersburg and Tomsk
(Russian Federation) discuss ``Enabling catalytic applications of
aminocarbene ligands through rational design''. Carbene ligands are
increasingly applied in homogeneous catalysis because of the relatively
easy tunability of their electron-donor and steric properties. This
chapter focuses on the use of acyclic diaminocarbenes and the catalytic
applications of their metal complexes, in particular of palladium,
platinum and gold, for a number of important transformations. Chapter
25 (31 pages) by P. T. Gomes and colleagues from Lisbon is entitled
``Catalysis with earth-abundant metal complexes of iminopyrrolyl
ligands'' and features the main catalytic achievements and considerable
potential of such complexes in alkene polymerization,
hydrofunctionalization and azide-alkyne cycloaddition. The authors also
provide mechanistic insights and structure-reactivity relationships
that should open the way for further developments. The next Chapter (54
pages) by M. N. M. Milunovic et~al.\  from the University of Vienna
(Austria) and the University of Lisbon, deals with ``Oxidation,
hydrocarboxylation and cross-coupling reactions catalysed by transition
metal complexes with macrocyclic and related open-chain carbohydrazone
and carboxylate ligands''. The search for efficient and environmentally
friendly methods to catalytically functionalize C--H, C--OH and C--C
bonds \mbox{represents} a very active field of modern research, because such
reactions are part of most important processes in nature and in
industry. In this context, the authors explore the efficiency of
various transition metals such as Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Ni, V, Pd and Co to
achieve these important targets. They focus on the oxidation of
alkanes, the oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols and the
hydrocarboxylation of linear and cyclic alkanes, as well as on
carbon--carbon cross coupling reactions, such as Suzuki-Miyaura, Henry
and Knoevenagel condensation. In Chapter 27 (40 pages), A. M. Trzeciak
from the University of Wroc\l{}aw (Poland) provides an account on
``Palladium complexes with non-phosphorus ligands as catalysts of
Suzuki-Miyaura coupling''. This reaction is commonly used in industry
for the production of biaryl compounds involved in pharmaceuticals,
natural products and agrochemicals. The nature of the pre-catalyst is
discussed as a function of its nuclearity, oxidation state as well as
of the ancillary ligands that allow a fine-tuning of the properties of
the palladium centre. Among the non-phosphorus ligands used,
\textit{N}-heterocyclic carbenes play an increasing role and are
included in this chapter. Zeolite-embedded metal complexes have been
used for numerous catalytic applications and Chapter 28 (33 pages)
focuses on ``Zeolite-encapsulated metal complexes towards sustainable
catalysis''. After a brief overview of zeolite-Y-encapsulated
transition metal complexes, the authors B. K. Kundu and S. Mukhopadhyay
from the University of Cincinnati (USA) and the Indian Institute of
Technology Indore (India) discuss the design of intrazeolite complexes
and their use as sustainable catalysts, in particular in oxidation and
asymmetric catalysis. Chapter 29 (48 pages) discusses ``The role of
heterogeneous catalysts in C--H and C--OH activation'' and the authors,
M. A. Andrade et~al.\  from the University of Lisbon begin by describing
the most used supports and detail major achievements in these two
classes of catalytic reactions. Diverse user-friendly heterogeneous
materials have emerged as supports for metal complexes, which
facilitates the development of recyclable catalysts featuring a broad
substrate scope. Emphasis is rightly placed on the high selectivities
that could be achieved with these systems.  In Chapter 30 (21 pages),
L. Kustov and coll. from Moscow (Russian Federation) discuss the ``Ring
opening of mono- and polycyclic hydrocarbons'' in the context of
increasing the cetane number of diesel fuels. Platinum, rhodium,
iridium and ruthenium catalysts deposited on various carriers are used
for these reactions. The size of the metal particles and the occurrence
of strong metal-support interactions are critical for the selectivity
of such ring opening reactions.

