Directly converting methane (CH4) to high value-added multi-carbon (C2+) oxygenates, such as acetic acid (CH3COOH), under mild conditions presents a promising pathway for upgrading natural gas to transportable liquid chemicals.Oxidative carbonylation of CH4 with carbonic oxide (CO) and oxygen (O2) to CH3COOH under mild conditions is an attractive and environmentally friendly route for CH4 utilization. However, this process involves complex reactions, including the activation of O2, efficient CH4 activation, and controllable C–C coupling. Therefore, it's a great challenge to achieve CH4, CO, and O2 to CH3COOH with both high catalytic activity and selectivity for the conversion of CH4 under mild conditions.Schematic illustration of the photo-driven CH4 carbonylation with CO and O2 to CH3COOH over the RhZn-MoS2/TiO2 and the comparison of catalytic activity for different catalysts (Image by LI Yanan and LIU Huan)In a study published in Nature Communications, a research group led by Prof. DENG Dehui, Assoc. Prof. CUI Xiaoju, and Prof. YU Liang from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have successfully achieved highly efficient photo-driven carbonylation of CH4 with CO and O2 to CH3COOH using a nano-heterostructure catalyst. This catalyst features Rh-Zn atomic-pair dual sites confined within a MoS2 lattice, integrated with TiO2 nanoparticles. This innovative catalyst enables a CH3COOH productivity of 152 μmol gcat.-1 h-1, and a turnover frequency of 62 h-1 with a high selectivity of 96.5%.Moreover, the researchers revealed that the active OH species, produced from O2 photoreduction at the Zn site through proton-coupled electron transfer, promote CH4 dissociation to CH3 species. These CH3 species then easily couple with adsorbed CO on the adjacent Rh site, leading to highly selective CH3COOH formation. The Rh-Zn atomic-pair dual sites provide separated catalytic sites for C–H activation and C–C coupling, establishing a synergistic effect that overcomes the typical trade-off between activity and selectivity in CH4 carbonylation."Our study opens a new horizon to design efficient catalyst and provides a new pathway for photo-driven CH4 carbonylation to CH3COOH," said Prof. DENG.

Excessive sugar consumption is linked to several non-communicable diseases, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. Animals naturally crave sugar, and uncontrolled sugar preferences can lead to high sugar intake, raising the risk of hyperglycemia and metabolic diseases.Previous research suggests that food cravings in humans are driven by signals from the gut to the brain, highlighting the gut's crucial role in shaping dietary preferences. However, the regulation of sugar preference is complex, and the specific influence of gut microbes remains unclear.Recently, a research team led by Prof. LIANG Xinmiao from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with Prof. ZHU Shenglong and Prof. CHEN Yongquan from Jiangnan University, identified an intestinal bacterium that can reduce dietary sugar intake. This discovery, published in Nature Microbiology, opens new avenues for the therapies of obesity and metabolic diseases.FFAR4 deficiency or inactivation increases the host's sugar preference (Image by YE Xianlong and ZHANG Tingting)In this study, researchers identified low levels of free fatty acid receptor 4 (FFAR4) in the blood cells of both diabetic mice and humans, alongside an increased sugar preference in individuals with FFAR4 mutations. They also found that reduced gut FFAR4 levels significantlyaffected the abundance of the gut microbe Bacteroides vulgatus and its key metabolite, pantothenic acid. Furthermore, pantothenic acid produced by Bacteroides vulgatus activated the GLP-1-FGF21 hormone axis.The researchers validated this complex gut-liver-brain interaction by feeding pantothenic acid to diabetic mice or colonizing them with Bacteroides vulgatus, demonstrating its effects on sugar preference in mice.These findings reveal a novel regulatory mechanism underlying sugar preference. Intestinal fatty acid receptors play a crucial role in regulating sugar uptake behavior by modulating the levels of Bacteroides vulgatus and its metabolite pantothenic acid, which subsequently induces hormone secretion.This study provides a promising strategy for diabetes prevention. The development of tissue-specific FFAR4 agonists or targeting Bacteroides vulgatus present new approaches for preventing diabetes. Future clinical studies are essential to validate the application of the gut-hepatic-brain axis as a nutrient-sensing pathway for managing metabolic diseases.

