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There are very few methods for the organocatalytic aziridination of unactivated olefins. Here the authors report a simple ketone catalyst for the transfer of nitrogen to isolated carbon–carbon double bonds, with good substrate scope and in high yields.
The cross-coupling of C–H bonds with alcohols is a highly efficient route to ethers. Here the authors report such an oxidative coupling, by use of a radical relay to both promote hydrogen atom transfer and activate the copper catalyst for cross-coupling.
Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful oxidizing agent with many applications. Now, a method is presented to generate it from the oxidation of water on a polytetrafluoroethylene-coated glassy carbon electrode with high efficiency.
Europe is following in the steps of Japan and California towards the implementation of fuel cell vehicles. We revisit the current state of affairs in Europe while one of its flagship projects is nearing its end.
Identifying the rate-determining step (RDS) for oxygen incorporation into mixed ionic and electronic conducting electrodes is very challenging, particularly since the local composition changes during the reaction. Now, a generally applicable method for identifying the RDS is presented, with the example of a Pr0.1Ce0.9O2–x electrode.
The photocatalytic decarboxylation of fatty acids affords alkanes under mild conditions, albeit with limited selectivity due to radical-mediated side reactions. Now, a hydrogenated Pt/TiO2 catalyst is introduced for the selective conversion of C12–C18 fatty acids into Cn–1 alkanes in quantitative yields.
Supported single atoms can minimize metal utilization in catalysis, although reactivity restrictions exist. Here, fully exposed Pt, Pd and Rh ensembles localized on CeO2 islands anchored onto partially reduced γ-Al2O3 are introduced as a superior and durable alternative for three-way catalysis.
Abiological catalytic components can increase the synthetic potential of enzymes. This work reports an enzyme with two different abiological catalytic moieties—an organocatalytic unnatural amino acid and a metal complex—that act synergistically to achieve highly enantioselective Michael addition reactions.
Despite its potential, catalytic dry reforming of methane has not yet reached practical application due to high thermal energy requirements. Now, a photocatalytic method is introduced based on strontium titanate-supported rhodium nanoparticles that afford syngas production solely under light irradiation.
Bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes are of interest to the pharmaceutical and chemical communities, due largely to their metabolic stability and potential as bioisosteres. Here the enantioselective C–H activation of these carbocycles is reported, giving access to enantioenriched, substituted products while maintaining the carbocyclic framework.
Electrochemical reactions can provide necessary redox equivalents for biocatalysis. In this Review, Minteer and co-workers summarize the current status and challenges of enzymatic and microbial bioelectrocatalysis for the green and efficient production of target products using electricity.
To implement more sustainable processes in industry, a high efficiency of microbial biocatalytic systems for the production of industrial chemicals from renewable feedstocks is important. Now, engineering the lifespan of Escherichia coli is presented as a platform technology for improving the bioproduction of chemicals.
The electrochemical synthesis of high-value chemicals is still far from industrial application, mostly due to the lack of stable and efficient catalysts. Now evidence reveals that gaining a fundamental understanding of an electrochemical reaction can lead to faster development of optimal catalytic materials.
Forming carbon–carbon bonds at the expense of two C–H bonds is difficult, but attractive, as it reduces the number of chemical steps during synthesis by avoiding prefunctionalization. Here such a method is reported, involving an interrupted Pummerer reaction and a photoredox-catalysed coupling.
Advances in enzyme performance and capabilities are making them increasingly attractive to synthetic chemists. In this Review Chen and Arnold outline the ways that enzymes have been engineered to achieve reactivities well beyond their original functions.
Efficient microbial production of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs; C6–C12)—valuable molecules in the oleochemical and biofuel industry—is challenging due to their cellular toxicity. Now, this work improves the production of extracellular MCFAs to over 1 g l−1 by systematically engineering yeast at multiple levels.