The second part of this Volume 13, Part VII, is dedicated to the
activation of unsaturated molecules. It begins with Chapter 31 (30
pages) on the ``Uranium chemistry based on a bis (aryloxide) cyclam
ligand: a synthetic pursuit to activate relevant unsaturated
molecules''. L. Maria et~al.\  from the University of Lisbon and the
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (USA) discuss first the synthesis
and properties of bis(aryloxide) cyclam uranium(III) and uranium(IV)
complexes, then the activation of saturated N--N bonds, the activation
of oxygen-transfer reagents, the activation of carbon dioxide and the
covalency in uranium--ligand multiple bonds, analysed by \tsup{15}N NMR
spectroscopy and computational studies. Combining synthetic,
spectroscopic and computational approaches provides great opportunities
for the development of this research field. In Chapter 32 (36 pages),
S. Weber et~al.\  from the Universities of Vienna (Austria) and Lisbon
discuss the development ``From stoichiometric textbook reactions to
catalytic applications of manganese carbonyl alkyl complexes''.
Stoichiometric reactions such as carbonylation, reactions with various
nucleophiles and cyclometallation are examined first.  The catalytic
transformations discussed include hydrogenation and
hydrofunctionalization reactions, demonstrating the potential of this
earth-abundant metal in catalysis. The last chapter in this volume,
Chapter 33 (33 pages) by M. Sutradhar et~al.\  from the University of
Lisbon and Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN) (Russian
federation) discuss collaborative efforts towards the ``Conversion of
volatile organic compounds to useful building blocks by mild catalytic
oxidation''. The transformation of toxic volatile organic compounds,
such as toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, styrene and \textit{n}-hexane,
into valuable oxygenated products by selective oxidation, constitutes
an area of high current interest. Such transformations can be achieved
using both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. 

Volume 14, the last in this set of four volumes, covers in more than
700 pages the important topics of ``Biomass and waste valorisation,
functional \mbox{materials}, energy conversion and supercritical systems'',
and the chapters are distributed in six parts. Part VIII, dedicated to
biomass valorisation, begins with Chapter 34 (60 pages), by R. Bertani
and co-authors from the Universities of Lisbon, Padova and Palermo
(Italy), which provides an overview of ``Bioenergy in Portugal'' and
comparisons with the situation in Italy. It includes a literature
survey of the valorisation of selected biomasses and the utilisation of
green metrics for a better evaluation of greener treatment methods and
sustainability issues. Chapter 35 (48 pages) by M. M. Antunes and A. A.
Valente from the University of Aveiro, deals with ``Zeolitic catalysts
for carbohydrate biomass-related conversion processes''. The increasing
use of sustainable vegetable biomass conversion processes owes much to
recent developments based on heterogeneous catalysis. This chapter
discusses the conversion of saccharides to furanics and derivatives,
synthetic strategies towards modified zeolites, publication records on
zeolites/zeotypes, and selective reactions of carbohydrates/furanics
over zeolites/zeotypes. 

Part IX in this volume is dedicated to the increasingly relevant topic
of ``Plastic waste valorisation and degradable materials'' and begins
with Chapter 36 (24~pages) dedicated to ``Heterogeneous catalysis in
the circularity of plastic''. M. A. N. D. A. Lemos and coauthors from
Lisbon discuss in particular the pyrolysis of plastic waste, the
catalytic pyrolysis of polyolefins, the catalytic co-pyrolysis of
polyolefins in crude oil refinery context and the catalytic upgrading
of pyrolysis oils. In Chapter 37 (30 pages), A. C. Fernandes from the
University of Lisbon, discusses ``Catalytic advances in the
valorization of biomass resources and plastic waste''. Important
methodologies already exist for the valorisation of biomass resources
and plastic waste, but further research is needed in order to develop a
bio-based economy. ``Hydrocracking of plastics: a pathway for chemical
recycling'' is discussed in Chapter 38 (48 pages) by C. S. Costa
et~al.\  from Lisbon. This technology appears most promising for the
conversion of plastic waste into high-quality liquid fuels and other
value-added chemicals. The authors examine the chemical recycling
routes available and the hydrocracking process as a pathway for plastic
waste management. In Chapter 39 (96 pages), W. Zhang and W.-H. Sun from
the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology and the Institute of
Chemistry of the Chinese \mbox{Academy} of \mbox{Sciences} in Beijing (China),
respectively, discuss ``Progressive metal complex catalysts for
ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters''. The ring opening
polymerization of biorenewable monomers can lead to advanced and
biodegradable polyesters for sustainable applications. This chapter
nicely illustrates the recent progress in using as catalysts metal
complexes decorated with auxiliary ligands allowing a fine-tuning of
their properties. The on-going search for suitable catalysts allowing
the ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters is triggered by the
desire to replace stannous octoate widely used in industry despite of
its toxicity. In this chapter, the sections describing the use of
alkali metal complexes, alkaline earth metal complexes, group 13 and 14
metal complexes as well as transition metal complexes as precatalysts
are clearly organised according to the nature of the donor atoms and
denticity of the ligands. 

