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.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 23 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01426-2Methylthio-alkane reductases are recently discovered enzymes that can produce methanethiol and small hydrocarbons from methylated sulfur compounds. Now the cryo-EM structure of a methylthio-alkane reductase complex is solved, revealing large metalloclusters previously observed only within nitrogenases.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 23 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01421-7The structure and properties of the electric double layer that forms at the electrode–electrolyte interface is crucial in determining the performance of electrocatalytic reactions. This Perspective puts forward and discusses three major schools of thought on electrolyte effects and electrocatalyst design.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 23 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01427-1CO adsorption free energy has been suggested as a descriptor to explain and predict CO2 reduction activity across various electrocatalysts, but methods for determining it experimentally under operating conditions are lacking. Here a kinetic model is combined with rotating ring-disk voltammetry to estimate this parameter.

Nature Catalysis, Published online: 10 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41929-025-01406-6Prime editing is a CRISPR methodology whose efficiency declines with distance from the target sequence. Here the authors demonstrate prime editing with prolonged editing window, proPE, which extends the editing distance, enabling the use of prime editing for therapeutic interventions.

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