catalysis

Nature Communications, Published online: 05 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-72920-9 Ru-catalyzed asymmetric ring-closing metathesis (ARCM) reactions are less reported and restricted to the synthesis of tertiary stereocenters. Herein, the authors report ARCM to produce chiral heterocyclic compounds with quaternary stereocenters, by synthesizing stereogenic-at-Ru catalysts via controllable C–H act…

Nature Chemistry, Published online: 04 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02125-6 Promiscuous interactions underpin natural protein evolution, but ways to harness such promiscuity to design new functions remain underexplored. Now it is shown that mapping this promiscuity with geometric precision in a de novo protein can guide its redesign into a fluorophore binder and an efficient enzyme approachin…

Nature Communications, Published online: 04 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-71517-6 Plasmonic nanoparticles show promise for photocatalysis, yet the dynamics of charge transfer remain poorly understood. Here, the authors demonstrate the light-driven growth of a CdS shell on Au nanocubes, correlating shell thickness with charge transfer efficiency at the single-particle level.

Nature Communications, Published online: 04 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-72606-2 The oxidation of methane (CH4) into value-added chemicals under mild conditions using earth-abundant oxygen (O2) is highly desirable but remains challenging due to the chemical inertness of CH4 and the low reactivity of O2. Here, the authors present an ultrasound-catalysis coupled strategy that enables highly eff…

Nature Communications, Published online: 02 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-72546-x Alkene 1,1- difunctionalization holds significant importance in organic synthesis due to its ability to effectively enhance the complexity and functionality of molecular frameworks. Here, the authors report an electrochemical strategy for 1,1-difunctionalization of halogenated aromatics with unactivated alkenes, …

Hydrogen peroxide is a widely used chemical essential to water treatment, disinfection, and green manufacturing, yet its conventional production relies on energy-intensive and centralized processes. Recent research highlights an emerging electrochemical route that generates hydrogen peroxide directly from oxygen and water under ambient conditions. Central to this approach is the use of noble meta…

Achieving both high efficiency and high selectivity remains a central challenge in catalytic hydrogenation reactions, as rapid reactant activation often leads to overly strong binding of intermediates and unwanted over-reduction. A new photocatalytic strategy now demonstrates how this long-standing trade-off can be overcome.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 30 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01545-4 Author Correction: Peaks and pitfalls of electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction descriptor models

Nature Chemistry, Published online: 30 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02098-6 CO2 insertion into metal-alkoxide bonds is a well-established strategy, but detailed mechanistic studies are lacking. Now the effect of CO2 pressure on CO2 insertion for epoxide–CO2 copolymerization has been explored using a range of catalysts, providing new mechanistic insights as well as testing protocols for mono…

Nature Water, Published online: 30 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s44221-026-00637-6 Catalytic technologies play a pivotal role in wastewater treatment, yet identifying high-performance catalysts through conventional approaches remains challenging. A multi-agent artificial intelligence system has been developed to enable application-oriented catalyst discovery by coordinating tasks typically distributed…

Nature Water, Published online: 30 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s44221-026-00634-9 This work introduces an AI system that can independently design highly effective water purifying catalysts—validated both in theory and real wastewater samples—showing how AI can dramatically speed up the discovery of materials for cleaner, safer water.

Charles R. Goulding and Andressa Bonafe discuss BASF’s advancement in 3D printed catalysts and its impact on the future of industrial processes. The post BASF Brings 3D Printed Catalysts to Industrial Scale Production appeared on Fabbaloo .

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 29 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01532-9 Stereoselective radical C–C couplings remain a major challenge. Now photometallobiocatalytic cross-coupling of organotrifluoroborates and α-diazoesters is achieved with high enantio- and diastereoselectivity via an outer-sphere radical mechanism mediated by engineered cytochrome c and eosin B.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 29 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01531-w Pt-based alloy clusters within zeolite channels are promising catalysts for the dehydrogenation of alkanes, but controlling their distribution under operation is challenging. Now a water-soaking treatment to regenerate and minimize atom migration in K–PtSn@MFI catalysts is introduced, resulting in enhanced stability…

Nature Communications, Published online: 29 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-72422-8 Ultrasmall MOF nanocrystals grown on titania create a heterojunction that controls reactive oxygen species and enhances charge separation, enabling quantitative photocatalytic oxidation of methane to liquid oxygenates under mild conditions.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 28 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01528-5 Stereocontrol over radical intermediates is highly sought after in asymmetric organic synthesis, yet current approaches remain limited and difficult to generalize. A photobiocatalytic strategy employing thiamine diphosphate (ThDP)‑dependent enzymes now achieves simultaneous and precise control over two prochiral rad…

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 28 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01534-7 Supramolecular control of cationic intermediates

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 28 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01520-z The hydrogenation of pyridine molecules to their corresponding piperidines remains a particularly challenging transformation. Now, a class of catalytic materials based on the encapsulation of metal nanoparticles within zeolite frameworks has emerged as a promising solution to this challenge.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 28 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01530-x Understanding the charge transfer at microbe–semiconductor interfaces in biohybrids is valuable for advancing solar-to-chemical conversion. Now, the reverse electron transfer in Shewanella–haematite hybrids is quantified using multimodal single-particle imaging, revealing facet-dependent efficiency.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 28 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01527-6 Conventional catalyst design guided by thermodynamic descriptors often falls short in solid-phase electrochemical conversion reactions. A study now establishes an electronic property criterion for dual-atom catalysts, revealing that matching orbital symmetry can induce solid-phase metallization to enable continuous …