Molecular catalysts anchored on electrode surfaces are commonly assumed to behave similarly to their homogeneous counterparts. Under some conditions, however, they can behave like metallic electrodes. Now, the underlying phenomena behind this fresh paradigm in heterogeneous electrocatalysis are uncovered.

Bioelectrochemical CO2 fixation often suffers from a mismatch between the electrochemical and biological components. Now, a spatial decoupling strategy, where CO2 electrolysis produces electrolyte-free acetic acid as the feed for engineered yeast fermentation, enables highly productive synthesis of glucose or fatty acids.

Nitrogenase reduces dinitrogen at one of its iron–sulfur cores to produce ammonia by a convoluted mechanism. Now, research highlights the importance of sulfur mobility on one of nitrogenase’s metallocofactors for nitrogen fixation.

Selective electroreduction of CO2-derived CO presents an opportunity to produce sustainable fuels and chemicals; however, its performance has been below practical levels. Now, an ordered Cu–Pd bimetallic catalyst has been developed for selective electroreduction of CO to acetate at an industrially relevant activity.

Low-temperature CO2 electrolysis is increasingly attractive for the production of sustainable electrofuels and electrochemicals as intensified research keeps pushing performance higher. Recent efforts on system engineering now offer solutions to downstream purification challenges, taking this technology one step closer to maturity.

Studying the kinetics of high-energy and high-power batteries is a formidable challenge. Now, it has been shown that redox-mediated (RM) catalysis in Li–O2 and Li–S batteries can be controlled by tuning parameters such as Li-ion concentration or electrolyte solvent, revealing threshold potentials in which rate constants increase several-fold.

Solid catalysts often exhibit a dynamic behaviour when exposed to reactive environments. Now, a study showcases how such behaviour can be exploited to maximize activity.

The discovery of robust and efficient water oxidation catalysts based on first-row transition metal complexes is still a challenge. Here, we describe the underlying chemistry related to the deactivation pathways of first-row transition metal complexes and put forward a series of principles and basic checks to enable the development of robust catalysts.