Research on catalysts that speed chemical reactions. Covers methane conversion, zeolite catalysis, and AI-guided catalyst design.
Researchers found that controlling cobalt's oxidation state during electrolysis enables highly selective hydrogenation without relying on scarce precious metals. The optimized catalyst converted pyridine to piperidine with a yield of over 99% under ambient electrolysis conditions.
Researchers at ISTA develop a light-driven nickel catalyst for efficient chemical synthesis, overcoming limitations of traditional palladium-based methods. The new catalyst requires less nickel and can activate with visible light, making it a promising alternative for sustainable chemical production.
Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a new material that uses light to produce hydrogen from water, offering a cleaner alternative to current methods and potentially reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This breakthrough could simplify the production of fuel cells and chemicals, while also providing a more sustainable en...
Researchers at Tohoku University's AIMR developed carbon-supported blue-pigment catalysts for anion-exchange membrane fuel cells, achieving high power density without platinum. The team optimized the pigments' molecular structures to strengthen the interaction at the active site, translating to real gains in fuel cell performance.
Piezocatalysis, a process that converts mechanical energy into chemical driving forces, can break down biomass's complex lignocellulosic structure under mild conditions. The review highlights the potential of piezocatalysis to drive cleaner biomass conversion, with promising applications in fuels, resins, and biodegradable polymers.
Researchers have developed a defect-engineered metal-organic framework catalyst that converts glucose into lactic acid with substantially improved efficiency. The catalyst showed activity toward raw biomass feedstocks, producing a 62.8% lactic acid yield at 170°C after four hours when corn cobs were used directly as a biomass feedstock.
A new method allows for the precise and specific binding of carbon to other carbons, a critical reaction for building organic molecules. The approach, developed by Rice University researchers, uses iron, sulfur, and purple light to facilitate the process, making it cheaper and more environmentally friendly than traditional methods.
The institute will develop two Prometeo projects to create new chiral materials and enzyme-inspired catalysts for energy and catalysis. The projects aim to harness chirality to tune chemical reactivity and selectivity, with potential applications in energy, catalysis, and pharmaceutical industries.
Researchers have discovered a novel approach to enhance methane partial oxidation efficiency by creating reconstructed active motifs on Ni/Al2O3 catalysts. This innovation enables low-loading catalysts to achieve high performance, reducing reliance on high metal loadings and providing new opportunities for rational catalyst design.
By controlling solvent molecules' residence, researchers boost cyclohexene conversion in zeolite catalysts without modifying their structure. The study reveals a
Ayman Karim, UVA Chemical Engineering chair, received the 2026 ACS Catalysis Lectureship for his research on heterogeneous catalytic transformations. He and colleague Hongliang Xin captured snapshots of reaction steps to understand the mechanism, enabling better design of 'chemical matchmakers'.
Researchers propose a new air-electrode design principle that improves reversible solid oxide cell performance by balancing ionic and electronic conductivity. The composite air electrode enhances fuel-cell and electrolysis performance, enabling more efficient hydrogen production with lower costs.
Researchers found that lab variations can lead to inconsistent data, affecting AI model accuracy and reproducibility. The study highlights the importance of standardization in experimental design to improve data quality for machine learning models.
Researchers discover that manipulating the chiral asymmetry factor of catalysts accelerates sulfur redox reactions, leading to higher capacities, superior rate capability, and remarkable long-term cycling stability in lithium-sulfur batteries.
Researchers engineered proteins to form highly reactive imidazolium intermediates, enabling precise control of molecular structures. The new family of enzymes demonstrates high selectivity and stereoselective bond formation, offering new ways for chemical synthesis.
A joint research team has discovered that silver nanocatalysts operate at different reaction sites depending on whether generating electricity or producing hydrogen in solid oxide cells. The study proposes a new design principle to accelerate high-efficiency green hydrogen production and clean power generation by optimizing the catalys...
A team of Penn State researchers has developed a synthetic enzyme mimic that can drive chemical reactions using oxygen, producing only water as waste. This breakthrough could potentially be used in sustainable industrial chemical syntheses and pharmaceutical drug development.
Researchers at SKKU develop a highly efficient catalyst that converts carbon dioxide into industrially valuable 2-propanol, achieving world-record efficiency under ambient conditions. The breakthrough technology uses bifurcated reaction pathways to guide carbon atoms and produce 2-propanol with high selectivity and yield.
SNU researchers developed a new catalyst design principle that selectively suppresses hydrogen evolution while maintaining nitrogen reduction activity. The approach increased Faradaic efficiency to nearly 100% and enables localized production of eco-friendly ammonia near renewable energy sources.
