Reviews & Analysis

Electrocatalytic NO_x reduction (NO_xR) to ammonia has recently become an increasingly popular alternative to the more challenging N₂ reduction. This Perspective critically assesses the possible ways NO_xR could contribute to the ammonia economy and clarifies the necessary steps for a rigorous experimental protocol.

Direct CO₂-to-C₂₊ and tandem CO₂-to-CO and CO-to-C₂₊ electrocatalytic systems have been proposed as strategies for sustainable fuel and chemical synthesis. This Perspective considers the role of acidic CO₂ gas on the cathodic microenvironment and local pH and draws connections between this and product selectivity in the electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction and the electrochemical CO reduction reaction, focusing on the competition between two major pathways: ethylene/ethanol and acetate.

Thanks to a unique set of properties, liquid metal catalysts provide advantages compared to traditional solid systems, yet their potential in heterogeneous catalysis has not been fully explored. This Perspective identifies some of the key advances in the field of liquid metal catalysis, discussing areas where progress is expected through further fundamental understanding as well as reactor engineering.

Understanding the structure–performance relationships of heterogeneous catalysts is of fundamental importance for their deployment in industry. However, gaps exist between the conditions and catalytic materials commonly employed in laboratory studies and those encountered in practical reactors. This Perspective highlights the importance of recognizing such gaps, with the goal to inform the planning of academic research and maximize its impact.

Progress in the field of photocatalytic CO₂ reduction has been constrained by a lack of comparability between studies. This Perspective provides recommendations for best practices in the undertaking and reporting of experimental data in this promising research area.

Catalytic pyrolysis is a promising process for the valorization of biomass and plastic waste, although several aspects related to its practical utilization remain unexplored. This Perspective revisits the salient features of catalytic pyrolysis, identifying a roadmap to advance the application of this technology at commercial scale.

Reaction networks provide complete mechanistic understanding of catalytic processes, although they can be highly complex and thus very challenging to obtain. This Perspective discusses the use of machine learning for the exploration of reaction networks in heterogeneous catalysis.