Harnessing a clean, affordable and inexhaustible source of energy is an immense scientific challenge. Scientists moved a step closer in 1972 when the first practical device for direct solar power-to-fuel conversion was reported.

The Haber–Bosch process was introduced at the beginning of the twentieth century; however, its mechanism remained controversial for many years. Thus, a comprehensive mechanistic picture was provided in the eighties.

To produce chemicals and fuels from CO2 and water while storing excess energy from renewable resources will play a big role in sustainability. Three decades ago, we learned that copper possesses the unique ability to break the stable CO2 bonds and to form C–C bonds, a key step towards higher-value products.

The old catalysis literature still has much to offer to the research community. This issue presents a selection of retro News & Views articles that highlight some key historical developments in the subareas of catalysis.

More than 35 years ago, telomerase activity was discovered by Elizabeth H. Blackburn and Carol W. Greider. Today, this enzyme is a promising approach to curing some age-related diseases as well as cancer, but it took time for telomerase to be in the spotlight.

Methods for the direct one-step replacement of a hydrogen atom in a C–H bond by an organic functional group can create enormous possibilities for synthetic applications. On the way to solve this challenge, the discovery of the reaction of organopalladium complexes with olefins opened a new era in catalysis and organic chemistry.

The ability to control the subtle differences in reaction mechanisms and outcomes is an aspiration of many synthetic chemists. Now protein evolution has enabled the control of selectivity for hydroamination reactions catalysed by gold-based artificial metalloenzymes by favouring dual-gold catalysis over monomeric catalysis.

Computational studies have previously explored the effect of cations and hypothesized their vital role in electrocatalysis. Now, experimental evidence shows that without a cation, CO2 reduction simply does not take place.

Thermocatalytic hydrogenation is used industrially to produce ethylene at a reasonable purity, but at the cost of expensive catalysts, moderate selectivity, and potentially dangerous process conditions. Now, an electrochemical approach based on copper-based electrodes is suggested as a viable sustainable alternative.

Research projects are often developed by multiple groups worldwide, either in collaboration or in a form of genuine competition. In this Editorial, we discuss our approach to dealing with situations where multiple related manuscripts are submitted or published, in our journal or elsewhere, within a short period of time.

Electric current is now shown to induce movement of the atoms in electrocatalyst nanoparticles, leading to morphological changes and performance degradation. This electromigration effect needs to be taken into account when designing nanostructured catalysts for electrochemical devices.

Catalysts respond to reactive atmospheres, leading to intrinsically distinct active sites and reaction pathways in response to pressure changes. The degree of pressure gap depends on the nanostructure. Now, the gaps and discrepancies in in-situ and operando studies of CO2-to-CH3OH using CuZn catalysts have been rationalized.

Polyamines are a growing class of medically and agriculturally active biomolecules that have traditionally been difficult to source. Now, a bio-based platform for high-level production of diverse polyamines has been realized, showing the versatility of biocatalysis and the utility of conceptualizing metabolism as distinct modules.

The design of an original molecular architecture featuring an unusual sterically congested C(sp2)–C(sp3) stereogenic axis with six high rotational barriers results in the formation of six stereoisomers. The configuration of this axis can be controlled by transition metal catalysis and one stereoisomer can be produced selectively.

Identifying the active sites in supported catalysts comprising isolated metal atoms and subnanometric clusters is challenging because of the difficulty in obtaining detailed structural information under reaction conditions. Here, we discuss the limitations and pitfalls that may be encountered and provide suggestions accordingly.

Creating enzymes with new capabilities is a key goal for synthetic biology and sustainable chemistry. Now, computational approaches have been used to quickly achieve leaps in enzyme function, providing a versatile platform for biocatalytic hydroamination.

The challenge in synthesizing hydrogen peroxide from O2 and H2O is to balance several concurrent reactions. Now, selective H2O2 production is achieved on a noble-metal-free photocatalyst based on carbon-nitride-supported antimony single atoms.

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-021-00619-9.

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-021-00623-z.