Researchers at Kyushu University found that microwave heating creates high-temperature regions on nickel nanoparticles, accelerating hydrogen production and paving the way for low-carbon chemical manufacturing. The study showed a six-fold increase in hydrogen production compared to conventional heating.
Concordia researchers have developed a scalable technique that cuts waste while producing catalysts that convert carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals. The new method uses resonant acoustic mixing and dramatically reduces water usage compared to conventional methods.
Researchers at Colorado State University have developed a catalytic process to transform carbon dioxide into recyclable, high-performance materials. These new materials can replace today's plastics in many situations and feature sought-after characteristics such as high mechanical strength and flexibility. The foundational building blo...
Researchers at TU Wien developed a novel catalyst converting nitrate from wastewater into ammonia using sunlight and electricity. The MXene-Gold material interacts optimally, capturing light and heat while facilitating chemical reactions.
The SNU team developed a new nanostructured catalyst, termed 'nanomace,' by chemically bonding ceria nanocubes and nanorods. The interface where the two crystal structures meet serves as a key active site, enhancing lattice oxygen activation and catalytic reactions.
The University of Tennessee at Knoxville has signed a new six-year master research agreement with Eastman, investing $3 million to support sponsored research and university-industry initiatives. The partnership aims to advance materials innovation, develop talent, and create solutions that benefit communities.
A new plasma-catalysis process converts nitrogen (N2) and methane (CH4) into alkylamines, ammonia, and hydrogen under mild conditions. The study achieves high co-conversion efficiency by leveraging the synergy between plasma activation and catalyst adsorption.
Lithium–sulfur batteries have a theoretical specific capacity of 1,672 milliampere-hours per gram. Molecular catalysts can accelerate sulfur conversion and guide the design of next-generation energy storage systems.
Researchers discovered that only three water molecules are sufficient to trigger a configuration transformation of the core skeleton from Sr2(μ2-OH)2(HO)1 to Sr2(μ2-OH)3, providing new insights into hydration mechanisms. This structural transition is driven by deformation energy and stabilizes the structure through rearrangement of hyd...
A new MoS2-based catalyst has been developed to overcome the limitations of conventional MoS2 catalysts in hydrogen evolution reactions. The catalyst, created using a dual-site substitution strategy, achieves outstanding performance at large current densities in acidic electrolytes.
Researchers are engineering biochar-based composites to overcome limitations, such as insufficient adsorption capacity and limited selectivity for certain emerging pollutants. The new review highlights the importance of balancing treatment performance with environmental safety throughout the material's life cycle.
A new study tracks the spatiotemporal evolution of photogenerated holes in a facet-engineered bismuth vanadate photocatalyst. The research reveals three sequential steps: ultrafast charge separation, defect-state trapping, and rapid interfacial hole transfer mediated by oxygen-related defects.
Researchers at JAIST and NIMS have developed a high-throughput screening strategy that simultaneously explores catalysts and reactions. The approach resulted in the discovery of promising materials and revealed minor products, including 1-butene and benzene, indicating early signs of unknown reaction pathways.
Japanese researchers have developed a catalyst that selectively degrades polyurethane in mixed plastic waste, allowing for the separation and chemical recycling of complex materials. The breakthrough opens up new possibilities for waste management, particularly in industries such as end-of-life vehicle recycling and mattress disposal.
Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University developed biobased poly(ester amide)s with superior mechanical properties, outperforming conventional polymers like polyethylene and polypropylene. These materials are derived from non-edible renewable resources and can be easily chemically recycled.
Researchers developed a one-pot synthesis strategy for hierarchical ZSM-5 catalysts that can improve catalyst lifetime during microwave-assisted catalytic pyrolysis of plastic waste. The study found that crystallization temperature strongly controlled the catalyst's pore structure, acidity, morphology, and lifetime.
Researchers have discovered a wavelength-dependent photo-driven pathway for ammonia synthesis over lithium hydride, which decouples two conflicting reaction steps. The study provides fresh insight into mild, solar-driven nitrogen fixation and other energy-intensive catalytic processes.
Researchers have discovered that gas-solid van der Waals interactions can reshape metal surface nanostructures, challenging conventional understanding. The study found that water vapor at room temperature induces rapid migration and coalescence of Au nanoislands on Au(111) surfaces.
Researchers found that non-thermal plasma prevents catalyst deactivation and maintains stable performance for 30 hours. The study links performance difference to changes in surface processes on the catalyst.
Researchers found that both free water and bound water slowed the intensity of pyrolysis reactions and increased biochar yield. A biomass water content of around 30% may offer a practical balance for pyrolysis, balancing biochar yield and energy demand.
Researchers at the Centre for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) have made significant advancements in understanding nucleic acids in deep eutectic solvents. This research has opened new avenues towards sustainable formulations and biomolecular materials.
