Ewoud

The first recyclable homogeneous catalyst based on ligand-free cobalt carbonyls for alkoxycarbonylation is reported here. Using the inexpensive precursor CoCO₃, this system is shown to yield up to 99% alkoxycarbonylation of the C(sp³)Cl bond with nearly 100% selectivity. The easy recyclability and no need for phase transfer additives make it have great potential in large-scale industrial transformations.

Direct carbonylation of the C(sp³)Cl bond remains a challenging transformation in the chemical industry. The usual use of precious metals, the high cost of ligands, and the lack of recyclability of catalysts make their industrial application on a large scale impossible. A ligand-free cobalt-based catalyst for the alkoxycarbonylation of chloroacetates to dialkyl malonates, which are important industrial intermediates, is reported here. This catalyst uses an extremely inexpensive precursor, CoCO₃, with a very low catalyst loading (0.5 mol%) to achieve product yields of up to 99% with nearly 100% chemoselectivity. Solvents and previously essential phase transfer agents are not needed. Most importantly, the catalyst can be easily recycled without losing its activity and selectivity. Over 95% product yield is achieved even after 8 recycles. The feasibility of this system is demonstrated through 14 examples of the alkoxycarbonylation reaction. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy investigations identified the active cobalt species as [Co(CO)₄]⁻. As the first recyclable cobalt-based catalyst, this ligand-free system has great potential for large-scale industrial transfer.

The study highlights the potential of acidic ionic liquids for sustainable and efficient biomass conversion to levulinic acid (LA). The process in the presence of [Hmim] [(HSO₄)(H₂SO₄) _x ], especially with x=1 or 2, can be carried out efficiently under mild conditions. The highest yield of LA is obtained in the conversion of sawmill chips using [Hmim(HSO₄)(H₂SO₄)₂] at 70 °C (64.04 mol% of LA).

The intensification of the use and conversion of renewable raw materials, including plant biomass, into valuable products is one of the major goals of the Sustainable Development Strategy. Levulinic acid (LA), classified as one of the top twelve biobased platform chemicals of the future, can be produced from lignocellulose; however, this process is often complex. Herein, a novel and effective pathway for the direct transformation of lignocellulosic biomass into LA under mild conditions, without pretreatment, is presented. Selected waste lignocellulosic biomass, including sawmill chips, grass, and walnut waste, as well as model cellulose, is converted to LA using acidic ionic liquids (ILs). Among the evaluated ILs, [Hmim(HSO₄)(H₂SO₄)₂] provided the highest product yields even at 50–70 °C. The ILs used herein are significantly more efficient in converting cellulose and biomass compared to conventional sulfuric acid. The highest yield of LA is obtained from sawmill chips, reaching 64.04 mol% of LA.

Nature Reviews Chemistry, Published online: 01 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41570-025-00738-y

Agentic workflows powered by large language models are beginning to assist chemists in literature search, summarization, and outline drafting. Though they remain unable to replace expert insight, these systems promise to reshape how reviews are prepared — shifting the human role from exhaustive curator to creative synthesizer, empowered by intelligent, always-on review-copilots.

Nature, Published online: 25 June 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01994-0

Betaine, a compound that becomes more abundant in men who take up jogging, could confer some of the anti-ageing advantages of physical activity.

Nature Synthesis, Published online: 10 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s44160-025-00819-2

Lignin valorization is hampered by the requirement for expensive cofactors and low conversions. Now a chemoenzymatic platform with coordinated cofactor self-circulation for realizing efficient lignin-to-molecule conversion is reported, facilitating the advancement of sustainable biorefineries.

Nature Chemistry, Published online: 05 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41557-025-01824-w

Moses Dike and Shudipto Konika Dishari explore lignin’s historic journey alongside human civilization and showcase its game-changing potential to drive sustainability without compromising performance.

Nature, Published online: 10 June 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01225-6

Doing a PhD is really hard. Here’s how I’ve learnt to enjoy the process.

Nature, Published online: 10 June 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01771-z

Hesitancy about vaccinations is on the rise, but studies show there are specific ways to address people's questions.

Science, Volume 388, Issue 6751, Page 1034-1034, June 2025.

The recent focus on supramolecular and nanosized systems produced a major increase in the types of observed noncovalent interactions and in the diversity of terms used to designate them. A hierarchical categorization (taxonomy) of terms used to designate electrophile···nucleophile interactions is proposed here. Core elements of this classification are some recent IUPAC definitions referring to the electrophile.

Abstract

The concept of the chemical bond is fundamental to chemistry, governing atomic interactions that define all known matter. Despite this central role, the classification and most convenient naming of chemical bonds remain subjects of debate due to the diverse theoretical models and experimental observations. Modelings from quantum mechanical calculations and heuristic principles from experimental observations offer valuable and complementary insights, but sometimes the match and coalescence of these different approaches into a common terminology is not immediate. This paper describes a hierarchical categorization of noncovalent interactions based on the electrophilic atom involved, aligning with IUPAC definitions of hydrogen bonding (HB), halogen bonding (HaB), chalcogen bonding (ChB), and pnictogen bonding (PnB). The resulting taxonomy may avoid some ambiguities that arise from naming interactions based on single chemical/physical features. The proposed categorization that moves from more general and comprehensive terms to more specific and descriptive terms may ensure clarity, comprehensiveness, consistency with periodic trends, and invariancy over evolving understanding of the chemical bonds so that findings can be communicated and stored effectively via both human and machine based protocols.

Nature, Published online: 20 May 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01600-3

Samples could provide an objective measure of diets and help to unravel their contribution to disease.

The local charge density of Pt single-atom catalyst was fine-tuned by controlling the support structure to manipulate the product selectivity of lignin hydrodeoxygenation. The electron-deficient Pt₁ sites produced cyclohexanols while electron-rich Pt₁ sites favored cycloalkanes, which is due to their different adsorption strengths of the hydroxyl from the electron attraction and donation effect.

Abstract

Achieving high-selectivity conversion of lignin to value-added chemicals and biofuels remains a desirable but challenging target due to its complex structure with multiple reaction paths. Herein, we designed the robust Pt single-atom sites supported on NiAl layered double hydroxide (Pt₁/NiAl-LDH) and intermetallic compound (Pt₁/NiAl-IMC) with distinct local charge density for selectivity-controllable hydrodeoxygenation of lignin. The Pt₁/NiAl-LDH with electron-deficient Pt sites hydrogenated 4-propylguaiacol into 4-propylcyclohexanol with 100% conversion and over 90% selectivity, while Pt₁/NiAl-IMC with electron-rich Pt sites favored complete deoxygenation, yielding almost equivalent of propylcyclohexane. Similar results were achieved using lignin samples. Density functional theory calculations revealed that the deoxygenation capacity of Pt₁/NiAl-IMC stems from the high electronic density of Pt single atoms, which injects electrons into the C─O bond and weakens its bonding energy. This study demonstrates that the catalytic performance of single-atom catalysts in biopolymers hydrodeoxygenation can be optimized toward different products by well-controlled electronic structures.