Catalysis & Nanochemistry

Nitrogen radical chemistry sees the light

Chemistry World: Look at the structures of the top-selling drugs and you’d be hard pushed to find one without a carbon–nitrogen bond. They’re tricky bonds to make and chemists normally generate them by using nitrogen compounds as nucleophiles. Daniele Leonori, however,…

These Oxford Scientists Just Created Carbon-Neutral Jet Fuel From CO2

Forbes: A team of researchers at the University of Oxford have revealed what they say is a cost-effective and efficient way of producing jet fuel from carbon dioxide, offering hope that one day vacationers might be able to jet off…

Nickel clusters attracted to surface imperfections on hydrogen catalyst

Materials Today: Hydrogen is a sustainable source of clean energy that avoids toxic emissions and can add value to multiple sectors of the economy, including transportation, power generation and metals…

Chemistry that delighted us in 2020

C&EN: C&EN’s editors were entertained and amused by these discoveries. BLACK AS THE VOID In the darkest depths of the ocean, bioluminescence can make a creature stand out like a sore thumb—or tasty snack. This year, researchers discovered that deep-sea fish have evolved a way to blend into the…