Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Researchers demonstrate a systematic screening method that can help find promising catalyst candidates without the tedious trial-and-error of every single possible combination.

An exciting new strategy involving a specially designed iron-based catalyst can speed up the reaction that powers next-gen zinc-air batteries. This means cleaner, more efficient energy for everyone.

Researchers at Tohoku University have uncovered a new principle that could help accelerate the development of cheaper and more efficient fuel cells. The team discovered that dual-atom catalysts follow a previously unknown “dual-Sabatier optima” pattern, overturning long-standing assumptions in catalyst science and opening new possibilities for clean energy technologies.

Researchers uncovered that an orthogonal molecular architecture directs the formation of a rare double-cable structure, offering a new blueprint for advancing the fundamental design of energy-active materials. By guiding charges to move along separate pathways, the new design minimizes energy loss and boosts clean energy generation.

- Prof. Sangwon Seo’s team successfully achieved enantioselective synthesis, selectively producing only the desired mirror-image molecule using nickel—a common metal—instead of expensive noble metals - Expected to make a breakthrough contribution to drug development that fundamentally blocks side effects and to the high-value precision chemical industry - Published in the top-tier international chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie – International Edition

Single monomer containing thiolactone and pyridyl disulfide molecules allows for variable polymer functionalities

Researchers at National Taiwan University have developed a tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy platform that can identify tiny structural differences in oligosaccharides without fluorescent labels. The method can distinguish glycosidic linkages, estimate chain length, and even follow glycan synthesis in real time.

Chemists at National Taiwan University and collaborators discovered that a seemingly solid, nonporous crystal can “come alive” when heated. A two-step transformation releases trapped molecules, drives a vivid blue → green → yellow glow, and even propels the crystal forward through bubble-powered motion.

New molecular architecture enables the natural formation of built-in p/n junctions essential for efficient light-to-electricity conversion

Hydrogen peroxide is essential for daily life, but most of it is still made through energy-intensive industrial processes. Researchers have now developed a new computational framework to identify catalysts that can produce hydrogen peroxide directly from water and electricity, offering a cleaner alternative.

Researchers from The University of Osaka developed mirror-image semiconductor polymer molecules for organic solar cells. The new acceptor molecules prevent recombination of electrons and holes by generating currents with spin-polarization of about 70% in which one electron spin dominates. Solar cells containing the new acceptors showed three times higher efficiency than the non-mirror-image version. Using mirror-image acceptor molecules provides a new way of increasing efficiency in clean energy technology.

Prof. Pi-Tai Chou’s group at National Taiwan University Department of Chemistry has created a catalyst that turns two challenges into one solution: it produces clean hydrogen with remarkable efficiency while breaking down urea with ease. This breakthrough not only lowers the energy cost of hydrogen but also helps eliminate harmful pollutants.

Development of an emissive molecule that distinguishes between chloroform and dichloromethane through solvent-responsive chirality switching

Recent research on fullerene’s role as a metal-free catalyst may redefine our understanding of how carbon nanomaterials can be used in clean energy technologies.

Self-assembling dye rings demonstrate photosynthetic energy and charge circulation

Researchers at Tohoku University have developed a data-driven AI framework that gives scientists a head start by suggesting ideal candidate materials.

Conventional thinking holds that the metal site in single atom catalysts (SACs) has been a limiting factor to the continued improvement of the design and, therefore, the continued improvement of the capability of these SACs. More specifically, the lack of outside-the-box thinking when it comes to the crucial hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), a half-reaction resulting in the splitting of water, has contributed to a lack of advancement in this field. New research emphasizes the importance of pushing the limits of the metal site design in SACs to optimize the HER and addressing the poisoning effects of HO* and O* that might affect the reaction. All of these improvements could lead to an improved performance of the reaction, which can make sustainable energy storage or hydrogen production more available.

Researchers at Tohoku University tested a strategy for developing single-atom catalysts that may help us develop more efficient methods for water purification.

A group of researchers have analyzed thousands of reports from the past decade, identifying a tin-based catalyst that aids the production of formic acid, an indispensable chemical in various industries, and makes the process greener.

Helical structures are ubiquitous across biology, from the double-stranded helix of DNA to how heart muscle cells spiral in a band. Inspired by this twisty ladder, researchers have developed an artificial polymer that organizes itself into a controlled helix.

- A joint research team between DGIST and Kyungpook National University developed next-generation energy technology to produce eco-friendly hydrogen from ingredients in coffee - The results were published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition

A research team at Tohoku University have proposed a strategy to use spinel oxides to improve a reaction called the oxygen evolution reaction.

Photoswitching and thermal switching properties allow writing by irradiation or heat and erasing by visible light

Researchers from Osaka University have designed and synthesized a new organic semiconductor for organic solar cells (OSCs). By adding specific side units to their structure, they achieved separation between the frontier molecular orbitals, leading to lower exciton binding energy and increased power conversion efficiency. This tuning of the design of an acceptor component is expected to increase the performance of OSCs leading to more effective large-scale photovoltaic systems and new devices.

Researchers from Osaka University found that how well light-converting molecules stack together in a solid is important for how well they convert light into electric current. A rigid molecule that stacked well showed excellent electricity generation in an organic solar cell and photocatalyst, easily outperforming a similar flexible molecule that did not stack well. This new way of improving the design of molecules could be used to pioneer the next generation of light-converting devices.

Researchers have developed a groundbreaking data-driven model to predict the dehydrogenation barriers of magnesium hydride, a promising material for solid-state hydrogen storage. This advancement holds significant potential for enhancing hydrogen storage technologies, a crucial component in the transition to sustainable energy solutions.

Researchers from Osaka University and collaborating partners have synthesized triarylborane (TAB) compounds that exhibit unusual optical responses upon binding to certain anions. They also synthesized thin polymer films that incorporate the TAB and retain the sensing as well as the light emission properties of the TAB. This work is an important advance in plastic research and has applications in analyte sensing as well as electronic display technologies.

Peptides are short strands of amino acids that are increasingly used therapeutically, as biomaterials and as chemical and biological probes. The capacity to isolate, manipulate and label peptides and larger proteins is limited, however, by the ability to reliably attach functional molecules, such as fluorescent compounds, to peptides in locations that won’t affect the three-dimensional structure and function of the short amino acid strand. Researchers have developed a unique chemical reaction to attach two distinct functional molecules to the N-terminus of a peptide in an efficient, robust reaction under mild conditions.

In a new step towards combating climate change and transitioning to sustainable solutions, a group of researchers has developed a research paradigm that makes it easier to decipher the relationship between catalyst structures and their reactions.

Transmitting an effect known as a domino reaction using redox chemistry has been achieved for the first time.