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Few synthetic CO2-fixation pathways have been tested in vivo. Now, the new-to-nature THETA cycle is designed, realized in vitro and modular implemented in vivo. This cycle involves 17 enzymes, including the two most active carboxylases known so far, to produce the central building block acetyl-CoA using CO2.
Merging photoredox and biocatalysis provides opportunities to address challenges in synthetic chemistry. Now the combination of a ruthenium photocatalyst for oxidative radical formation and ‘ene’-reductases for radical interception enables an enantiodivergent decarboxylative alkylation reaction.
Chiral lactams are important pharmacophores and strategies for their synthesis through direct C–H functionalization are highly sought after. Now, intramolecular C–H amidation of dioxazolones via biocatalytic nitrene transfer enables the synthesis of enantioenriched lactams with various ring sizes.
Low-carbon chemicals generated from CO2 provide a possible path to improve the sustainability of microbial bioproduction of food and chemicals. Now, using a metabolic engineering approach, yeast is engineered to produce glucose, myo-inositol, glucosamine, sucrose and starch from C1–3 molecules.
Fe–N–C catalysts are a promising alternative to precious metals in fuel cell cathodes, but they suffer from durability issues. Now, a preparation method is reported that allows increasing the active site density while also improving durability.
Plasmonic composites have potential for photocatalytic conversions using solar light; however, complex interactions between light and the components are poorly understood. Here, a highly ordered two-dimensional plasmonic bimetallic AuPt supercrystal demonstrates a high rate of H2 generation from formic acid while providing insight into the interaction between plasmonic antenna and catalyst.
Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells are promising devices to produce electricity from green hydrogen, but the development of suitable cathode catalysts is required for their successful deployment. Now, Co(CN)3 microcrystals with cyanide linkages and well-defined coordination structures are shown to exhibit high oxygen reduction reaction performance in alkaline conditions.
Terpenoids are natural products with high value in the chemical industry; however, their expression in different hosts is limited by the availability of cytochrome P450. Here the authors show the engineering of recombinant Escherichia coli that can easily produce terpenoids from different classes and species.
Asymmetric catalytic photoelectrochemical reactions for the construction of complex compounds are underdeveloped. Now, merging photoelectrochemistry with asymmetric catalysis has enabled the dehydrogenative [2 + 2] photocycloaddition between alkyl ketones and alkenes affording enantioenriched cyclobutanes.
Different locations have been proposed for the catalytic centre of particulate methane monooxygenase for methane oxidation to methanol. Now, cryoelectron microscopy structures and electron nuclear double resonance spectroscopic measurements of the enzyme with a product analogue identify CuD as the active site and provide insights into substrate binding.
Enantioconvergent cross-electrophile coupling of non-redox-active alcohol derivatives is challenging. Now, taking advantage of Ni–C bond homolysis, enantioconvergent coupling of non-redox-active propargylic esters with chlorogermanes enables the synthesis of chiral propargyl germylation products.
The development of innovative strategies for the capture and biodegradation of nanoplastics is sought after. Now, artificial hydrolytic active sites are incorporated into non-catalytic membrane nanopores generating pore-based biocatalytic nanoreactors that depolymerize polyethylene terephthalate plastic nanoparticles.
The sluggish conversion of lithium polysulfides in Li–S batteries can be overcome by the use of catalysts, but their design is typically done via trial and error. Now, a binary descriptor is proposed by machine learning to capture electronic and structural effects for the design of Li–S battery cathode catalysts.
CO2 electroreduction is a promising process for the production of high-value chemicals, but achieving high selectivities for specific products is challenging. Now, a Faradaic efficiency of 87% for acetate is achieved on a Cu/CuOx catalyst under 58 atm CO2(g), where high and low concentrations of dissolved CO2(aq) and proton donor HCO3− are shown to promote acetate formation, respectively.
Controlling strong metal–support interactions to promote catalytic performance is a desirable yet challenging endeavour. Now, the in situ formation of TiOx patches on an MnO support, instead of encapsulated metal, facilitates hydrogen spillover and promotes the reverse water-gas shift reaction performance.
Cas9 is a powerful genome-manipulation enzyme, although how its catalytic activity is controlled is not completely solved. Now, cryo-electron microscopy structures of Acidothermus cellulolyticus Cas9 provide atomic-level insights into its activation involving DNA binding, conformational changes and the formation of its two active sites.
Alkene 1,1-difunctionalization can provide direct access to valuable molecules. Now, an organometallic-radical relay strategy involving radical generation through homolysis of the metal–alkyl complex allows catalytic coupling of terminal or internal alkenes with arylboronic acids and electrophilic radical acceptors.
The selective hydrogenation of acetylene to ethylene involves high H2 consumption as well as a high energy input. Now, a thermocatalytic process for acetylene semi-hydrogenation using H2O as H source and CO on a Au/α-MoC catalyst is introduced.
CO electroreduction is a promising process for obtaining high-value chemicals but it typically suffers from low durability. Now the degradation mechanisms of membrane-electrode-assembly devices during high-rate CO reduction are identified via operando wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements and circumvented.