Chem CatalysisPub Date : 2026-08-05DOI: 10.1016/j.checat.2026.101809
Xiao Wang,Wangyang Li,Yanying Huang,Qiuling Song
{"title":"Asymmetric [2π+2σ] cycloaddition of bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes enabled by chiral tetracoordinated boron catalysis","authors":"Xiao Wang,Wangyang Li,Yanying Huang,Qiuling Song","doi":"10.1016/j.checat.2026.101809","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.checat.2026.101809","url":null,"abstract":"Efficient and highly stereoselective synthesis of bicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes (BCHs) is crucial for their application as bioisosteres of aromatics in medicinal chemistry. We employed a chiral tetracoordinated boron catalyst in asymmetric [2π+2σ] cycloaddition of bicyclo[1.1.0]butane (BCB) to establish the BCH framework. This study demonstrates for the first time the potential of chiral tetracoordinated boron catalysis in activating BCBs, augmenting activation modes, and broadening applications. The reaction, generated in situ from commercially available BINOL (1,1'-bi-2-naphthol) derivatives under mild conditions, proceeds with excellent yields, up to 99% enantiomeric excess (ee) and >20:1 diastereomeric ratio (dr), enabling synthesis of chiral BCH derivatives. The methodology is practical and scalable, allowing gram-scale synthesis and conversion to drug analogs. Mechanistic and density functional theory (DFT) studies indicate that the rigid chiral catalyst creates a confined chiral environment where electronic and steric factors determine enantioselectivity and diastereoselectivity.","PeriodicalId":53121,"journal":{"name":"Chem Catalysis","volume":"138 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148692501","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":"Gradient alloy engineering enables photocatalytic methane oxidation to methanol via synergistic charge separation and intermediate regulation","authors":"Peipei You,Peng Wang,Haolong Zhang,Zhongkun Li,Zhongyuan Zhou,Yong Zheng,Youzhu Yu,Xinling Zhang,Ruifeng Chong,Peng Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.checat.2026.101808","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.checat.2026.101808","url":null,"abstract":"Photocatalytic selective oxidation of methane to methanol represents a sustainable route for hydrocarbon valorization, yet it suffers from the trade-off between activity and selectivity due to uncontrolled radicals and inefficient intermediate management. Here, we report a gradient alloying strategy by constructing a TiO2-supported Au–Cu alloy with adjacent Cu single atoms, creating an asymmetric electronic structure. Electronegativity-driven electron transfer makes Cu single atoms an electron sink and Au a hole accumulator, establishing directional charge-transfer channels that mitigate charge recombination. Crucially, this electronic gradient tunes intermediate adsorption: electron-enriched Cu single atoms facilitate ∗OOH activation, while electron-deficient Au weakens CH3OH adsorption and stabilizes its C–H bonds, preventing dehydrogenation. Consequently, the optimized catalyst achieves a CH3OH yield of 3,666 μmol g−1 h−1 (13.8- and 9.6-fold improvements over its monometallic counterparts) with selectivity of 63.1%. This work provides a new paradigm for designing cooperative catalytic centers for complex photocatalysis.","PeriodicalId":53121,"journal":{"name":"Chem Catalysis","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148666066","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}
Chem CatalysisPub Date : 2026-07-16DOI: 10.1016/j.checat.2026.101761
Qin Yang, Yanwei Lum
{"title":"Efficient CO2-to-bioproduct conversion with an Ag/Cu superlattice in an integrated electrochemical microbial system","authors":"Qin Yang, Yanwei Lum","doi":"10.1016/j.checat.2026.101761","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.checat.2026.101761","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":53121,"journal":{"name":"Chem Catalysis","volume":"58 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148460078","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}
Chem CatalysisPub Date : 2026-07-16DOI: 10.1016/j.checat.2026.101797
Youze Zeng, Jianbing Zhu
{"title":"High-valence Lewis acid perovskite anode with fast OH adsorption for alkaline OER in AEMWE","authors":"Youze Zeng, Jianbing Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.checat.2026.101797","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.checat.2026.101797","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":53121,"journal":{"name":"Chem Catalysis","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148462068","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}