On January 10, a pilot project for producing 150 tons of magnesium hydride per year completed its first trial run, yielding qualified products from a single feedstock input.This pilot utilizes a novel "one-pot" synthesize method for magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage materials, developed by Prof. CHEN Ping and Prof. CAO Hujun's team from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).The pilot for producing magnesium hydride with a capacity of 150 tons per year in Yulin, Shaanxi (Image by CUI Yajun and CAO Hujun)The magnesium hydride pilot focuses on the research and production of magnesium-based hydrogen storage materials and high-efficiency hydrogenation and dehydrogenation catalysts. It aims to develop and optimize the production process of high-quality magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage materials, as well as solid-state hydrogen storage equipment and systems.Magnesium-based solid-state hydrogen storage systems are among the most promising hydrogen storage technologies. They can bridge the hydrogen energy and fossil energy systems, transform renewable energy application scenarios, and are crucial for the safe and efficient storage and transportation of large-scale hydrogen. These systems also hold great potential for hydrogen-thermal-electric coupling energy storage and for achieving a clean and sustainable society.The magnesium hydride pilot was a collaboration among DICP, the Yulin Innovation Institute of Clean Energy, and Dalian Funde Jinyu Clean Energy Co., Ltd.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) hold great potential for large-scale electrochemical energy storage due to their safety, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, their practical application is hindered by challenges such as dendrite formation and water-induced corrosion at the anode.Dynamic and stable interface constructed by hydrophobic CDs during zinc deposition (Image by YANG Hanmiao)Recently, a research group led by Prof. YANG Weishen and Prof. ZHU Kaiyue from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) utilized trace amounts of carbon dots to construct a dynamic hydrophobic monolayer at the zinc anode/electrolyte interface. This innovative approach regulates the electric double-layer (EDL) structure at the zinc anode, altering the reaction kinetics of zinc deposition and dissolution while effectively protecting the anode from water-induced corrosion, ultimately achieving a highly reversible zinc anode.Since both Zn²⁺ deposition and side reactions occur within the microscale EDL structure formed at the Zn/electrolyte interface, water molecules, and anions preferentially adsorb in the inner Helmholtz layer (IHL), directly contacting zinc and triggering side reactions. Meanwhile, hydrated zinc ions in the outer Helmholtz layer (OHL) must overcome a high desolvation energy barrier to enter the IHL and undergo electron transfer. To address these challenges, the researchers aimed to develop a method to regulate the interfacial structure and prevent undesirable side reactions.In a study published in ACS Nano, Prof. YANG's group demonstrated the construction of a dynamic hydrophobic monolayer at the Zn/electrolyte interface. They achieved the monolayer adsorption of hydrophobic carbon dots that repelled sulfate ions and water molecules in the IHL, thereby reconstructing a hydrophobic IHL that facilitated the desolvation process of hydrated zinc ions.In addition, due to the robust adsorption of the hydrophobic carbon dots onto the anode and their weak coordination with Zn2+, the dynamic interface of the hydrophobic carbon dot monolayer remained well preserved during plating, demonstrating a striking departure from the irreversible co-deposition observed when with hydrophilic carbon dots.Benefiting from the dynamic interfacial protection the hydrophobic carbon dots provided, the cycled zinc anode maintained a smooth and compact surface free of byproducts. The Zn||Zn symmetric cells and Zn||MnO2full cells exhibited exceptional cycling stability."We develop a pioneering 'nanosized hydrophobic monolayer' strategy that effectively regulates the interfacial EDL structure for reversible and durable zinc anodes," said Prof. YANG.

