I was fascinated by the idea of jet packs when I was a kid. They were sci-fi magic, and the idea that you could strap into an oversized backpack wrapped in tinfoil and fly around was very enticing.

A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction. The catalyst is not used up or chemically changed during the reaction. Enzymes are catalysts that work inside the cells of living ...

Solid catalysts underpin many of the large-scale chemical transformations used to manufacture modern materials, converting hydrocarbons — including renewable or recycled forms of carbon — into the ...

The production of many products used in everyday life and in industry, such as pharmaceuticals, plastics, and coatings, ...

A new catalyst design could transform how acetaldehyde is made from renewable bioethanol. Researchers found that a carefully balanced mix of gold, manganese, and copper creates a powerful synergy that ...

Dual atom catalysts promise efficient and durable chemical conversion but are difficult to stabilize at high temperatures. This study develops a temperature stable a copper–nickel dual atom catalyst ...

A team in Milan has developed a first-of-its-kind single-atom catalyst that acts like a molecular switch, enabling cleaner, more adaptable chemical reactions. Stable, recyclable, and eco-friendly, it ...

The latest short science news items from C&EN. Compared with enzymes, protein catalysts are simpler, more stable at high temperatures, and can also be used in environmentally friendly organic solvents ...