Functional materials are the subject of Part~X, which contains three
chapters. ``Functional Polymer based nanostructured materials'' are
examined in Chapter 40 (55 pages) by J. P. Farinha et~al.\  from the
University of Lisbon. Functional nanostructured materials possess a
wide range of applications and controlling the size and architecture of
the polymer chains is of considerable relevance. This chapter details
the controlled synthesis and assembly of functional polymer chains, the
role of polymer nanoparticles, from building blocks to nanocarriers, as
well as silica-polymer hybrid nanoparticles. Despite the advances made
over the past few years in this area, a number of challenges remain to
be overcome, which should be the subject of future research. Chapter 41
(29 pages) examines ``Luminescence in tetracoordinate boron complexes
of iminopyrrolyl ligands.'' P. T. Gomes and co-authors from Lisbon and
Thanjavur (India) examine the effect of \textit{N}-aromatic and
\textit{N}-aliphatic groups on the luminescent properties, the impact
of extending ${\uppi}$-conjugation, the properties of 5-substituted
iminopyrrolyls, the internal heavy-atom effect and that of co-ligands
on the luminescent properties of the materials, including their
applications to OLEDs. In the last chapter in Part~X, Chapter 42 (38
pages), S. S. Balula and co-authors from the University of Porto
discuss ``Clever strategies to broaden polyoxometalate functionalities:
from molecular units to hybrid composites.'' Their work has resulted in
structural modifications, modulation and functionalization of discrete
units in transition metals- and lanthanides-containing
polyoxometalates, depending on the targeted applications. The
incorporation of polyoxometalates into porous solid materials
represents a successful approach towards improved stabilisation. The
properties of porous metal organic frameworks and their advantages over
traditional organic or inorganic supports are discussed. 

Part~XI is dedicated to photocatalytic materials and contains three
chapters. Chapter 43 (40~pages) deals with the ``Sustainable synthesis
of oxides for electronics and photocatalysis'' and emphasises the
advantages of solution-based synthesis methods since they provide a
versatile access to metal oxide nanomaterials with properties tailored
for specific applications. The authors, R. Branquinho et~al.\  from the
NOVA University in Lisbon at Caparica, detail successively the solution
synthesis of oxide materials, the solution combustion synthesis of
oxides and the hydrothermal synthesis of oxide nanostructures. The
outstanding properties of optical semiconductors used as photocatalyst
have led to significant progress in photocatalytic synthesis and these
and related aspects are discussed in Chapter~44 (34~pages):
``Sustainable photocatalytic synthesis assisted by optical
semiconductors'', by M. J. Samaio et~al.\  from the University of Porto.
The characterization of photocatalysts is first examined, followed by
photocatalytic organic synthesis and photocatalytic process
intensification. Despite all the recent progress made, large scale
applications remain challenging and will require further research.
Considering the presence of various antibiotics, such as
oxytetracycline, in the aquatic environment and the associated risks,
Chapter 45 (16 pages) by M. J. Nunes, J. A. Casas and co-authors from
Covilh\~{\^{a}} (Portugal) and Madrid (Spain) adequately addresses the
``Heterogeneous Fenton-like degradation of oxytetracycline by
titanium-doped SrFeO\tsub{3}''. This catalyst appears to be promising
since it can be reused after 3 cycles without loss of performances. 

