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FLPClusters, which are structurally precise metal clusters incorporating Frustrated Lewis Pairs (FLPs), represent a promising class of catalysts, but their tendency to undergo neutralization limits catalytic efficiency. Herein, the authors report the synthesis of FLPClusters featuring well-defined, tailorable, and accessible FLP active sites.

Copper nanoclusters are promising photothermal heaters, but their conversion efficiency is limited efficiency. Here, the authors present a rotor-stator ligand architecture that enables enhanced photothermal conversion efficiency of copper nanoclusters.

As part of the March Focus issue of Nature Chemical Engineering, we asked 13 leading researchers to spotlight a challenge or opportunity in reaction engineering that they believe holds particular promise for advancing this core area of chemical engineering research and practice.

While interest in copper nanoclusters has grown due to the high abundance, low cost, and unique properties of copper, modular synthesis remains underdeveloped. Here, the authors report a strategy for constructing structurally well-defined copper nanoclusters through the synergistic combination of photochemical activation and nanoscale ligand-exchange.

Translating high-resolution imaging methods to the curved organic surface of a nanoparticle has been challenging. Here, the authors are able to spatially resolve the sub-molecular surface details of a silver nanocluster by comparing scanning tunneling microscopy images and simulated topography data through a pattern recognition algorithm.

In this work, Chang et al. report a thermotropic liquid additive for perovskite solar cells that enables dynamic interface management, simultaneously passivating defects and suppressing ion migration to deliver high efficiency and substantially enhanced operational stability.

Our findings unearth the great importance of the size, core structure, and surface ligands in dictating the antibacterial activity of silver nanoclusters (AgNCs). Owing to the presence of amphiphilic ligands, AgNCs are more prone to adsorb the membrane and following endocytosis towards targeted bacterial cells, associated with membrane damage, as reflected by reinforced release of malondialdehyde (MDA). AgNCs bear strong peroxidase-like activity, coupled to massive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Altogether, these outstanding features of AgNCs resultantly elevated the bacteria-killing efficacy through impairing cell wall/membrane, promoting oxidative stress and attenuating pivotal cellular processes, e.g., ATP synthesis.

Ultrathin sheets of palladium exhibit a tunable surface plasmon resonance in the near infrared and useful catalytic properties.

Energy migrations at metal nanomaterial surfaces are fundamentally important to heterogeneous reactions. Here, the authors employ ultrafast vibrational spectroscopy to show two distinctive energy migration pathways of monolayer adsorbate molecules on differently sized metal nanoparticle surfaces.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) has recently emerged as a promising approach for cancer therapy. Here, the authors report a hyperbranched polymer vesicle with favorable photothermal stability and high photothermal efficiency for PTT through a supramolecular polymerization-enhanced self-assembly strategy.

CO₂ capture, product separation, and electrolyte recovery are critical challenges in CO₂ electroreduction. Here, the authors present an electrochemical recovery-separation system that addresses these challenges and facilitates the application of CO₂ reduction technology.

Atomic shell closure and electronic shell closure are generally considered to be competing effects in stabilizing magic-sized metal nanoclusters. Here, the authors show, by co-crystallizing two differently-sized clusters, that both mechanisms can work concurrently during magic cluster synthesis.

One of the challenges facing lithium-sulfur batteries is to develop cathodes with high mass and high volume loading. Here the authors show that two-dimensional carbon yolk-shell nanosheets are promising sulfur host materials, enabling stable battery cells with high energy density.

Here the authors demonstrate how the reaction selectivity of catalytic platinum nanowires can be controlled through surface modification with organic ligands.

The structure of nanoparticles strongly influences their properties. Here, the authors use single crystal X-ray diffraction to resolve the crystal structures of Ag₁₃₆ and Ag₃₇₄nanoparticles, enabling the observation of local structure distortion and the lower size limit of surface plasmon resonance.

High oxidation resistance, without degradation of thermal or electrical conductivity, is achieved in copper using surface modification by a solvothermal or electrochemical treatment with sodium formate and formation of a thin surface coordination layer.

Protein subunits on the capsids of icosahedral viruses can form patterns with rotational symmetry, which are difficult to recreate in the laboratory. Here the authors report a strategy to construct 3D chiral polyhedra with rotational faces from 2D chiral truxene-based units through dynamic covalent chemistry.

Noble metal nanoparticles are used for applications in optics, catalysis, sensing and others. Here the authors study the crystal structures of silver and gold-silver intermetallic nanoparticles stabilized by thiol ligand layers, helping to understand the relationship between their structure and properties.

It remains a challenge to fabricate metal catalysts with interfacial active sites distributed on the whole two-dimensional (2D) surface of metal nanoparticles. Here the authors demonstrate that the overgrowth of atomic-thick porous Cu₂O on Pd readily creates an unprecedented 2D catalytically active metal-support interface with significantly enhanced catalysis toward the semi-hydrogenation of alkynes.

Bottom-up design of functional device components based on nanometer-sized building blocks relies on accurate control of their self-assembly behavior. Here, the authors demonstrate a solvent-mediated polymerization of atom-precise gold–silver nanoclusters into macroscopic single crystals with highly anisotropic p-type semiconducting characteristics.

Bimetallic nanoparticles with tailored structure constitute a desirable model system for catalysts. PtAu nanoparticles with Pt single-atom surface sites, prepared by a colloidal method, exhibit unprecedented electrocatalytic activity for formic acid oxidation.

Metal-support interaction plays an important role in heterogeneous catalysis, but silica has been rarely reported as an effective support to create active metal-support interfaces for promoting catalytic reactions. Here, the authors discover that Cu/SiO₂ interface creates an exceptional effect to promote catalytic hydrogenation of esters.

Alkali metals have been traditionally used to promote heterogeneous catalysts, albeit their mode of action remains controversial. Now, the authors demonstrate the multifaceted role of sodium ions in promoting atomically dispersed Ru(iii) on Al₂O₃, resulting in a superior hydrogenation catalyst.

Driven by carbon neutral targets, proton exchange membrane water electrolysis is becoming a hot technology due to its capability to convert fluctuating power into green hydrogen. Unfortunately, despite tremendous resources invested in fundamental research, only very few research outcomes have successfully translated into the development of industrial-scale electrolysers.

Spillover hydrogenation is facet specific and occurs on atomically dispersed Pd catalyst on Cu(100). Knowing this, cost-effective catalysts with extremely low Pd loading are fabricated that successfully catalyse the semi-hydrogenation of a broad range of alkynes with high activity and selectivity.

This article reviews recent progress in the use of graphene and other two-dimensional atomic crystals in catalytic applications, highlighting the activity and potential of heterogeneous systems such as van der Waals heterostructures.

This Review summarizes how distinct approaches to nanostructural engineering enhance features that determine the selectivity and stability of catalysts.