A self-driving chemistry lab called Flex-Cat has been developed to autonomously search for faster and more selective ways to make important industrial chemicals. The platform combines robotics, high-pressure reactors, and artificial intelligence to identify high-performing catalysts and those that can be programmed to produce different...
A new study develops a HZSM-5 coated biochar catalyst that turns wet torrefied Chlorella microalgae into valuable aromatic hydrocarbons. The process achieves high aromatic selectivity and reduces unwanted compounds, making it a promising strategy for upgrading nitrogen-rich biomass.
Researchers from Tohoku University and East China University of Science and Technology developed a data-driven approach to quickly screen for durable and efficient catalysts. By analyzing experimental data and scientific theories, they identified promising candidates that outperformed commercial RuO2 catalysts.
A new study uses deep learning to predict how fast biochar materials break down antibiotic contaminants, offering a faster path toward cleaner water and smarter environmental remediation. The model reveals key mechanistic insights, including catalyst properties contributing 59.3% of the predictive power.
A new strategy enhances oxygen reduction in zinc-air batteries by fine-tuning an efficient catalyst. The Fe2O3/Sm2O3 heterointerface accelerates ORR kinetics by inducing charge redistribution and orbital hybridization.
Researchers developed a green catalyst from cotton hulls that can dramatically improve the ability of ozone to remove stubborn organic pollutants from water. The nitrogen-doped biochar catalyst, N-BC-800, achieved 94% removal of DEET, outperforming ozone alone and unmodified biochar.
Scientists at TU Wien have designed a new sustainable route to ammonia synthesis using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as catalysts. By tuning the MOF structures, they can modulate their catalytic performance, providing valuable insights into more efficient and sustainable ammonia-production technologies.
Methanol-to-hydrocarbons reactions exhibit multiscale heterogeneity due to differences in molecular diffusion, crystal structure, particle composition, and reactor conditions. This nonuniformity affects catalyst performance and product selectivity.
Researchers at Tohoku University's Advanced Institute for Materials Research have developed a method to summarize decades of scattered literature data into actionable information for catalyst design. By combining human intelligence, regression models, and AI agents, they can uncover new discoveries hidden in the literature data.
Researchers successfully engineered a novel platinum cluster catalyst that maximizes hydrogen production performance while minimizing platinum usage. The catalyst enables precise control over the number of atoms in each cluster, achieving world-leading hydrogen production per unit of platinum.
Researchers at Lehigh University developed a new gold-palladium catalysis mechanism that increases reaction rates and stabilizes catalysts. This breakthrough advances the development of more efficient bio-based chemical manufacturing processes.
Researchers achieved near-quantitative selectivity for methane oxidation to methanol, acetic acid, and other oxygenates via the Na–Auδ⁻ interface. The catalyst demonstrated high productivity and controlled in situ generation of H₂O₂ and ·OH radicals.
A deep learning model combines knowledge from different catalyst families to identify a top-performing green hydrogen catalyst. The AI correctly predicted the activity ranking of 12 tested catalysts within a previously unexplored material family.
Researchers developed high-performance catalysts that convert ortho hydrogen to para hydrogen before liquefaction, reducing energy release and partial vaporization of liquid hydrogen. This innovation is expected to contribute to the development of a hydrogen economy in Japan.
A novel chiral Brønsted acid-catalyzed PED reaction provides an efficient route to access chiral benzannulated carbocyclic frameworks. The method enables the synthesis of azaarene-containing adducts with good yields and excellent enantioselectivity.
Researchers at TU Wien have shown that water molecules' structures impact charged particles in electrochemistry. The team found that ions with stronger effects on surrounding water create more order, leading to lower entropy and reduced attachment to surfaces.
The EU's plans for domestic production of fossil-free aviation fuels risk steering development towards more expensive and energy-intensive pathways. A study from Chalmers University of Technology found that the current regulatory framework favours combustion-based alternatives over gasification, leading to increased costs and energy use.
Researchers create tandem catalytic strategy to efficiently upcycle polyethylene into aromatic chemicals without precious metals or external hydrogen acceptors. The process achieves high aromatics yield and demonstrates excellent stability, offering a promising solution for managing plastic pollution and reducing fossil resource reliance.
A team of researchers from Okayama University has developed a novel photocatalytic system based on copper(II) that achieves anti-Markovnikov hydration of alkenes with high selectivity. The system operates under visible light and can efficiently convert a broad range of alkenes into alcohols.
Researchers are working to overcome key obstacles in commercializing carbon waste gas into platform chemicals, including finding the optimal compression level and managing temperature. The US could be left behind if other countries invest heavily in this technology.