Part~XII in this volume is dedicated to energy storage and conversion
and begins with Chapter~46 (31~pages) on ``Biomass derived carbon
materials for sustainable energy storage and conversion''. The authors,
N. Rey-Rapp et~al.\  from the Universities of Oviedo (Spain) and Porto
and the Academy of sciences in Lisbon, provide an overview of the most
promising strategies towards biomass-derived carbon materials with
highly efficient performance in energy applications, such as
supercapacitors and fuel cells. The ``Electrochemical synthesis of
porous materials for catalysis'' is examined in Chapter 47 (47~pages)
by M. F. Montemor et~al.\  from the University of Lisbon. The catalytic
applications examined include fuel cells, CO\tsub{2} reduction and the
degradation of persistent organic pollutants. 

In Part~XIII of this volume, supercritical fluid systems are examined,
and Chapter 48 (32 pages), by A. V. M. Nunes et~al.\  from Lisbon,
discusses ``Supercritical CO\tsub{2} as green solvent for sustainable
synthesis and catalysis''. Supercritical CO\tsub{2} is considered as an
alternative for harmful organic solvents in chemical reactions and this
chapter emphasises the importance of phase behaviour and how the unique
properties of supercritical CO\tsub{2} can be successfully applied in
process intensification strategies. Chapter 49 (22 pages) by L. C. S.
Nobre et~al.\  from Lisbon further explores supercritical fluids and
offers an overview of recent advances in ``Catalysts preparation: a
supercritical route''. Despite the growing importance of supercritical
fluids, it is fair to say that commercial and industrial applications
of supercritical fluid processes for micronization are still limited,
in particular owing to the equipment cost. The final chapter of this
volume, Chapter 50 (33 pages) by B. P. Nobre et~al.\  from Lisbon, deals
with ``Supercritical fluid extraction of compounds from microalgae and
aromatic plants''. Green extraction processes should make minimum use
of toxic solvents, reduce waste production, avoid the presence of toxic
solvents in the final product and optimize energy consumption.
Supercritical fluid extraction offers such characteristics, and the
authors highlight the advantages of using supercritical fluid
extraction of valuable compounds from microalgae and of volatile oils
from various plants and herbs.

This set of 4 volumes on the ``Synthesis and Applications in chemistry
and materials'' is outstanding in many respects. It offers very well
organised, concise and updated information on an impressive diversity
of topics of current scientific and societal relevance. These volumes
should be made available to Master and PhD students as well as
researchers interested in the numerous fields covered and also seeking
sources of updated information and references in scientific areas close
to their own. The chapters are grouped in a very coherent and rational
manner and are all organised according to a common scheme. The clarity,
quality and consistency of the drawings, schemes and figures is
remarkable, and the length of the chapters make them very enjoyable to
read. Each volume begins with a detailed table of contents and finishes
with a most useful index. The editors of this set should be warmly
congratulated for having gathered such the collection of outstanding
authors, all specialists in their own field, who have produced critical
surveys of much interest to a very large scientific community. This set
furthermore highlights the numerous, remarkable and often longstanding
collaborations between Portuguese and foreign scientists and these
scientists should be congratulated for their remarkable endeavour and
achievements. Prof. Pombeiro's constant and well-known enthusiastic
commitment to chemistry and the scientific community is reflected on
this occasion not only in his role as the set editor, but also as
co-author of no less than 6 chapters. Finally, the publisher, World
Scientific, should be also congratulated for a very high-quality
production.

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\section*{Declaration of interests}

{\vspace*{-2pt}} 

The authors do not work for, advise, own shares in, or receive funds
from any organization that could benefit from this article, and have 
no affiliations other than their research organizations.

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