Themed collection Most popular 2019-2020 catalysis articles

In this perspective, key aspects for the identification, design and optimization of active centers at the surface of electrocatalysts are analyzed.

Cascade reactions that produce multiple chemical bonds in one synthetic operation are important in the efficient construction of complex molecules.

A series of tethered dual catalysts were developed, with catalytic investigations demonstrating that tethering enhances photocatalysis and thermally activated Ir catalysis. In addition, sequential and switchable catalytic reactivity was achieved.

A simple Arrhenius-based theory of heating, rather than “hot electrons”, can reproduce some high-profile photocatalysis experimental results to remarkable accuracy. Flaws in temperature measurement may have led to wrong conclusions.

Branched catalytic reaction networks with oscillating chemical pathways perfectly select for reaction products at varying frequency.

Using the mechanosynthesis of the fertilizer cocrystal calcium urea phosphate as a model, we provide a quantitative investigation of chemical autocatalysis in a mechanochemical reaction.

TiO₂ is a widely used photocatalyst in science and technology and its interface with water is important in fields ranging from geochemistry to biomedicine.

Two catalysts for the price of one: a shape changing rhodium catalyst enables preparation of unusual isobenzenes using a one-pot procedure.

We have designed and synthesized a new tris-chelating polypyridine ligand (bpy₃Ph) suitable to be used as a bridging ligand (BL) for constructing various supramolecular photocatalysts.

By using simple optics such as a lens, switching between one- and two-photon driven reaction mechanisms became feasible, which allows the control over the main products of photochemical reactions.

A three-component radical process is reported that, by coupling alkyl chlorides, maleimides, and heteroaromatic fragments, installs multiple biologically relevant heterocycles within complex cascade products. This method, which generates radicals via an S_N2-based photochemical catalytic mechanism, activates substrates incompatible with or inert to classical radical-generating strategies.

Eight heterodinuclear catalysts comprising Zn(II) and Mg(II) metal centres show high activity and selectivity for CO₂/epoxide ring-opening copolymerization. Detailed kinetic analyses are reported and a chain-shuttling mechanistic hypothesis proposed.

Carbonyl–carbonyl olefination, known as McMurry reaction, represents a powerful strategy for the construction of olefins.

This work reports an economical and environmentally friendly, external hydrogen-free method for the selective cleavage of lignin and lignin model compounds into value-added chemicals.

The reductive cross coupling of pyridinium salts derived from readily available primary alkyl amines with aryl halides has been achieved under mild reaction conditions using a nickel catalyst.

A Rh(III) catalysed dithiane directed C(sp³)–H amidation for the synthesis of usefully protected β-aminoaldehyde derivatives is described.

How a series of noncovalent interactions (NCIs) determine the regiochemical outcome in a distal sp² C–H functionalization reaction is presented.

Chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed the formal [4+2]-cycloaddition of 2-benzothiazolimines with enecarbamates to provide benzothiazolopyrimidines with up to 99% yield and >99% ee.

Visible-light-induced dearomatization of non-phenolic 1,1′-biaryl-2-carboxylic acids has been developed by either aerobic photocatalytic or anaerobic photooxidative pathways.

Heterogeneous palladium single-site MOF catalysts for the oxidative coupling of arenes via C–H/C–H: superior TONs due to active site isolation.

We have developed a catalytic asymmetric nucleophilic allylation of aldehydes using simple alkenes as pronucleophiles without relying on stoichiometric metals.

We have developed a nickel-catalyzed anti-Markovnikov hydroarylation of alkenes using aryl halides as coupling partners.

The reaction of N-heteroaromatic compounds, such as 2-aryl-pyrrole, benzimidazole, imidazole, indole, and pyrazole derivatives, with alkynes in the presence of a catalytic amount of a nickel complex results in C–H/N–H oxidative annulation.

By combining a chiral-at-metal ruthenium catalyst with catalytic amounts of tris(p-fluorophenyl)phosphine (both 1 mol%), the challenging catalytic enantioselective ring-closing C(sp³)-H amination of unactivated aliphatic azides has been achieved with high enantioselectivities.

Low-overpotential water oxidation catalyzed by copper(II) porphyrin to produce O₂ in neutral aqueous solution and H₂O₂ in acidic solution.

Highly selective and effective formate and acetate production from CO₂ electroreduction on cathodized metal–organic framework nanosheets.

The surface reconstruction of cobalt phosphide nanosheets is investigated by an in situ electrochemical strategy for enhanced hydrogen evolution.

Prydinic and graphitic nitrogen both contributes to the activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).

Synthesis of functionalized gem-difluoroalkenes was achieved through nickel-catalyzed allylic defluorinative alkylation of trifluoromethyl alkenes with reductive decarboxylation of redox-active esters.

Supramolecular preorganization can provide useful architectures for colloidal building and catalytic applications.