Repetitive start-up and shut-down events in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells for automotive applications lead to serious corrosion of the cathode due to an instantaneous potential jump that results from unintended air leakage into the anodic flow field followed by a parasitic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the anode. Here we report a solution to the cathode corrosion issue during the start-up/shut-down

Unraveling how reactive facets promote photocatalysis at the molecular level remains a grand challenge, while identification of the reactive facets can provide guidelines for designing highly efficient photocatalysts and unravelling the microscopic mechanisms behind them. Recently, a series of polytriazine imides (PTIs) was reported with highly crystalline structures; all had a relatively low photocatalytic

How life can emerge from inanimate matter is one of the grand questions in science. Self-replicating molecules are necessary for the transition from chemistry to biology, but they need to acquire additional functions for life to emerge. Catalysis is one of the most essential of such functionalities, but mechanisms through which self-replicators can acquire catalytic and, in extension, metabolic properties

Chiral catalyst development is a key to asymmetric catalysis research. The enantioselectivity of a chiral catalyst relies on its ability to distinguish the prochiral centres or faces of substrates, which is difficult when the two groups attached to the centre or face are spatially and electronically similar. For example, dialkyl ketones are difficult to reduce enantioselectively. Here we report a protocol

Modulating the structures of subnanometric metal clusters at the atomic level is a great synthetic and characterization challenge in catalysis. Here, we show how the catalytic properties of subnanometric platinum clusters (0.5–0.6 nm) confined in the sinusoidal 10R channels of purely siliceous MFI zeolite are modulated upon introduction of partially reduced tin species that interact with the noble

Polyketides found in nature originate from backbones synthesized through iterative decarboxylative Claisen condensations catalysed by polyketide synthases (PKSs). However, PKSs suffer from complicated architecture, energy inefficiencies, complex regulation, and competition with essential metabolic pathways for extender unit malonyl-CoA, all combining to limit the flux of polyketide biosynthesis. Here

Macrocyclic peptide natural products are important medicinal compounds. The catalytic properties of an unusual peptide cyclase enzyme have recently been described — providing opportunities for the engineering and synthesis of structurally complex peptides with novel biological activities.

Reporting data according to standards accepted by the community is fundamental to the progress of science. In the broad area of catalysis, best practice principles are well consolidated in some subfields, but they are still developing in others.

Catalysts are the heart of CO2 electroreduction technology. Now, a catalyst has been developed that converts CO2 into C2+ products with very high selectivity, stability, and energy efficiency at industrially relevant current densities.

Spinel oxides have attracted growing interest over the years for catalysing the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) due to their efficiency and cost-effectiveness, but fundamental understanding of their structure–property relationships remains elusive. Here we demonstrate that the OER activity on spinel oxides is intrinsically dominated by the covalency competition between tetrahedral and octahedral sites

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

The selective installation of boryl units at less-activated sites, which will facilitate easy access to a range of core structures embedded within bioactive molecules, is a longstanding challenge. Here, we show that catalytic amounts of an earth-abundant Fe(ii)-based complex promote efficient borylations at typically less-reactive positions vicinal (β) to common functional units. Utility is highlighted

The activation of carbon–fluorine bonds is an industrially and environmentally critical, but energetically challenging, transformation. Here we demonstrate a plasmonic photocatalysis approach to visible-light-driven hydrodefluorination that utilizes aluminium–palladium antenna–reactor heterostructures. Photocatalytic hydrodefluorination of aliphatic carbon–fluorine (C(sp3)–F) bonds in fluoromethane

The asymmetric O-alkylation of secondary aliphatic alcohols remains a substantial challenge in chemistry. Such a challenge largely stems from the steric demand of each reactant, in addition to the relatively low nucleophilicity of alcohols. Here, we report the development of a base-free, Cu-catalysed propargylic substitution reaction that enables the efficient, asymmetric O-propargylation of secondary

A rapid and efficient electrochemical reaction requires active catalytic material, as well as proper electrode and cell design. Now, a gas diffusion electrode based on a stainless steel cloth successfully overcomes gas transport limitations for high-current ammonia electrosynthesis in non-aqueous solvents at ambient conditions.

Fungal bicyclo[2.2.2]diazaoctane indole alkaloids represent an important family of natural products with a wide spectrum of biological activities. Although biomimetic total syntheses of representative compounds have been reported, the details of their biogenesis, especially the mechanisms for the assembly of diastereomerically distinct and enantiomerically antipodal metabolites, have remained largely

In contrast to the wealth of enantioselective prochiral C(sp3)–H functionalization that is transition-metal-catalysed, the enantioconvergent transformation of racemic tertiary C(sp3)–H bonds (pKa > 25) still represents a vastly uncharted domain. The mechanistic limitation is partial or complete chirality retention, which is inherent to developed enantioselective C–H functionalization catalysis and

Metal–support interactions have a strong impact on the performance of heterogeneous catalysts. Specific sites at the metal–support interface can give rise to unusual high reactivity, and there is a growing interest in optimizing not only the properties of metal particles but also the metal–support interface. Here, we demonstrate how varying the particle size of the support (ceria–zirconia) can be used

Understanding the nature of active sites is central to controlling (electro)catalytic activity. Here we employed surface X-ray scattering coupled with density functional theory and surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy to examine the oxygen evolution reaction on RuO2 surfaces as a function of voltage. At 1.5 VRHE, our results suggest that there is an –OO group on the coordinatively unsaturated

Electrochemical transformations in non-aqueous solvents are important for synthetic and energy storage applications. Use of non-polar gaseous reactants such as nitrogen and hydrogen in non-aqueous solvents is limited by their low solubility and slow transport. Conventional gas diffusion electrodes improve the transport of gaseous species in aqueous electrolytes by facilitating efficient gas–liquid

The transfer and amplification of chirality in biological and artificial systems is a fundamental process that allows for a dynamic control of structure and function. Only a few responsive systems harness the dynamic transfer of chirality and can act as photoswitchable chiral inductors. Here we demonstrate that photoresponsive phosphoramidite ligands based on a chiral biaryl-substituted molecular switch

Heterochiral coupling is favoured in abiotic peptide bond formation, whereas biotic peptide bond formation is dominated by homochiral coupling. Here, we report that heterochiral coupling is a rather general paradigm in the head-to-tail macrolactamization of non-ribosomal peptide biosynthesis. The canonical cis-acting offloading cyclases, such as type I thioesterase (TE) and terminal condensation-like

An efficient catalyst for the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) must maintain an oxide-free metal surface in a relatively high potential range. This requirement automatically excludes ruthenium because it is susceptible to oxidation in the hydrogen adsorption/desorption potential region. Herein we report Ru clusters partially confined in the lattice of urchin-like TiO2 crystals (Ru@TiO2) that can effectively

The severity of the COVID-19 emergency has forced society to adopt drastic containment measures. In this Editorial we discuss some of their implications for the publishing sector and for our journal.

Action for a more sustainable society must be taken — calling for advances in technology. This Insight features artificial biocatalytic systems and functions not found in nature and emphasizes their potential to address major challenges faced by humankind, such as climate change.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Europe is following in the steps of Japan and California towards the implementation of fuel cell vehicles. We revisit the current state of affairs in Europe while one of its flagship projects is nearing its end.

As Nature Catalysis starts its third year, we look back and the past 12 months.