Nature CatalysisPub Date : 2026-03-27DOI: 10.1038/s41929-026-01512-z
Arnold Gaje, Reshma Rao, Camilo A. Mesa, Niels Keller, Laia Francàs, James R. Durrant, Ernest Pastor
{"title":"Molecular-scale interactions in heterogeneous (photo)electrocatalysis","authors":"Arnold Gaje, Reshma Rao, Camilo A. Mesa, Niels Keller, Laia Francàs, James R. Durrant, Ernest Pastor","doi":"10.1038/s41929-026-01512-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41929-026-01512-z","url":null,"abstract":"Current research into (photo)electrocatalysis is focused on increasing the reactivity of systems based on Earth-abundant elements, which requires kinetic models of their catalytic mechanisms. In transition metal oxides, adsorption and electron transfer steps typically involve changes in the oxidation state of the metal and the colour of the electrode, which can be measured spectroscopically. In situ spectroelectrochemical studies have exposed the unexpected role played by the density of active species and their co-operativity in dictating (photo)electrochemical performance. Here we review how reaction pathways can be controlled by the presence, or not, of molecular-scale interactions between redox active sites at the interface and discuss strategies to monitor them. We consider how the ability to probe and quantify such interactions opens strategies to enhance catalytic performance and creates opportunities for scientific discovery. This Perspective discusses ways to probe the presence or absence of molecular-scale interactions between actives sites on heterogeneous electrodes and how they affect the mechanism of (photo)electrocatalytic reactions.","PeriodicalId":18845,"journal":{"name":"Nature Catalysis","volume":"9 3","pages":"248-256"},"PeriodicalIF":44.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature CatalysisPub Date : 2026-03-27DOI: 10.1038/s41929-026-01509-8
Sungin Kim, Haichuan Zhang, Qian Chen, Jungwon Park, Dongsheng Li, Yao Yang
{"title":"A new era in operando","authors":"Sungin Kim, Haichuan Zhang, Qian Chen, Jungwon Park, Dongsheng Li, Yao Yang","doi":"10.1038/s41929-026-01509-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41929-026-01509-8","url":null,"abstract":"The 2025 Materials Research Society (MRS) Fall Meeting highlighted the latest developments at the frontiers of materials research. This report focuses on multimodal operando/in situ methods employed to probe dynamic evolution of catalysts under far-from-equilibrium operating conditions — a key challenge in advancing catalyst development.","PeriodicalId":18845,"journal":{"name":"Nature Catalysis","volume":"9 3","pages":"245-247"},"PeriodicalIF":44.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature CatalysisPub Date : 2026-03-27DOI: 10.1038/s41929-026-01511-0
Fabian Willenborg, Amy E. Fraley
{"title":"Nickel-driven sulfonamide biosynthesis","authors":"Fabian Willenborg, Amy E. Fraley","doi":"10.1038/s41929-026-01511-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41929-026-01511-0","url":null,"abstract":"Metalloenzymes serve as staple biocatalysts for a broad range of reactions, offering exquisite selectivity and wide-ranging applicability when paired with versatile metals such as nickel. The mechanism behind sulfonamide formation catalysed by a recently discovered Ni-dependent enzyme has now been revealed, opening tractable avenues to biocatalyst-mediated expansion of the sulfonamide chemical space.","PeriodicalId":18845,"journal":{"name":"Nature Catalysis","volume":"9 3","pages":"242-244"},"PeriodicalIF":44.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570408","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature CatalysisPub Date : 2026-03-27DOI: 10.1038/s41929-026-01492-0
Ting-Hsuan Wang, Chen-Hsun Hung, Tiow-Gan Ong
{"title":"The return of the nickel(I) isocyanide","authors":"Ting-Hsuan Wang, Chen-Hsun Hung, Tiow-Gan Ong","doi":"10.1038/s41929-026-01492-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41929-026-01492-0","url":null,"abstract":"It is difficult to isolate and control the reactivity of nickel(I) complexes, despite their potential interest for cross-coupling reactions. Now, Mirica and colleagues report thermally robust bimetallic Ni(I) catalysts supported by isocyanide ligands that show high catalytic efficacy and selectivity in cross-coupling reactions, addressing a long-standing gap in Ni(I) chemistry.","PeriodicalId":18845,"journal":{"name":"Nature Catalysis","volume":"9 3","pages":"234-236"},"PeriodicalIF":44.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570407","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature CatalysisPub Date : 2026-03-26DOI: 10.1038/s41929-026-01498-8
Fang Liu, Zehong Zhao, Youjun Zhang
{"title":"Gating the nitrogenase cofactor","authors":"Fang Liu, Zehong Zhao, Youjun Zhang","doi":"10.1038/s41929-026-01498-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41929-026-01498-8","url":null,"abstract":"Biological nitrogen fixation is vital for sustainable agriculture, yet nitrogenase engineering is hindered by limited insight into their essential metallocluster cofactor assembly and transfer. Here, by capturing the nitrogenase biosynthetic component NifEN in multiple structural states, a tunnel-and-switch mechanism that coordinates receipt, maturation and delivery of the FeMo-cofactor precursor is revealed.","PeriodicalId":18845,"journal":{"name":"Nature Catalysis","volume":"9 3","pages":"240-241"},"PeriodicalIF":44.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature CatalysisPub Date : 2026-03-23DOI: 10.1038/s41929-026-01506-x
Vladimir Paunović, Georg Liesche, Kai Sundmacher, Jeroen A. van Bokhoven
