Reviews & Analysis

The lack of clear structure–performance relationships in electrochemical CO₂ reduction catalysts has hindered improvements in catalyst design. This Review examines recent advances in the phase and facet engineering of nanoscale catalysts for electrochemical CO₂ reduction, highlighting structure–performance relationships and AI-driven strategies to accelerate catalyst discovery and design.

Redesigning non-haem iron enzymes to incorporate a nickel centre enables ligand-to-metal charge transfer-driven photoenzymatic C(sp²)–S cross-coupling.

The direct and precise positional editing of functional group within a molecule is an important strategy for molecular diversification. Now, by applying suitable hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) catalysts, a controllable, catalytic 1,2-transposition of boryl groups is accomplished in diverse molecules.

This Perspective analyses chemical reactivity through enthalpic coupling between bond making and bond breaking in elementary steps. Using enthalpic maps, mechanisms are compared, revealing shared energetic patterns and showing how targeted modifications of elementary steps can generate new reactivity. This framework offers a route towards systematic reaction discovery.

A “gas–liquid–solid” triphasic selective etching strategy is developed, producing MXenes with uniform halogen surface terminations and enhanced electrical conductivity.

Through molecular design, a mixed tetrahedral–octahedral coordination framework is stabilized in a two-dimensional hybrid perovskite, enabling tailored magnetic orderings and the emergence of multiferroicity.

A crystal-solvate pre-seeding strategy is developed to suppress the morphological and electronic defects that occur at the bottom of solution-processed perovskite films in inverted perovskite solar cells. This approach increases the efficiency, stability and cell-to-module scalability of devices, resulting in only a small trans-scale loss in efficiency.

Nanochannel-confined polymerization within graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets produces ultradense polymer membranes with uniform packing structures.

Exploiting benzene ring contraction to access high-value molecular scaffolds is challenging. Now, through photoexcitation of a transient intermediate generated during the interrupted Fischer indolization, the benzene ring contraction of arylhydrazines is unlocked to synthesize fused pyridines under mild conditions. The reaction shows good functional group tolerance and predictable regioselectivity.

Isolating a metal-free isodiazomethyl anion has been a longstanding challenge. Now, an isodiazomethyl anion stabilized by a cyclic boryl group has been isolated and structurally characterized. The anion features a highly nucleophilic boron-bound nitrogen centre that enables it to function as an effective boryl-nitrene synthon.

The deuteration of organic compounds typically requires harsh conditions. Now, a scalable photocatalytic method is developed for the deuteration of N-heteroarenes in D₂O at room temperature under visible light irradiation and an inert atmosphere over an atomically dispersed palladium photocatalyst.

Nanoemulsion modular assembly is emerging as a versatile strategy for synthesizing diverse functional mesoporous nanomaterials. This Review highlights the capabilities of nanoemulsion modular assembly for precise control over pore size, structure, composition and morphology, as well as discussing possible applications of functional mesoporous nanomaterials.

The strategic placement of sulfur within a nickel porphyrin complex coupled with copper facilitates efficient electrochemical CO₂ reduction to ethylene and ethanol.

Achieving the asymmetric activation of unfunctionalized hydrocarbons remains a difficult problem for chemists. Now, a confined iIDP catalyst overcomes this challenge by promoting an asymmetric hydroalkoxylation of bicyclobutanes. The enantioselectivity is controlled by non-covalent interactions between the confined anion of ilDP and a cyclopropylcarbinyl ion intermediate.

Radical processes can be leveraged to impart meta selectivity in pyridine functionalization, offering a valuable approach for the late-stage functionalization of bioactive molecules.

Laser technology offers high energy, precise spatial resolution and seamless automation for materials synthesis and device fabrication. This Review highlights laser-assisted materials engineering at the atomic and nanoscales and examines the laser-assisted discovery of materials with interesting properties and applications.

Building space into solids is the focus of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, which has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa (Kyoto University), Richard Robson (University of Melbourne) and Omar M. Yaghi (University of California, Berkeley) “for the development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)”. These materials, composed of metal ions or clusters linked by organic molecules, contain permanent and tunable cavities that have transformed how chemists design in the solid state.

Confining conjugated polymers within chiral metal–organic frameworks enables direct visualization of helical order and enhances their charge transport and spin selectivity properties.

Photochemical oxygen atom migration into carbon–carbon bonds enables the efficient synthesis of ethers from alcohol motifs.

Liquid gallium is employed as a reaction medium to synthesize uniquely structured solid–liquid–solid core–shell–shell nanoparticles, enabling the fabrication of diverse metallic nanostructures with excellent electrocatalytic performance.