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| Open AccessTuning the catalytic CO hydrogenation to straight- and long-chain aldehydes/alcohols and olefins/paraffins
The catalytic CO hydrogenation traditionally produces mainly methanol and long-chain hydrocarbons. Here, the authors show that the same reaction can be tuned to produce long-chain n-aldehydes, 1-alcohols and olefins, as well as n-paraffins over potassium-promoted CoMn catalysts.
- Yizhi Xiang
- & Norbert Kruse
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Article
| Open AccessCrystal nuclei templated nanostructured membranes prepared by solvent crystallization and polymer migration
Conventionally porous polymeric membranes for filtration are produced by phase-separation techniques, but this process has reached saturation. Here, Li and co-workers developed a manufacturing process involving oriented green solvent crystallization and polymer migration to form high-performance membranes.
- Bo Wang
- , Jing Ji
- & Kang Li
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Article
| Open AccessAsymmetric synthesis using chiral-encoded metal
Chiral compounds are extremely important as they can be used in medicine, agriculture and biotechnology. Here, Kuhn and co-workers use a mesoporous metal structure encoded with chiral information in order to induce asymmetry in electrochemical synthesis of mandelic acid.
- Thittaya Yutthalekha
- , Chularat Wattanakit
- & Alexander Kuhn
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Article
| Open AccessElectrolysis of a molten semiconductor
Conventional metal extraction processes rely on energy intensive pyro- or hydrometallurgical methods which generate pollutants. Here, the authors reveal a high-throughput electro-desulfurization process to convert molten stibnite to pure antimony in a single step, reducing emissions and energy consumption.
- Huayi Yin
- , Brice Chung
- & Donald R. Sadoway
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Article
| Open AccessIonic imbalance induced self-propulsion of liquid metals
The control over the motion and deformation of liquid droplets is essential to many microfluidic and actuation systems. Zavabeti et al. demonstrate that applying a pH or ionic gradient across a droplet of liquid metal alloy of gallium results in its motion due to a breaking of the surface charge symmetry.
- Ali Zavabeti
- , Torben Daeneke
- & Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh
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Article
| Open AccessRational design of carbon nitride photocatalysts by identification of cyanamide defects as catalytically relevant sites
Graphitic carbon nitride is a promising hydrogen evolution photocatalyst, although there is limited understanding of its mechanistic operation. Here, the authors employ molecular heptazine-based model catalysts to identify catalytically relevant defects and to rationally design a highly active carbon nitride photocatalyst.
- Vincent Wing-hei Lau
- , Igor Moudrakovski
- & Bettina V. Lotsch
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Article
| Open AccessIntegrative genomic mining for enzyme function to enable engineering of a non-natural biosynthetic pathway
The modification of enzymes to generate desired compounds by non-natural pathways is a useful route for the production of commodity chemicals. Here, the authors show two approaches—genome mining and computational enzyme design—to generate higher alcohols from sugar.
- Wai Shun Mak
- , Stephen Tran
- & Justin B. Siegel
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Quantification of plasma HIV RNA using chemically engineered peptide nucleic acids
There is a great need for inexpensive and sensitive tests to measure HIV viral load in patients’ samples. Here, Zhao et al. describe a cost-effective colorimetric method based on synthetic peptide nucleic acids that quantifies HIV RNA molecules from infected patients’ plasma.
- Chao Zhao
- , Travis Hoppe
- & Daniel H. Appella
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Engineering interlocking DNA rings with weak physical interactions
Catenanes are structures composed of interlocked supramolecular rings, and they have possible applications as molecular switches and nanomotors. Here, the authors present a catenane formed of interlocked DNA rings, and show how each ring can display independent functionalities.
- Zai-Sheng Wu
- , Zhifa Shen
- & Yingfu Li
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Stimuli-responsive selection of target DNA sequences by synthetic bZIP peptides
The expression of specific genes can be controlled by the combination of DNA-binding proteins, which determines their binding site selectivity. Here, simplified synthetic basic region leucine zipper-based peptides are induced to dimerize either through their C- or N-terminus, and thus are targeted to different DNA sequences.
- Jesús Mosquera
- , Adrián Jiménez-Balsa
- & José L Mascareñas
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Transforming moiré blisters into geometric graphene nano-bubbles
Strain engineering has been proposed as a promising strategy for manipulating the electronic properties of graphene. This scanning tunnelling microscopy study demonstrates the feasibility of controlling strain patterns in graphene down to the nanoscale.
- Jiong Lu
- , A.H. Castro Neto
- & Kian Ping Loh
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Article
| Open AccessPore surface engineering in covalent organic frameworks
Covalent organic frameworks form a porous skeleton with a precise pore size and geometry, but control of the pore surface is challenging. Here, a protocol is introduced for pore surface engineering of covalent organic frameworks, allowing the control of composition and density of organic groups in the pores.
- Atsushi Nagai
- , Zhaoqi Guo
- & Donglin Jiang
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A systems approach towards the stoichiometry-controlled hetero-assembly of nanoparticles
The assembly of nanoparticles into stoichiometry-controlled structures could lead to materials with novel properties and functions. Here, reaction systems are developed, which allow the rational assembly of differently functionalized gold nanoparticles (A and B) to give AB, AB2, AB3 and AB4nanoclusters.
- Yong Wang
- , Gang Chen
- & Hongyu Chen