Volume 2 Issue 12, December 2018

Facile isotopic labelling of carbon has been demonstrated using Pd-catalysed exchange of an acid chloride carbonyl with carbon monoxide.

Martian sediments and meteorites contain a complex mixture of inorganic and organic materials. The identities and localizations of these species point to a mechanism of organic synthesis that begins with the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide.

Noyori-type catalysts perform (de)hydrogenation and transfer (de)hydrogenation reactions at a metal centre coordinated to a N–H moiety. Understanding how these metal–ligand bifunctional catalysts operate enables us to design better catalysts for these reactions and for related conversions such as alcohol dehydrogenations, ester or carboxamide hydrogenations and dehydrogenative coupling of primary alcohols with other alcohols or amines.

Engineered biocatalysts are increasingly being used for both the identification and manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Here, the authors review key developments that are expanding the use of biocatalysis in the pharmaceutical industry.

3D printing is becoming a mainstream technology with considerable increase in access to affordable desktop printers. However, specific design principles and material considerations need to be weighed when printing functional devices that integrate catalytic and/or analytical functionalities, as well as when printing common laboratory hardware.

Energy exchange between an excited photosensitizer and an annihilator can result in the upconversion of low-energy to high-energy light. Limiting the oxygen sensitivity of this process is essential for many biological applications. This Review discusses approaches to suppressing or alleviating such sensitivity.