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Incorporating polar co-monomers into otherwise unfunctionalized polyolefins affords materials with distinct properties but poses a challenge for archetypal metal catalysts, which are typically poisoned on binding to heteroatom lone pairs. This cover image depicts one strategy to overcome this challenge, whereby one metal centre sequesters a polar group, with an adjacent metal centre then being able to insert the olefin into a growing polymer chain.
The resolution of AFM images is highly sensitive to the atomic composition and structure of the tip. Harry Mönig and co-workers show that an oxygen-terminated copper tip can enable imaging at unprecedented resolution, allowing us to study molecular interactions in exquisite detail.
It is challenging to efficiently reduce CO2, let alone do so with deliberate control of selectivity. A new study on metalloporphyrin-catalyzed CO2 electroreduction reveals why some catalysts make CO and others make HCO2H.
The development of high-performance olefin polymerization catalysts is a major driving force in polyolefin studies. This Perspective discusses some alternative strategies for catalyst design — strategies in which existing systems are tuned beyond merely modifying the electronic and steric properties.
Transition-metal-catalysed hydrosilylation and hydroboration reactions are valuable in the synthesis of commodity and fine chemicals, respectively. This Review describes the catalyst design principles that enable us to perform these reactions using catalysts based on earth-abundant metals. Scenarios in which using earth-abundant metals can offer an advantage over using a precious metal are also outlined.
A move away from fossil fuels as an energy source will also require a move to new sources for important chemical feedstocks. This Review considers the use of homogeneous catalysis to convert cellulosics into low-volume, high-value chemicals that are currently derived from crude oil.