Fernando Temprano-Coleto, Steffen Hardt, Howard A. Stone
{"title":"How surfactant fluxes stir liquid interfaces","authors":"Fernando Temprano-Coleto, Steffen Hardt, Howard A. Stone","doi":"10.1038/s44286-026-00405-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-026-00405-z","url":null,"abstract":"Chemical fluxes between immiscible liquids trigger interfacial stirring flows, but their mechanistic origin long remained elusive. In 1959, Sternling and Scriven showed that solute fluxes induce interfacial ‘turbulence’ through local gradients of interfacial tension, paving the way for the modern understanding of a wide range of chemical engineering processes.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"3 6","pages":"324-325"},"PeriodicalIF":29.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148300155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Inorganic materials open up","authors":"Thomas Dursch","doi":"10.1038/s44286-026-00413-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-026-00413-z","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"3 6","pages":"314-314"},"PeriodicalIF":29.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148300191","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dynamic operation and reaction network coupling in solid oxide electrochemical reactors","authors":"Yoon Jin Cho, Omar A. Abdelrahman, Eranda Nikolla","doi":"10.1038/s44286-026-00407-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-026-00407-x","url":null,"abstract":"Solid oxide cells have traditionally been confined to operation as standalone electrolyzers or fuel cells, with research predominantly focused on materials performance. This Comment highlights opportunities to leverage integrated faradaic and non-faradaic reactions alongside dynamic operation in these electrochemical membrane reactors to maximize energy utilization and expand product scope.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"3 6","pages":"317-321"},"PeriodicalIF":29.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148300188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A new spin on CO2 reduction","authors":"Yanfei Zhu","doi":"10.1038/s44286-026-00409-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-026-00409-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"3 6","pages":"316-316"},"PeriodicalIF":29.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148300192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Akriti Sarswat, Anthony Cochran, Suhyun Kim, Xiaohan Yu, Hanjun Fang, Seo-Yul Kim, David S. Sholl, Ryan P. Lively, Mahinder Ramdin
{"title":"Product concentration benchmarks for tandem electrochemical conversion of CO2 to C2H4","authors":"Akriti Sarswat, Anthony Cochran, Suhyun Kim, Xiaohan Yu, Hanjun Fang, Seo-Yul Kim, David S. Sholl, Ryan P. Lively, Mahinder Ramdin","doi":"10.1038/s44286-026-00402-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-026-00402-2","url":null,"abstract":"Despite the strong focus on developing electrochemical conversion systems for upgrading CO2 to C2+ hydrocarbons, the downstream separations required to complement reactors have received relatively less attention. Here we develop materials for the separation of two critical binary gas mixtures, CO2/CO and C2H4/CO. These mixtures are produced in a tandem reaction system that first upgrades CO2 to CO in a solid oxide fuel cell, followed by reduction of CO in a separate electrolyzer that produces ethylene. We then model the entire plant, including the gas and liquid separation systems, to determine how reactor product concentrations affect the overall process economics. Our analysis shows that effective gas separations via temperature/vacuum swing adsorption processes, using the materials developed in this work, significantly enhance the net present value of the plant, rendering gas separation no longer a limiting factor in process economics. However, liquid product concentrations of ~1 wt% (typical of current literature reports) and high CO2 capture costs (>US$50 per tonne) can make the process economically unviable. This study develops adsorbents for two critical gas separations (CO2/CO and C2H4/CO) required to enable the tandem electrochemical conversion of CO2 to C2H4. Process modeling and sensitivity analyses establish the minimum product concentrations needed for economically viable plant operation, guiding both separations and reactor performance targets.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"3 6","pages":"340-350"},"PeriodicalIF":29.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148300189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"3D printing methods unite to engineer capillary networks","authors":"Arkodip Mandal, Jason A. Burdick","doi":"10.1038/s44286-026-00401-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-026-00401-3","url":null,"abstract":"Organ-scale bioprinting requires the incorporation of biomimetic vascular networks for nutrient delivery and waste removal to maintain cell viability and function. Now, a machine learning-assisted hybrid bioprinting technique enables the formation of hierarchical channels within 3D printed constructs that can be endothelialized to produce functional vasculature.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"3 6","pages":"322-323"},"PeriodicalIF":29.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148300154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Go with the flow","authors":"Jhen-Cih Wu, Chia-Hung Hou","doi":"10.1038/s44286-026-00397-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-026-00397-w","url":null,"abstract":"A ring-shaped electrochemical ion-pumping architecture synchronizes fluid flow with circuit switching. The result is pseudo-continuous, unidirectional ion transport, which enables redox-free, energy-efficient and scalable desalination.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"3 6","pages":"326-327"},"PeriodicalIF":29.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148300170","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yuxuan Liao, Salvador Gallegos-Martínez, Xiao Kuang, Yipu Du, Yu Shrike Zhang, Yanliang Zhang
{"title":"Hybrid bioprinting of hierarchical vascular networks at capillary-scale resolution","authors":"Yuxuan Liao, Salvador Gallegos-Martínez, Xiao Kuang, Yipu Du, Yu Shrike Zhang, Yanliang Zhang","doi":"10.1038/s44286-026-00396-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-026-00396-x","url":null,"abstract":"Replicating the intricate hierarchical architecture of natural vascular networks, especially at capillary-scale resolution, remains a pivotal challenge in organ fabrication. Here we present a machine learning-enhanced hybrid bioprinting strategy that combines high-resolution aerosol jet printing of sacrificial materials and high-throughput extrusion printing of tissue matrices. This integrated approach enables sub-10-µm resolution, achieving capillary-like channels and allowing on-demand modulation of vessel diameters in real time. Constrained Bayesian optimization rapidly identifies optimal printing parameters, ensuring reliable, high-fidelity attainment of target channel sizes without exhaustive trial and error. This streamlined workflow supports the fabrication from one-dimensional conduits to three-dimensional multibranch hierarchical networks with tunable geometries. Endothelial cells seeded into these channels form continuous, functional monolayers, substantially reducing permeability while maintaining high cell viability and proliferation. By transcending the resolution limits of conventional sacrificial printing, this bioprinting method establishes a new route for producing biomimetic vasculature. The combination of rapid optimization, real-time tunability and microcapillary-scale precision holds promise for tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and drug discovery. A machine learning-guided hybrid bioprinting strategy integrates extrusion and aerosol jet printing to create hierarchical vascular networks with capillary-scale resolution. This approach enables precise control of channel geometry and supports endothelialization, offering a versatile platform for engineering functional vascularized tissues.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"3 6","pages":"328-339"},"PeriodicalIF":29.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148300185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"We need to talk about techno-economic analyses","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s44286-026-00403-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-026-00403-1","url":null,"abstract":"As techno-economic assessments become standard in process research, their scope and application should be calibrated to the maturity of the technology under study.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"3 5","pages":"245-245"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s44286-026-00403-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148012364","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}