Chem CatalysisPub Date : 2026-07-15DOI: 10.1016/j.checat.2026.101778
Ruyue Gao, Jiaxin Li, Haiyang Fan, Feifei Shi, Wenxiu Yang, Bo Wang
{"title":"Carbon support engineering for mass transport and durability in PEMFC catalyst layers","authors":"Ruyue Gao, Jiaxin Li, Haiyang Fan, Feifei Shi, Wenxiu Yang, Bo Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.checat.2026.101778","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.checat.2026.101778","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":53121,"journal":{"name":"Chem Catalysis","volume":"324 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148460077","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}
Chem CatalysisPub Date : 2026-07-08DOI: 10.1016/j.checat.2026.101798
Sol A. Lee, Myeong Je Jang, Zhiyuan Qi, Lily Shiau, Laura Paradis-Fortin, Dilworth Y. Parkinson, Walter S. Drisdell, Adam C. Nielander, Chengxiang Xiang, Harry A. Atwater
{"title":"Gas diffusion electrode stability in direct solar-driven electrochemical CO2 reduction under simulated diurnal irradiance","authors":"Sol A. Lee, Myeong Je Jang, Zhiyuan Qi, Lily Shiau, Laura Paradis-Fortin, Dilworth Y. Parkinson, Walter S. Drisdell, Adam C. Nielander, Chengxiang Xiang, Harry A. Atwater","doi":"10.1016/j.checat.2026.101798","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.checat.2026.101798","url":null,"abstract":"Solar-driven electrochemical CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf> reduction (eCO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>R) is a promising approach for producing value-added chemicals from renewable energy sources. While integrated solar fuel reactors have been primarily studied under fixed conditions, their real-world deployment outdoors introduces significant challenges due to dynamic conditions such as fluctuating irradiance. We investigate the performance of a Cu gas diffusion electrode (GDE) as a model system for eCO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>R under simulated diurnal conditions. We find that under varying irradiance conditions, degradation of the Cu GDE can arise from the day-to-night transition, which occurs over extended time periods under “off” conditions. <ce:italic>Operand</ce:italic>o X-ray tomography reveals that pressure variations during this transition can trigger electrolyte incursion into the microporous layer, leading to increased hydrogen evolution. This work enhances our understanding of phenomena that may occur for CO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>R during diurnal operation of a GDE and suggests operational strategies for solar-driven eCO<ce:inf loc=\"post\">2</ce:inf>R devices to improve durability and reliability.","PeriodicalId":53121,"journal":{"name":"Chem Catalysis","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148538523","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}
Chem CatalysisPub Date : 2026-07-07DOI: 10.1016/j.checat.2026.101780
Jiamiao Jin, Jixuan Zhang, Xing Yang, Yonggui Robin Chi
{"title":"Reversing and modulating enantioselectivity through achiral components in NHC catalysis","authors":"Jiamiao Jin, Jixuan Zhang, Xing Yang, Yonggui Robin Chi","doi":"10.1016/j.checat.2026.101780","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.checat.2026.101780","url":null,"abstract":"<ce:italic>N</ce:italic>-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) organocatalysis has become a powerful platform for the development of stereoselective reactions in organic synthesis. Traditionally, as in many areas of asymmetric catalysis, chiral induction in these transformations has been achieved primarily through structural modification of NHC catalysts. However, a relatively small yet compelling body of work shows that achiral components—such as additives, co-catalysts, and bases—can significantly influence selectivity and, in some cases, even reverse the stereochemical outcome of a reaction. This perspective highlights key advances in this underexplored area by analyzing representative examples in which achiral species significantly affect enantioselectivity. The mechanistic basis of these effects is also examined. These insights may provide new opportunities not only to improve asymmetric outcomes but also to guide the discovery of new reactivity patterns and catalytic modes in NHC chemistry and beyond.","PeriodicalId":53121,"journal":{"name":"Chem Catalysis","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148538477","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}