Journal of the American Chemical Society

Scientists introduced a second molecule to achieve a donor–acceptor (push–pull) effect, aiming to enhance both the efficiency and stability of perovskite and organic solar cells.

In a significant step towards a carbon-neutral future, researchers developed an atomically precise copper nanocluster that demonstrates high stability and exceptional selectivity in electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reactions.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, have developed nanoscale ‘molecular flasks’ based on single molecules of bottlebrush polymers to carefully control polymerization reactions in extremely small spaces

A team at Tohoku University has developed a data-driven method to accelerate the discovery of affordable, stable catalysts for clean hydrogen production. Using a digital platform called DigCat, they identified a low-cost metal oxide that performs both OER and HER in acidic conditions and remains stable over time.

Researchers have developed a mesoporous Co₃O₄ catalyst doped with atomically dispersed iridium (Ir) for efficient acidic OER. This unique structure boosts Ir efficiency, minimizes metal leaching, and maintains performance for over 100 hours at just 248 mV overpotential.

Phosphorylation of tau protein triggers the formation of phase-separated liquid droplets of tau, known as liquid-liquid phase separation, in a temperature-dependent and reversible mechanism. The modified tau protein (p-tau) had a looser and more flexible shape, as shown by advanced protein analysis. Intracellular tau aggregation formed surrounding the cell nucleus only when cells were treated with this form of tau, similar to what is seen in Alzheimer’s disease brains.

Real-time X-ray analysis reveals how single atoms dynamically adapt to boost CO2-to-CO conversion.

Researchers from The University of Osaka report a new class of transition metal complexes with direct nickel-boron bonds without additional support.

Cations found to be the culprit behind degraded platinum electrodes

Scientists have achieved the first real-time visualization of how “excited-state aromaticity” emerges within just hundreds of femtoseconds and then triggers a molecule to change from bent to planar structure in a few picoseconds. By combining ultrafast electronic and vibrational spectroscopies, the team captured these fleeting structural changes at the molecular level and showed that aromaticity appears before—and then drives—the structural planarization. Their findings lay the groundwork for designing more efficient photoactive materials, such as sensors and light-driven molecular switches, by leveraging the power of aromaticity in excited states.

A new study has challenged conventional wisdom on oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts by uncovering a novel reaction pathway in weak-binding metal–nitrogen–carbon (M–N–C) single-atom catalysts (SACs), potentially revolutionizing the design of next-generation electrocatalysts for clean energy applications.

- DGIST Prof. Jongsung Yu and colleagues enhance platinum-cobalt alloy durability to boost green fuel cell performance and sustainability - The study results published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society

Researchers at Tohoku University and the Tokyo University of Science are finding new ways to make the hydrogen evolution reaction harder, better, faster, and stronger!

Researchers at Tohoku University developed a novel method using facet-selective, ultrafine cocatalysts to efficiently split water to create hydrogen – a clean source of fuel.

Researchers from Osaka University developed molecular wires with periodic twists. By controlling the lengths of regions between twists, the electrical conductivity of individual polymer chains can be enhanced. This work may lead to novel organic electronics or single-molecule wires.

Researchers from Osaka University and Imperial College London have used operando optical spectroscopy in conjunction with other spectroscopic techniques to follow the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for an iridium oxide catalyst. Using complementary techniques to probe the catalytic process at different pH values allowed them to observe the effect of the extended environment around the intermediate species involved. The findings are expected to contribute to optimizing the OER for green hydrogen production.

Metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) single-atom catalysts are a promising type of catalyst that could help provide cost-effective alternatives to platinum-based ones. However, there are still some aspects of their behavior that are misunderstood. To rectify this, a group of researchers delved into the intricacies of M-N-C catalysts, yielding promising results.

The properties of supramolecular polymers are dictated by the self-assembled state of the molecules. However, not much is known about the impact of morphologies on the properties of nano- and mesoscopic-scale polymeric assemblies. Recently, a research team demonstrated how terminus-free toroids and random coils derived from the same luminescent molecule show different photophysical properties. The team also presented a novel method for purifying the toroidal structure.

Temperature-controlled, reversible shifting of molecular gear motion in a solid crystal opens new possibilities for material design.

Researchers employ common plastics to kickstart radical chain reactions, creating a way to reuse plastic waste while improving process safety and efficiency.

This paper highlights the underexplored potential of chiral self-sorting in the design of switchable and metastable discrete supramolecular structures.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have successfully synthesized ligands called fluorinated N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) from environmentally harmful perfluoroalkenes, a type of synthetic chemicals also referred to as PFAS. These NHCs are valuable for stabilizing unstable molecules and enhancing catalytic efficiency. Through further structural modification, these NHCs are expected to find applications in a wide range of substances, including catalysts and light-emitting materials.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers succeeded, for the first time, in stabilizing the high-temperature phase of Li3PS4—a solid electrolyte material¬¬—thus attaining high ionic conductivity even at room temperature, using a method of rapid heating during its crystallization. This unprecedented achievement is expected to contribute to the development of materials for all-solid-state batteries with higher performance.

The first-ever molecular catalyst specifically tailored for mechanochemical reaction conditions enables high-efficiency transformations at near room temperature.

Hokkaido University researchers have developed a novel method to design and develop peptide antibiotics in large numbers, which will prove critical to controlling antibiotic resistance.

Automated reaction path search method predicts accurate stereochemistry of pericyclic reactions using only target molecule structure.

Making complex polymers with precisely controlled structures becomes much simpler thanks to a new ‘one-pot-and-one-step’ synthesis procedure.

Nonthermal plasma (NTP) is used to activate CO2 molecules for hydrogenation into alternative fuels at low temperatures, also enabling the conversion of renewable electricity to chemical energy. Researchers from Tokyo Tech combined experimental and computational methods to investigate the hydrogenation pathway of NTP-promoted CO2 on the surface of Pd2Ga/SiO2 catalysts. The mechanistic insights from their study can help improve the efficiency of catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 and allows the engineers to design new concept catalysts.

Using electricity, a new method offers the possibility of recycling CO2 while also performing a notoriously difficult reaction, producing compounds potentially useful for drug development.

Tohoku University researchers have observed a rare change in the structure of a mineral-like crystal that, if controlled, could lead to the development of new functional materials.