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As the field of catalysis grows and spreads into new areas of societal importance scientists continue to gain deeper understanding of what drives reactivity and selectivity. Insights come from such areas as spectroscopic identification of previously elusive active sites and reactive intermediates, modelling of reaction pathways, observation of reactivity trends, and kinetic measurements, to name but a few. In turn this understanding allows a more rational approach to the design of new catalytic systems.
Ahead of the launch of Nature Catalysis, this collection draws together recent work that brings new understanding into homogeneous, heterogeneous, and biological catalytic processes.
Nature Catalysis will join a portfolio of journals at Nature Research that publishes important advances across all of catalysis and related fields.
Our increasing understanding of non-covalent interactions involving aromatic systems is reviewed, and the use of these insights in the design of small-molecule catalysts and enzymes is surveyed.
Transition metal catalysis is well established as an enabling tool in synthetic organic chemistry. Photoredox catalysis has recently emerged as a method to effect reactions that occur through single-electron-transfer pathways. Here we review the combination of the two to show how this provides access to highly reactive oxidation states of transition metals and distinct activation modes that further enable the synthetic chemist.