Nature Catalysis, Published online: 06 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01416-4Tandem electro-biocatalytic systems present a versatile platform for producing a variety of synthetic products using CO2 as a starting material. Here direct ocean carbon capture is incorporated into an electrolysis scheme to produce formic acid from CO2 dissolved in seawater that is subsequently converted to succinate in a bioreactor.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 06 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01418-2Delocalized radical systems are appealing for controlling stereoselectivity in organic synthesis. Here the authors report on a Co(II)-based enantioselective radical system for the dearomative 1,7-conjugate amination of readily available 4-vinylphenols with aryl azides.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 29 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01417-3The activity and stability of supported metal catalysts is in large part influenced by their interaction with the support. Now, neural network molecular dynamics simulations are combined with interpretable machine learning to reveal the governing factors of metal–support interactions for Pt nanoparticles on various oxide supports, identifying key features and proposing sinter-resistant supports.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 24 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01423-5Establishing coupling trends

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 24 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01419-1Substrate promiscuity fuels biosynthesis success

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 24 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01424-4Electrolysis in tandem

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 24 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01422-6Dynamic and durable

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 24 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01401-xAdsorption on solid surfaces is extremely important for various phenomena and applications. In the 1910s, adsorption and subsequent catalysis was described mainly in terms of diffusion through a fluid film to the interface. Langmuir developed the concept of a monolayer adsorption, which became the cornerstone of modern surface science.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 24 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01413-7A TIM-barrel metalloenzyme — Art22 — involved in the sugar-moiety modification of the antibiotic aurantinin B (ART B) has been discovered. This enzyme activates 4-keto ART B to ART B through rapid isomerization. Additionally, Art22 slowly converts ART B into inactive products through oxidative cleavage of the 3-keto hexopyranose.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 24 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01400-yThe 1913 study ‘Die Kinetik der Invertinwirkung’, by Michaelis and Menten, marked a pivotal advancement in enzymology by illustrating the application of mechanistic models and quantitative kinetics to biocatalysis. The foundational framework described back then continues to have a strong impact on enzymology, with profound influences that range from undergraduate education to structure–function studies and the format and content of contemporary kinetic databases.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 24 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01415-5The 2025 RepArtZymes conference featured the latest developments in the design and development of artificial and repurposed enzymes for synthetic and biotechnological applications. These contributions illustrate the impact of this rapidly expanding research area towards addressing key challenges in organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, polymer chemistry, energy conversion, and environmental remediation.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 24 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01412-8Hexopyranose cleavage is a crucial step in carbon metabolism. Here the authors report the discovery and characterization of metalloenzyme Art22, which is involved in the sugar moiety modification of aurantinin B, an antibacterial agent from Bacillus.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 23 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01398-3It is challenging to design machine learning potentials for heterogeneous catalysis that are universal, reactive and have high accuracy. Now, an element-based machine learning potential relying on a random exploration via an imaginary chemicals optimization sampling strategy is put forward, and is successfully demonstrated for a range of applications.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 08 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01407-5Molecular organometallic catalysts typically struggle to activate only one of two identical C–H bonds in arenes for mono-selective C–H activation. Now mono-selectivity has been achieved for Pd(II)-catalysed ortho- or meta-C–H activations using commercial proteins or designed peptides as ligands.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 08 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01408-4Strategies for asymmetric control in electrosynthesis involving radicals are sought after. Now asymmetric Lewis base catalysis is combined with electrochemistry, enabling the oxidative radical cross-coupling of esters with silyl enol ethers and affording γ-keto esters in high enantiomeric excess.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 08 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01399-2Optimizing devices for electrochemical CO2 reduction requires a comprehensive and quantitative understanding of the microenvironments where the reactions occur. Now, a multiscale modelling approach that explicitly accounts for electrolyte effects at all scales is developed and showcased for the electroreduction of CO2 on silver.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 05 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01405-7Azetidines are four-membered saturated N-heterocycles that are of interest in drug discovery and medicinal chemistry. Here the authors report how sulfamoyl fluoride substituents tune the reactivity of acyclic imine-derived triplet intermediates for the synthesis of azetidines via a [2 + 2] photocycloaddition reaction with alkenes.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 28 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01404-8Directing group strategies for selective dearomatization of unactivated aromatic π-systems have remained elusive. Now a homogeneous ruthenium catalyst, aided by a removable directing group, enables the site-selective hydrogenation of less reactive arene moieties in polyaryl compounds.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 28 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01411-9Electrocatalytic CO2 conversion offers opportunities for producing sustainable fuels and chemicals, but achieving strong performance with realistic CO2 sources remains a challenge. Here a system is designed to use high-pressure captured CO2, and achieves 85% Faradaic efficiency and high-purity C2H4 for over 1,500 h.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 28 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01402-wThe O-alkylation of tertiary alcohols with racemic tertiary electrophiles to access chiral hindered dialkyl ethers has remained elusive. Now this synthetic challenge has been accomplished by copper-catalysed C–O cross-coupling between tertiary haloamides and alcohols using designed ligands.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 25 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01403-9The response of a well-defined Cu pre-catalyst surface to dynamic pulsed electrocatalytic CO2 reduction conditions is unveiled using a correlated spatially resolved spectro-microscopy approach. The observed structural changes are key to understanding the increased selectivity towards ethanol and ethylene under these conditions.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 22 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01395-6The evolution of local microenvironments at copper electrodes during the electrochemical CO reduction reaction has long been overlooked. In situ electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy now reveals that the dynamic restructuring of interfacial water resulting from increased local alkalinity enhances the acetate selectivity of this reaction.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 22 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01386-7The radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) enzyme, AbmM, catalyses a replacement of the ring oxygen of a sugar with sulfur. However, how this reaction takes place is unknown. Now, an [Fe4S4] cluster is shown to have a dual role in catalysis. It functions in the reductive cleavage of SAM and is the donor of the appended sulfur atom.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 22 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01384-9Coupled electrocatalytic reactions are of great potential for cost-effective co-production of hydrogen and fine chemicals, yet engineering of catalysts, conditions and cell architectures are still key to delivering this technology at scale. Now, a case study shows the efficient production of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid enabled by a liquid-cooled kilowatt-scale electrolyser.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 20 August 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01387-6Anodic pulsing during electrocatalytic CO2 reduction has been shown to enhance activity and selectivity towards hydrocarbons and alcohols on copper yet the nature of the active sites remains unclear. Here, correlated spectro-microscopy in a quasi in situ experimental set-up provides information on the formation of specific facets and oxidation states under reactive conditions.