Discover the research shaping our world.

Fritz Haber Institute Team Separates Driving Force from Electric-Field Effects in Electrocatalysis

Disentanglement of interfacial electric fields and electrochemical potential gradients reveals a multidimensional kinetic landscape - Nature ChemistryElectrochemical kinetics are shaped by both the thermodynamic driving force and interfacial polarization. Now it has been shown that that activation energies decrease with increasing potential but increase with greater deviation of the potential from

Dalian University of Technology Team Gives Zirconium Three Roles in a Modular Benzylamine Synthesis

Trifunctional zirconium catalysis-enabled triple modular synthesis - Nature CatalysisZirconium catalysis has remained largely confined to Lewis acid and redox chemistry, with only isolated examples of photocatalytic C–H activation. Now trifunctional zirconium catalysis enables modular benzylamine synthesis from alkanes, aldehydes and nitriles by integrating photochemical, redox and Lewis acid reactivity.

Zhejiang University Team Uses Red Mud to Convert Plastic into Hydrogen and Reinforcement for Construction Materials

Toughening alkali-activated construction materials using nanocarbon composites from red mud-catalyzed plastic waste upcycling - Nature CommunicationsThis study converts red mud and plastic waste into nanocarbon composites that strengthen and toughen alkali-activated materials, offering a route to upcycle two major waste streams into low carbon construction materials.Nature Publishing

University of Toronto and Partner Teams Develop a Self-Reinforcing Molecular Catalyst for Captured CO₂ Conversion

Durable reactive CO2 capture exceeding 1,000 h via self-reinforcing molecular catalysts - Nature EnergyReactive CO2 capture integrates carbon capture and electrochemical conversion in a single process, but poor catalyst durability remains a major challenge. Here the authors show that pH-swing-driven acidification accelerates catalyst demetallation and develop a

ERC Starting Grant Applications Rise by 60% as Projected Success Rate Falls Below 5%

Is research funding now a lottery? Elite funder ERC swamped by applicationsA marked rise in submissions for the European Research Council’s grants is pushing down success rates.Nature Publishing Group UKJonathan O’Callaghan The European Research Council received 7,710 applications for its 2027 Starting Grant call, compared with

Research Independence Is Not the End Point: Four Ways Established Researchers Organize Academic Life

The shifting sands of research independence: why mid-career scientists crave securityA project to improve understanding of an often-neglected group in academia aims to help its members to navigate career uncertainty.Nature Publishing Group UKKaren Hinxman Achieving research independence brings new responsibilities, but it does not necessarily bring a

Are scientists’ salaries keeping up? Nature’s survey documents financial pressure across research careers

Are salaries getting worse? Many scientists think soNature’s survey of almost 4,000 researchers shows that you’re not alone if you struggle to make ends meet or your last pay rise is a distant memory.Nature Publishing Group UKLinda Nordling A salary supports the everyday conditions that make

University of Birmingham team uses PTFE as a fluorinating reagent in mechanochemical reactions

Source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.2816595 At a glance Researchers at the University of Birmingham report that ball milling can drive fluorine transfer from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to base metals. Zinc reacts with the polymer to form ZnF₂, leaving predominantly amorphous sp² carbon. The study also demonstrates

EPFL-led team links CO₂ uptake in glacier-fed streams to mineral carbonation

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-026-00732-8 Carbonation of silicate minerals contributes to atmospheric CO2 drawdown in glacier-fed streams - Nature WaterGeochemical analyses of 170 glacier-fed streams reveal widespread CO2 undersaturation, with 69% of sites below atmospheric equilibrium. Combined streamwater and sediment analyses identify silicate carbonation

Manchester, EPFL and ENS Lyon teams image how nanochannel deformation stores ionic memory

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-026-02775-4 Direct imaging elucidates ionic memory in two-dimensional nanochannels - Nature MaterialsThe microscopic origin of ionic memory in two-dimensional (2D) nanofluidic memristors remains debated. Voltage-induced blistering of the confining walls of 2D nanofluidic channels is identified to trigger memristive

National Taiwan University, UCLA and UNC teams make autonomous catalyst discovery more interpretable

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78473-1 At a glance An autonomous laboratory can identify a promising catalyst recipe, but understanding why that recipe works remains a separate challenge. Researchers from National Taiwan University, UCLA and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill combine automated electrochemistry

Tianjin University-led team turns waste PET into a MOF host for selective PdNi catalysis

Source: https://pubs.acs.org/jacsat/article/doi/10.1021/jacs.6c13612/5457014/Low-Temperature-Aqueous-Upgrading-of-Waste-PET At a glance Waste PET bottles can supply the organic building blocks for a catalyst host. A Tianjin University-led collaboration reports an aqueous route to UiO-66 containing confined