Recently, Professor ZHOU Yongjin from Synthetic Biology for Biocatalysis Lab in Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Professor Jens Nielsen from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, successfully constructed a yeast cell factory for bio-production of long-chain α-alkene. This new result was published in ACS Synthetic Biology, a prestigious journal in the field of synthetic biology.
　　Yeast was harnessed as a cell factory for biosynthesis of long chain α-alkenes. (Image by MA Xiaojing)
　　Long-chain α- alkene (C12-C20) is widely used as biofuels, plasticizers, poly-α-olefin (PAO), detergents and fragrances. It is currently mainly manufactured from fossil resources through the paraffin cracking, alkane dehydrogenation, ethylene oligomerization or other chemical processes.
　　To establish the sustainable production of α-alkene, researchers tried the engineering of budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the host for biosynthesis of α-alkene by decarboxylation of fatty acids. UndB derived from Pseudomonas fluorescens was found to be the most efficient decarboxylation enzyme.
　　Subsequently, α-alkene production was further improved by rewiring fatty acid metabolism for precursor supply, introducing an electron transfer system to increase the decarboxylation efficiency and expressing a transporter to improve product secretion.
　　Finally, metabolic dynamic regulation enabled the relieving the metabolic burden by balancing cell growth and product synthesis. With these endeavors, α- alkene production was improved 10-fold (35.3 mg/L, >80% was secreted), which was the highest titer among the present eukaryotic cell factories to date. (Text by MA Xiaojing) 

　　Recently, Professor ZHOU Yongjin from Synthetic Biology for Biocatalysis Lab in Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Professor Jens Nielsen from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, successfully constructed a yeast cell factory for bio-production of long-chain α-alkene. This new result was published in ACS Synthetic Biology, a prestigious journal in the field of synthetic biology.
　　Yeast was harnessed as a cell factory for biosynthesis of long chain α-alkenes. (Image by MA Xiaojing)
　　Long-chain α- alkene (C12-C20) is widely used as biofuels, plasticizers, poly-α-olefin (PAO), detergents and fragrances. It is currently mainly manufactured from fossil resources through the paraffin cracking, alkane dehydrogenation, ethylene oligomerization or other chemical processes.
　　To establish the sustainable production of α-alkene, researchers tried the engineering of budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the host for biosynthesis of α-alkene by decarboxylation of fatty acids. UndB derived from Pseudomonas fluorescens was found to be the most efficient decarboxylation enzyme.
　　Subsequently, α-alkene production was further improved by rewiring fatty acid metabolism for precursor supply, introducing an electron transfer system to increase the decarboxylation efficiency and expressing a transporter to improve product secretion.
　　Finally, metabolic dynamic regulation enabled the relieving the metabolic burden by balancing cell growth and product synthesis. With these endeavors, α- alkene production was improved 10-fold (35.3 mg/L, >80% was secreted), which was the highest titer among the present eukaryotic cell factories to date. (Text by MA Xiaojing) 

　　The team led by Prof. PAN Xiulian and BAO Xinhe in Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) designed a new bifunctional catalyst, it could achieve the syngas conversion to ethylene with a high selectivity. The above results were just published online by Angewandte Chemie-International Edition as a "Hot Paper".
　　Accurately control the activation of CO as well as C-C coupling, has always been the most challenging problem in syngas chemistry, which is also the key to efficiently utilize coal and natural gas.
　　This team focus on catalytic conversion of syngas to high valuable chemicals. To overcome the selectivity limit of syngas conversion base on traditional Fischer Tropsch process, recently they reported a novel catalyst concept of oxide-zeolite (OX-ZEO): by separating CO activation and C-C coupling onto oxide and zeolites respectively.
　　According to their previous work, this catalyst had enabled direct conversion of syngas to mixed light olefins (Science, ACS Catalysis) and to aromatics (Chemical Communication).
　　Syngas conversion can be effectively steered toward ethylene via ketene intermediates by the 8MR side pockets of MOR employing the ZnCrOx-MOR composite (Image by JIAO Feng)
　　In this work, researchers further modified the OX-ZEO catalyst with ZnCrOx-mordenite (MOR). And the syngas conversion can be effectively steered toward to ethylene with this catalyst.
　　The selectivity of ethylene alone among hydrocarbons reached as high as 73% at 26% CO conversion, which is higher than those reported in direct conversion and multi-step via Methanol To Olefins (MTO) processes.
　　This opens a new avenue for development of syngas-to-ethylene technology. Furthermore, it demonstrates that the versatility of the bifunctional OX-ZEO catalyst concept, which may be developed into a new technological platform for syngas chemistry. (Text by JIAO Feng)