Bimetallic particles, composed of a noble metal and a base metal, exhibit unique catalytic properties in selective heterogeneous hydrogenations due to their distinct geometric and electronic structures. At the molecular level, effective and selective hydrogenation requires site-specific interactions where the active atoms on the catalyst particle selectively engage with the functional group targeted for transformation in the substrate.Reducing the particle to nanoscale atomic clusters and single-atom alloys enhances surface dispersion and improves the efficient utilization of noble metal atoms. These size reductions also simultaneously change the electronic structure of the active sites, which significantly impacts the intrinsic activity or product distributions. By precisely tuning the bonding structures of noble metal single atoms with the base metal host, reactants are flexibly accommodated and the electronic properties are fine-tuned to activate specific functional groups. However, the fabrication of such atomically precise active sites remains a challenge.In a study published in Chem, a team led by Prof. SHEN Wenjie and Prof. LI Yong from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, collaborating with Prof. LI Weixue from University of Science and Technology of China and Prof. WANG Yuemin from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, successfully regulated the atomic structure of active sites for hydrogenation reaction.Researchers first developed a method to densely populate and precisely position isolated Pt atoms in the form of Pt-Fe-Pt heterotrimer on α-Fe nanoparticles. The Pt-Fe-Pt heterotrimer was achieved by H2-reduction of a Pt-Fe2O3 particlepair, where a 3.3 nm Pt particle sits on a 9.8 nm Fe2O3 particle. During the H2 reduction, iron oxides were reduced to iron, facilitating dispersion of Pt particles into Pt-Fe-Pt heterotrimers on the surface of iron particles via surface alloying.Fine-tuned coordination environment of Pt-Fe-Pt active site for selective heterogeneous hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde (Image by Di Zhou)In addition, researchers uncovered the formation pathway and coordination environment of the Pt-Fe-Pt heterotrimer. In the gas-phase hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde, the Pt-Fe-Pt heterotrimer showed a preference for hydrogenated the C=O bond to produce crotyl alcohol rather than the conjugated C=C bond. The intrinsic hydrogenating rate increased by 35 times, effectively resolving the activity-selectivity trade-off in hydrogenation reactions.Furthermore, the researchers revealed a site-bond recognition pattern of Pt-Fe-Pt heterotrimer. The left-end Pt atom anchored the C=C bond, while the central Fe atom activated the C=O bond, which was further hydrogenated by H atoms adsorbed on the right-end Pt atom."Our study quantifies the surface catalytic reaction at the molecular level and offers a strategy for tailoring active sites on bimetallic catalysts with atomic precision," said Prof. SHEN.

Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) constitute a platform to explore various quantum effects. Their size-dependent colors are essentially a naked-eye, ambient-condition visualization of the quantum confinement effect.In recent years, more exotic quantum effects have been observed using the material platform of QDs, such as single-photon emission, spin coherence, and exciton coherence. The beauty of these QDs in comparison to other solid-state quantum platforms is that QDs can be handled in solution just like molecules, which allows for functionalization of their surfaces with organic molecules to drive various photochemical processes.The simultaneous capability of colloidal QDs to sustain robust room-temperature spin quantum coherence and to engage in photochemistry inspired Prof. WU Kaifeng and his team from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to explore a highly interdisciplinary field—using quantum coherence of QDs to control photochemical reactions.This idea is in close relation to a fascinating example of quantum biology, in which migratory animals are believed to use the Earth's magnetic field to coherently modulate the spin-triplet recombination yields of photogenerated radical pairs and subsequently trigger a sensory signaling cascade for navigation.In a study published in Nature Materials, Prof. WU's team reported the hybrid radical pairs prepared from colloidal QDs and their surface-anchored molecules, and demonstrated the unique "quantum advantage" of hybrid radical pairs in quantum coherent control of triplet photochemistry.Unlike pure organic radical pairs featuring a pair of electrons with similar Landé g-factors and thus a small Δg (0.001-0.01), the large Δg (0.1-1) of the hybrid radical pairs, along with the strong exchange coupling enabled by quantum confinement of QDs, allowed for direct observation of the radical-pair spin quantum beats that are usually hidden in previous studies.Leveraging such rapid quantum beating, researchers demonstrated a strong magnetic field control over the triplet recombination dynamics, with the modulation level of the triplet yield reaching 400% at 1.9 T. Moreover, the magnetic field effect was facilely tunable through QD size and composition, which is an unmatched advantage over previous pure organic radical pairs."The QD-molecule hybrid radical pairs and their strong, tunable magnetic field effect reported in this study will strongly benefit the spin-control over molecular and hybrid inorganic/organic optoelectronics through borrowing the fundamental principles of semiconductor spin physics," said Prof. WU."Hybrid radical pairs may constitute a unique material platform to merge the field of emerging molecular quantum sciences with solid-state quantum platforms to enable many novel quantum information technologies," he added.Quantum coherent manipulation of spin-triplet formation yields in QD-molecule conjugates using magnetic field effect (Image by LIU Meng)<!--!doctype-->