Nature Catalysis, Published online: 25 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01447-xDirected hydrogen exchange is one of the main strategies for accessing isotopically labelled organic scaffolds, but the rationale for deuterium source selection has not been fully explored yet. Now the authors reveal the influence of the deuterium source in base-assisted site-selective C–H deuteration reactions across substrates in cobalt catalysis.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 21 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01444-0Bioactive piperidines are among the most common motifs in pharmaceuticals, yet accessing their chiral, highly substituted forms remains challenging. Now, a copper-catalysed reaction of amino-acid-derived cyclopropanols with aldehydes unites catalyst design with the natural chirality of reagents to access a broad family of stereodefined cis-2,6-disubstituted piperidines, expanding opportunities in drug discovery and natural product synthesis.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 21 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01442-2The rational design of electrocatalysts for hydrogen-involving transformations requires a detailed understanding of surface metal-hydrogen intermediates at the single-site level. Now, single-molecule fluorescence microscopy enables the direct visualization of these intermediates and reveals inter- and intra-particle heterogeneity during the hydrogen evolution reaction on Pd nanocubes.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 21 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01443-1Engineering protein catalysts represents an attractive approach for enantioselective energy-transfer photochemistry. By combining a genetically encoded photosensitizer in the protein catalyst and a judiciously selected triplet quencher to suppress the racemic background reaction in the solution, photobiocatalytic [2+2] cycloaddition offers improved enantiocontrol in a triplet sensitization catalysis.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 20 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01431-5This Review covers the recent advances in the field of hydrogen atom transfer catalysis mediated by photoexcited transition metals without the use of external photosensitizers.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 18 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01446-yThere is growing interest in the direct conversion of carboxylic acids into nitriles. Now the authors report a mild Mg- and Pd-cocatalysed method compatible with multiple functional groups, using urea as the nitrogen source.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 18 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01449-9The notion that catalysts are static entities that barely change under operation is still prevalent although it is often not true. Here, a range of operando and in situ techniques reveals the dynamic nature of Co3O4 during the oxidation of 2-propanol to acetone, unveiling a network of interconnected solid-state processes, such as exsolution, diffusion or void formation, that govern the catalytic performance.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 18 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01445-zThe T4 td-PIE system is a promising platform for circular RNA synthesis, but the dynamic mechanism of the T4 td group I intron during circularization remains unclear. Now, cryo-EM structures of both the linear and circular forms of the T4 td intron are solved, revealing key conformational shifts essential for RNA circularization.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 07 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01440-4Thermodynamically disfavoured substituted cyclohexane compounds often display superior physical and bioactive properties to their isomeric counterparts. Now their synthesis is achieved by Ni-catalysed coupling of substituted methylenecyclohexanes with electrophiles under kinetic control.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 05 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01430-6The rise of artificial intelligence together with advances in robotics is leading a surge of interest in self-driving laboratories. This Perspective discusses self-driving laboratories for catalysis while arguing that, to achieve their full potential, human oversight is required.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 03 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01435-1Radical repositioning to activate remote bonds is underdeveloped in synthetic biocatalysis. Now a photobiocatalytic system couples light-driven single-electron transfer and the relocation of unpaired electrons to activate remote C–C and C–H bonds for enzymatically controlled enantioselective acylation.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 03 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01436-0The creation of artificial metalloenzymes compatible with complex biological settings could enable broad applications. Now a de novo-designed artificial metalloenzyme containing an abiological ruthenium cofactor is reported and optimized for ring-closing metathesis in the cytoplasm of whole cells.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 31 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01437-zThe application of DNA phosphates to mediate asymmetric reactions is underdeveloped in synthetic chemistry. Now, DNA phosphates are designed to catalyse enantioselective fluorination, Mannich and photo-induced cross-dehydrogenative coupling reactions in water driven by ion-pairing interactions.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 31 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01438-yThe Heck reaction is widely used in modern organic chemistry. Here the authors provide an alternative approach to common transition-metal catalysis, leveraging access to Bi(II) species thanks to bismuth’s photophysical properties.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 31 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01434-2Constructing C(sp3)–C(sp3) bonds using non-prefunctionalized substrates as radical precursors is challenging. Now an ene-reductase and an organophotoredox catalyst work together to enable the enantiodivergent hydroalkylation of electron-deficient C(sp3)–H bonds via radical intermediates generated from carbanions.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 27 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01429-zProbing transient intermediates and deriving subsequent mechanistic and kinetic analyses is very challenging. Now, Pd–H* intermediates on palladium nanocubes are identified at the single-particle level by means of single-molecule reaction imaging, evidencing intra- and interparticle heterogeneity and hydrogen spillover events.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 24 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01439-xThe palladium advantage

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 24 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01441-3Urea from the plasma fan

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 24 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01428-0Achieving long-term catalyst stability remains a grand challenge in catalysis. A recent study combines neural-network potential-based molecular dynamics simulations with decision tree-based interpretable machine learning, unveiling crucial support properties that guide the rational design of sinter-resistant platinum catalysts.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 24 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01414-6A study demonstrates that fully synthetic molecules can undergo self-replication, mutation and selection — hallmarks of Darwinian evolution — without relying on DNA or proteins.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 24 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01432-4The Mannich reaction has long been used by chemists for the synthesis of stereoselective synthesis of β-amino-carbonyl compounds. Here, the authors show a catalytic homo-Mannich reaction of cyclopropanols with in situ-formed imines, furnishing chiral 2,6-disubstituted piperidines in good yields with high diastereoselectivities due to the use of a diketiminate-complexed copper.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 24 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01409-3Darwinian evolution has shaped life on our planet through natural selection. Here, the authors report on the combination of self-replication, mutation and protometabolism in an out-of-equilibrium abiotic chemical system that can lead to natural selection for protometabolic activity.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 24 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01420-8Deuterated bioactive compounds are important as diagnostic tools and pharmaceuticals, but current methods of development are limited. Here the authors report how a silicon Lewis acid and a tertiary amine base act as a frustrated Lewis pair to catalyse the hydrogen exchange reaction for the deuteration of amides and esters.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 24 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01433-3Artificial photobiocatalytic reactions are appealing but sometimes suffer from non-enzymatic side reactions. Now a photoenzyme for enantioselective [2 + 2] photocycloaddition of 2-naphthyl derivatives is reported and combined with designed quenchers that shut down the competing enzyme-free racemic reaction.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 23 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01425-3Insights into the mechanism of methylthio-alkane reductase (MAR)—a nitrogenase-like enzyme essential for growth under sulfate-limited conditions—have remained scarce. Now a cryo-EM structure of MAR from Rhodospirillum rubrum, along with spectroscopic investigations, reveals how it uses complex metallocofactors for catalysis.