Chemical engineering articles from across Nature Portfolio

A membrane inspired by the arsenic–protein interactions in biological systems allows the efficient removal of various arsenic species from contaminated water.

Cutting-edge chemistry is often performed in non-atmospheric conditions. Continued development of the Chemputer platform now enables the utilization of sensitive compounds in automated synthetic protocols.

The carbon footprints of petrochemicals have large uncertainties, challenging decarbonization efforts. Now, a study identifies the main uncertainty sources and strategies for improving the accuracy of greenhouse gas emissions estimations and reporting for petrochemicals.

Hydroxylamine plays a critical role in the chemical industry, but its production currently has unfavourable environmental footprint. Now a plasma-electrochemical cascade pathway powered by electricity enables efficient hydroxylamine synthesis from ambient air and water at mild conditions.

Real-life plastic waste exists as complex mixtures, posing a challenge for efficient upcycling. Now a sunlight-powered thermocatalytic process using a Ni-based catalyst converts a plastic mixture into CH₄, H₂O and HCl. Notably, chlorine poisoning is minimized through temperature modulation driven by the diurnal sunlight cycle.

The poisoning of single-atom catalysts hampers their performance. Here, the authors propose Au nanoparticles as an antidote for poisoned Au single-atom catalysts, with trace addition shown to reinforce and sustain propylene epoxidation.

A membrane inspired by the arsenic–protein interactions in biological systems allows the efficient removal of various arsenic species from contaminated water.

Cutting-edge chemistry is often performed in non-atmospheric conditions. Continued development of the Chemputer platform now enables the utilization of sensitive compounds in automated synthetic protocols.

An appreciation of characteristic timescales can save quite a lot of effort, as Ian Wilson explains.

The carbon footprints of petrochemicals have large uncertainties, challenging decarbonization efforts. Now, a study identifies the main uncertainty sources and strategies for improving the accuracy of greenhouse gas emissions estimations and reporting for petrochemicals.

Liquid–liquid extraction is an indirect separation technique requiring solvent regeneration, and if a back-extraction is needed, it typically reduces the concentration. Now, using an electrochemical reaction, the concentration can be pumped up to 16 times the feed concentration.

The existential threat posed by the climate crisis calls for urgent solutions to manage hard-to-abate and unavoidable CO₂ emissions. This Comment shows, by example, the key role that scientists can play in launching pioneering pilot projects, leveraging their research, systems understanding and networks, and thus educating the next generation of climate innovators.