{"title":"Exploring the landscape of methanol-to-hydrocarbons conversion catalysts","authors":"Vladimir Paunović, Georg Liesche, Kai Sundmacher, Jeroen A. van Bokhoven","doi":"10.1038/s41929-026-01506-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41929-026-01506-x","url":null,"abstract":"Methanol-to-hydrocarbons (MTH) processes offer the potential for transitioning the production of base chemicals and liquid fuels to alternative fossil and renewable resources. The commercialization of ZSM-5 (MFI) and SAPO-34 (CHA) catalysts, coupled with the complexity of the reaction mechanism, has spurred extensive research to increase the selectivity for desired hydrocarbons and also mitigate coke-induced deactivation. Here we present a quantitative performance assessment of the zeolites and zeotypes studied as MTH catalysts over the past three decades. We leverage a comprehensive dataset to evaluate selectivity–stability profiles and examine how structural descriptors and operating conditions govern performance, with additional insights imparted through machine-learning-based analytics. These structure–conditions–performance relationships are discussed in the context of current mechanistic understanding, providing a perspective on MTH catalysis. The analysis shows that product selectivity and coking sensitivity are strongly determined by catalyst structure, particularly the micropore topology, but are also influenced by conditions such as temperature and the addition of co-feeds, which substantially influence competing pathways. Despite the industrial success of the methanol-to-hydrocarbons (MTH) process, the interplay of selectivity, stability and coking are not fully understood. This Analysis provides a comprehensive quantitative assessment of zeolite/zeotype catalysts for MTH over the past three decades, focusing on selectivity–stability profiles.","PeriodicalId":18845,"journal":{"name":"Nature Catalysis","volume":"9 3","pages":"348-362"},"PeriodicalIF":44.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147496691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature CatalysisPub Date : 2026-03-16DOI: 10.1038/s41929-026-01501-2
Min Wang, Anna Loiudice, Enric Ibáñez-Alé, Krishna Kumar, Dragos Stoian, Zan Lian, Ali Shayesteh Zeraati, Xiaodong Li, Petru Albertini, Ludovic Zaza, Jari Leemans, David Sinton, Núria López, Raffaella Buonsanti
{"title":"Strain boosts propanol electrosynthesis from CO on copper","authors":"Min Wang, Anna Loiudice, Enric Ibáñez-Alé, Krishna Kumar, Dragos Stoian, Zan Lian, Ali Shayesteh Zeraati, Xiaodong Li, Petru Albertini, Ludovic Zaza, Jari Leemans, David Sinton, Núria López, Raffaella Buonsanti","doi":"10.1038/s41929-026-01501-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41929-026-01501-2","url":null,"abstract":"The two-step electroreduction of CO2 to CO followed by CO to multi-carbon products is a promising alternative to the direct CO2 electroreduction for both efficiency and stability. The catalyst features which control selectivity in CO electroreduction remain unclear, which limits further advancement in the overall performance. Here we map the CO electroreduction reaction sensitivity to the catalyst features exploiting well-defined copper nanocrystals with tunable shape and size. After clarifying the dependence of ethylene, methane and acetate on the exposed surfaces, we reveal that copper nanospheres uniquely promote n-propanol selectivity. We point at the importance of strain as one of the key factors underlying the observed propanol selectivity. Inspired by these insights, we achieve n-propanol production via electrosynthesis with a copper-only catalyst. Electroreduction of CO on copper is notable for enabling C–C coupling, but a fundamental understanding of what drives product selectivity is lacking. Here a series of well-defined copper nanocrystals with tunable shape and size are used to control product selectivity, with strain identified as a major factor in n-propanol formation.","PeriodicalId":18845,"journal":{"name":"Nature Catalysis","volume":"9 4","pages":"378-388"},"PeriodicalIF":44.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147464965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nature CatalysisPub Date : 2026-03-09DOI: 10.1038/s41929-026-01505-y
Xian Zhao, Lingfeng Yin, Chia-Jung Yang, Andrew T. Poore, Xinyu Zhang, Stephen C. Yachuw, Chao Wang, Xiao Wang, Hairong Guan, Jeanette A. Krause, Mu-Jeng Cheng, Shiliang Tian, Wei Liu
{"title":"Enantioselective difluoromethylation of unactivated alkyl halides via a formal nickel(II/IV) cycle","authors":"Xian Zhao, Lingfeng Yin, Chia-Jung Yang, Andrew T. Poore, Xinyu Zhang, Stephen C. Yachuw, Chao Wang, Xiao Wang, Hairong Guan, Jeanette A. Krause, Mu-Jeng Cheng, Shiliang Tian, Wei Liu","doi":"10.1038/s41929-026-01505-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41929-026-01505-y","url":null,"abstract":"Nickel-catalysed enantioconvergent cross-coupling has emerged as a key strategy for constructing stereochemically defined C(sp3) centres. However, the reliance on nickel(I)/nickel(III) catalytic cycles has limited the range of compatible alkyl electrophiles and nucleophiles. Here we report an aryl-radical-enabled oxidative addition mechanism that connects NiII and formal NiIV oxidation states, enabling the enantioselective difluoromethylation of unactivated alkyl halides. Mechanistic investigations, including X-ray crystallography, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations, support the involvement of a nickel(II/III/IV) cycle via the stepwise oxidative addition of NiII intermediates. The broad substrate scope and compatibility with pharmaceutically relevant molecules highlight the potential of this catalytic platform in asymmetric catalysis. Existing nickel-catalysed enantioconvergent cross-coupling methods largely rely on Ni(I)/Ni(III) manifolds. Now, a mechanistically distinct platform involving a Ni(II)/Ni(IV) redox cycle enables highly enantioselective difluoromethylation of unactivated alkyl iodides.","PeriodicalId":18845,"journal":{"name":"Nature Catalysis","volume":"9 3","pages":"328-337"},"PeriodicalIF":44.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147381767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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