Directly synthesizing acetic acid from CH₄ and CO₂ provides a sustainable pathway for utilizing these byproducts but remains highly challenging due to the chemical inertness of both reactants and the sluggish kinetics of C–C coupling. Here, the authors introduce a bifunctional catalyst composed of a metal and a Lewis acid, designed to activate CH₄ and CO₂, respectively, thereby facilitating asymmetric C–C coupling.
- Ning Cao
- Bing Huang
- Pengfei Xie