　　The team led by Prof. PAN Xiulian and BAO Xinhe in Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) designed a new bifunctional catalyst, it could achieve the syngas conversion to ethylene with a high selectivity. The above results were just published online by Angewandte Chemie-International Edition as a "Hot Paper".
　　Accurately control the activation of CO as well as C-C coupling, has always been the most challenging problem in syngas chemistry, which is also the key to efficiently utilize coal and natural gas.
　　This team focus on catalytic conversion of syngas to high valuable chemicals. To overcome the selectivity limit of syngas conversion base on traditional Fischer Tropsch process, recently they reported a novel catalyst concept of oxide-zeolite (OX-ZEO): by separating CO activation and C-C coupling onto oxide and zeolites respectively.
　　According to their previous work, this catalyst had enabled direct conversion of syngas to mixed light olefins (Science, ACS Catalysis) and to aromatics (Chemical Communication).
　　Syngas conversion can be effectively steered toward ethylene via ketene intermediates by the 8MR side pockets of MOR employing the ZnCrOx-MOR composite (Image by JIAO Feng)
　　In this work, researchers further modified the OX-ZEO catalyst with ZnCrOx-mordenite (MOR). And the syngas conversion can be effectively steered toward to ethylene with this catalyst.
　　The selectivity of ethylene alone among hydrocarbons reached as high as 73% at 26% CO conversion, which is higher than those reported in direct conversion and multi-step via Methanol To Olefins (MTO) processes.
　　This opens a new avenue for development of syngas-to-ethylene technology. Furthermore, it demonstrates that the versatility of the bifunctional OX-ZEO catalyst concept, which may be developed into a new technological platform for syngas chemistry. (Text by JIAO Feng)

　　The Energy Storage Technology Research Team headed by Professor ZHANG Huamin, Professor LI Xianfeng and Associate Professor ZHANG Hongzhang in Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) proposed a new lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery electrolyte.
　　They added a new kind of electrolyte additives, which include a large size cation, to complex and stabilize the polysulfide in the electrolyte. This new proposed electrolyte could achieve a high energy density Li-S battery with a longer cycle life. The related research has been published on Advanced Functional Materials.
　　The schematic principle of MEP +complexation in Li-S battery electrolyte. (Image by CHEN Yuqing）
　　Li-S batteries have been one of the hottest spots of international research in energy storage field, owing to their high energy density and low cost.
　　However, the practical application of Li-S batteries is still hindered by the rapid capacity of fading. It’s due to the shuttle effect and the disproportionation of polysulfide, and the decomposition of electrolyte and lithium dendrite.
　　In order to suppress the disproportionation of polysulfide, this research group introduced a kind of large size cation into the Li-S battery. This could complex and stabilize the soluble of polysulfide, which is based on the hard and soft acids and bases (HSAB) theory.
　　Such electrolyte enables a more stable capability and a longer cycle life: the 5000 mAh Li-S batteries (soft package type) can achieve an initial specific energy over 300 Wh/kg and can maintain almost 70 % after 100 charge/discharge cycles at 1/20 C.
　　This interesting finding is believed to shed a light on the further development of Li-S batteries.
　　The above research work was supported by DICP, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Youth Innovation Promotion Association of CAS, Dalian Science and Technology Star Program.
　　Dr. WANG Yongjin
　　Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
　　457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, China,
　　Tel: 86-411-84374221
　　E-mail: wangyj@dicp.ac.cn 

　　The Energy Storage Technology Research Team headed by Professor ZHANG Huamin, Professor LI Xianfeng and Associate Professor ZHANG Hongzhang in Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) proposed a new lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery electrolyte.
　　They added a new kind of electrolyte additives, which include a large size cation, to complex and stabilize the polysulfide in the electrolyte. This new proposed electrolyte could achieve a high energy density Li-S battery with a longer cycle life. The related research has been published on Advanced Functional Materials.
　　The schematic principle of MEP +complexation in Li-S battery electrolyte. (Image by CHEN Yuqing）
　　Li-S batteries have been one of the hottest spots of international research in energy storage field, owing to their high energy density and low cost.
　　However, the practical application of Li-S batteries is still hindered by the rapid capacity of fading. It’s due to the shuttle effect and the disproportionation of polysulfide, and the decomposition of electrolyte and lithium dendrite.
　　In order to suppress the disproportionation of polysulfide, this research group introduced a kind of large size cation into the Li-S battery. This could complex and stabilize the soluble of polysulfide, which is based on the hard and soft acids and bases (HSAB) theory.
　　Such electrolyte enables a more stable capability and a longer cycle life: the 5000 mAh Li-S batteries (soft package type) can achieve an initial specific energy over 300 Wh/kg and can maintain almost 70 % after 100 charge/discharge cycles at 1/20 C.
　　This interesting finding is believed to shed a light on the further development of Li-S batteries.
　　The above research work was supported by DICP, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Youth Innovation Promotion Association of CAS, Dalian Science and Technology Star Program.
　　Dr. WANG Yongjin
　　Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
　　457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, China,
　　Tel: 86-411-84374221
　　E-mail: wangyj@dicp.ac.cn