Chemical and Biological Sciences Research Highlights

Sensitive NMR Method Reveals Motions of Surface Sites

A new, high-sensitivity, approach for studying molecular dynamics is reported, enabling the study of surface sites.

Stylized 1H chemical shift anisotropy measurements

Software Enables Surface Structure Determination

An open-source program was released that enables the 3D structure determination of surface sites.

17O NMR Facilitates Structural Studies of Catalytic Sites

A new strategy generalized the high-resolution structural characterization of oxide-supported species.

Determining the Distributions of Surface Sites in Motion

A method was established to study the geometry and arrangement of dynamic surface species.

Interlayer space tuning in MCM-22 type layered zeolites

A first-principles analysis of pillaring in layered zeolitic MCM-22 type materials was carried alongside experimental characterization of pillared MCM-22 variants.

Earth-Abundant Metals Catalyze Energy-Efficient Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)

Replacement of precious metals is achieved for chemical CDR with two earth-abundant metals working in tandem.

General Synthetic Strategy to Ordered Mesoporous Carbon Catalysts with Single-Atom Metal Sites for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction (CO2RR)

Single-atom metals supported on ordered mesoporous carbons are promising catalysts for selective electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO.

Single-atom metals on NAC hydrocarbons visuals

Lanthanum Catalyzes CH Borylation Inside Zeolite Micropores

The zeolite-supported lanthanum borohydride, La(BH4)x-HY30, catalyzes C–H borylation of benzene with pinacolborane (HBpin) at 120 °C to give PhBpin. By capping the external silanol on zeolite particles, the single-site La catalyst was selectively grafted at Brønsted acid sites in micropores, increasing turnovers compared to La grafted on the unprotected support.

Benzene borylation diagram and catalysis results graph

Methyl-Driver Overhauser Dynamic Nuclear Polarization

A new dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) mechanism has been discovered involving methyl rotation to mediate an Overhauser effect (OE).

Overhauser effect dynamic nuclear polarization visual

Characterizing the Solvation Characteristics of Deep Eutectic Solvents Composed of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

Solvation properties of active pharmaceutical ingredient-based deep eutectic solvents (API-DESs) were systematically studied. API-DESs were classified into different groups using their individual solvation interactions. Grouping of API-DESs can be used to interpret and explain their behavior in various chemical separations and material science.

Visual comparison of solvation interactions