Reaction Intermediate

A research team led by Prof. Yan Wensheng from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) has proposed a doping engineering strategy that breaks the scaling relationship of intermediate binding and minimizes the kinetic barrier of C-N coupling while realizing both high activity and high selectivity in urea electrosynthesis. The study is published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Alkenes represent one of the most abundant classes of organic molecules, which are available in bulk quantities from petroleum and renewable resources, with various utilization in agrochemistry, pharmacy, and organic materials. Typically, the transformation of alkenes by cleavage of both the σ bond and π bond underpins a range of industrial processes and provides methods for the reconstruction of hydrocarbon…

Recently, a research team led by Prof. Ji Liang from Tianjin University, China, systematically introduced the research progress on the preparation of nitrate/nitrite by ammonia electro-oxidation reaction and proposed different strategies to enhance the electrocatalytic performance of the catalysts by modulating their composition and structure to inhibit the side reactions and electrode corrosion in the…

Azide compounds play a pivotal role for subsequent synthesis of organonitrogens such as amines and triazoles that are essential compounds in organic and materials chemistry. Triazoles that can be synthesized by the 'click' reaction have attracted attention in the development of pharmaceuticals and other industries. However, the azido groups are electrophilic and are susceptible to various nucleophiles such as…

Hydrogen, the simplest element on Earth, is a clean fuel that could revolutionize the energy industry. Accessing hydrogen, however, is not a simple or clean process at all. Pure hydrogen is extremely rare in nature, and practical methods to produce it currently rely on fossil fuels. But if scientists find the right chemical catalyst, one that can split the hydrogen and oxygen in water molecules apart, pure hydrogen…

In agriculture and medicine, isothiourea compounds play an important role as an important synthetic intermediate. As well as being potent inhibitors of biological targets, isothioureas can be used as organocatalysts or ligands in transition metal catalysis.

Fumarate triggers the release of nucleic acids from mitochondria.

Protein misfolding disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, have in common that a protein accumulates in an insoluble form in the affected tissue. The process of aggregation follows a mechanism of seeded polymerization. Although ...

Chemists from the University of Groningen have found a simple way to produce previously inaccessible chiral Z-alkenes, molecules that offer a significant synthetic short-cut for the production of bioactive molecules.

Carbon nanostructures that formed in circumstellar envelopes around carbon-rich stars may have a shared chemical origin with soot particles produced by fuel combustion. The same reaction mechanism may underpin each process, KAUST researchers have shown. The proposed mechanism could also lead to improved methods for carbon nanomaterial manufacture.

A new catalyst of Cd/TiO2, enabling 81% methanol selectivity at 15.8% CO2 conversion with the CH4 selectivity below 0.7% was discovered. The combination of experimental and computational studies show that the unique electronic properties of Cd cluster supported on TiO2 are responsible for the high selectivity for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol via a HCOO* pathway realized at the interface catalytic sites.

Chemists at the University of Amsterdam have developed a method to furnish a range of molecules with a trifluoromethyl group attached to a sulfur, nitrogen or oxygen atom. Their procedure, which is published in Science, avoids the use of PFAS reagents. It thus provides an environmentally friendly synthesis route for pharmaceutical and agrochemical compounds that rely on the presence of the trifluoromethyl group.

Glycerol, a major by-product of biomass refining accounting for approximately 10% of the yield, presents a significant challenge due to its global surplus. The presence of multiple active hydroxyl groups in glycerol unveils vast potential for the production of high-value chemicals. Formic acid (FA), a key product of glycerol conversion, is a critical organic chemical raw material with high demand in sectors such as…

Carboxylic acid dianions (fumarate, maleate, and succinate) play a role in coordination chemistry and, to some extent, also in the biochemistry of body cells. An HZB team at BESSY II has now analyzed their electronic structures using RIXS in combination with DFT simulations. The results provide information not only on electronic structures but also on the relative stability of these molecules, which can influence…

As an engineering plastic having high transparency and impact resistance, polycarbonate (PC) is employed in eyeglass lenses, camera lenses, DVDs, automobile headlights and bulletproof glass.

Now, here is a strange thing. One of the most important drivers of perhaps the largest industrial chemical reaction has never been observed in over 100 years of study.

Criegee intermediates are produced in the ozonolysis of unsaturated compounds in the atmosphere. These intermediates are especially important because they contribute to the formation of OH radicals during the night and to the formation of secondary organic aerosols. The OH radicals increase the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere, and the aerosols may reflect or absorb sunlight and contribute to cloud formation.

The photocatalytic conversion of CO2 into C2+ products such as ethylene is a promising path toward the carbon neutral goal, but it remains a big challenge due to the high activation barrier for CO2 and similar reduction potentials of many possible multi-electron transfer products.

The traditionally cumbersome yet widely-used Birch reduction can now be carried out in a mere minute in air using an optimized mechanochemical approach.

Being the most abundant and persistent greenhouse gas emitted, carbon dioxide (CO2) is the key driver of climate change. To address the pressing problems associated with climate change and fossil fuel depletion, scientists are looking for viable solutions that can minimize the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere.