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Gut microbes have enzymes that break down the heavily glycosylated mucin protein of host animals, but known enzymes recognize only one glycan chain. Now, bioinformatic exploration has uncovered a family of mucinases that targets dense sugar residues.
Malonyl-CoA is one of the fundamental building blocks for the synthesis of industrially or pharmaceutically important chemicals, but its biosynthesis via the innate acetyl-CoA carboxylation pathway remains slow and inefficient. Now, an artificial non-carboxylative malonyl-CoA biosynthetic pathway has been developed, significantly enhancing malonyl-CoA supply by boosting carbon and energy efficiency while sidestepping the inhibitions by host cell regulations.
Ethylene, despite being a cornerstone of the modern petrochemical industry, continues to pose challenges during its production. Now, a dual single-atom catalyst design emerges as a remarkable solution for the efficient semi-hydrogenation of acetylene.
Material–microbe hybrids represent an interesting class of catalyst with potential for high energy efficiency and product selectivity. In this Perspective the authors discuss some of the difficulties in understanding these interdisciplinary systems and the attempts to unify the approaches taken by different research communities to further the field.
Aminated heteroaromatics are usually synthesized from heteroaromatic substrates. Now, a general photochemical approach that exploits non-aromatic N-heterocyclic ketones as starting materials for the coupling with amines under desaturative catalysis is reported as an alternative.
The use of data science tools in catalysis research has experienced a surge in the past 10–15 years. This Review provides a holistic overview and categorization of the field across the various approaches and subdisciplines in catalysis.
Synthetic methylotrophic organisms provide potential for valorization of greenhouse gas-derived methanol. Here an Escherichia coli strain is generated that reaches a similar growth rate on methanol to many natural methylotrophs and is capable of producing chemicals from this carbon source.
Biomass is a renewable source of carbon that can be exploited to produce valuable chemicals and fuels. This Perspective discusses the electrochemical valorization of biomass, identifying specific chemical transformations in which the approach can excel.
The tunable design of molecular catalysts presents opportunities for the control of product selectivity in CO2 reduction, yet to date, complexes capable of producing multicarbon products have been elusive. Here, a Br-bridged dinuclear Cu(I) complex that turns over C3H7OH is reported.
Electrocatalysts are often dynamic and their surface structure changes under working conditions. Now the dynamic evolution of MoS2 edges is monitored with nanometre-resolution via electrochemical tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy during the hydrogen evolution reaction.
The development of superior and cost-effective catalysts for the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions is pivotal for the future hydrogen economy. Now a series of Ru-modified Li2MnO3 catalysts have been designed to optimize the electronic structure and achieve a high performance in both oxygen reduction and evolution reactions, as demonstrated in practical anion exchange membrane fuel cell and water electrolyser tests.
Photoelectrocatalysis offers the potential to reduce energy demand and provide different selectivity profiles compared with electrocatalytic analogues, but current systems have shown limited rates. Here, recent advances in light concentration and gas diffusion electrodes are integrated into a photoelectrochemical system for coupled glycerol oxidation and CO2/H2O reduction with photocurrent densities above 100 mA cm−2.
Oxide-derived copper is well-known as a CO2 reduction electrocatalyst, yet the mechanism of its formation and the structure of the active phase remain unclear. Here the reduction of oxide-derived copper is modelled using large-scale molecular dynamics with a neural network potential, providing important insights into the removal of trapped oxygen under operating conditions.
Photoelectrocatalytic nitrate reduction offers an opportunity for a lower carbon route to ammonia production but has not been realized due to poor efficiency. Here an efficient modified lead halide perovskite photocathode is coupled to glycerol oxidation anode resulting in a bias-free photocurrent density greater than 20 mA cm−2.
Polar and steric effects usually dictate the regioselectivity in homolytic aromatic substitution. Now a method for direct ortho-selective C–H amination of aromatics with diverse side chains as directing groups is disclosed, by which the iron catalyst coordinates both the substrate and the aminyl radical.