Nature Chemical Engineering

A hydrogen-molecule-mediated proton-exchange membrane with near-complete permselectivity - Nature Chemical Engineering This study reports on a hydrogen-molecule-mediated proton-exchange membrane. The design leverages hydrogen evolution and oxidation reactions on gas diffusion electrodes to overcome the typical trade-o...

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Yi Cui and colleagues report a hydrogen‑molecule‑mediated proton‑exchange membrane. The design employs hydrogen evolution and oxidation reactions on gas‑diffusion electrodes to overcome the selectivity–conductivity trade-off. #ChemSky #Physics

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🎉Our February issue is live!

This month we cover ring-shaped electrochemical ion pumping, crosslinked lipid nanoparticles, a dialysate-free wearable artificial kidney, and more! #ChemSky #ChemBio #Physics

Read the issue here: www.nature.com/natchemeng/v...

Crosslinking of lipid nanoparticles enhances the delivery efficiency and efficacy of mRNA vaccines - Nature Chemical Engineering This study reports a post-assembly, reversible crosslinking strategy that enhances lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-mediated mRNA delivery while preserving efficient intracellular release. The resulting cross...

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A post-assembly, reversible crosslinking strategy that enhances lipid nanoparticle-mediated mRNA delivery while preserving efficient intracellular release. #ChemSky #ChemBio

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Honoring the past and the future in the present - Nature Chemical Engineering As we enter our third volume, we take a moment to celebrate chemical engineering’s past and look ahead to many more exciting years for both the field and the journal.

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In our January Editorial, we take a moment to celebrate chemical engineering’s past and look ahead to many more exciting years for both the field and the journal. #ChemSky #Physics

www.nature.com/articles/s44... link (🔓)

Floating solar technologies for sustainable chemical synthesis on open water - Nature Chemical Engineering Solar fuels synthesis is a promising technology for net-zero chemicals production, but capacity is inherently tied to area, and water is often required as a reagent, making land-based deployment costl...

#Floatable materials for #sustainable #chemical synthesis are just emerging, with lots of potential for deployment on open #water streams 🌊☀️⛵️

Learn more in our Perspective led by Stuart and Chanon, now out in @natchemeng.nature.com 📢📢

www.nature.com/articles/s44...

A dialysate-free wearable artificial kidney prototype driven by a liquid–gas phase transition - Nature Chemical Engineering Conventional hemodialysis devices are limited by their need for large dialysate volumes, which restricts portability. This study introduces a dialysate-free wearable artificial kidney prototype that u...

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A dialysate-free wearable artificial kidney prototype that uses gas-permeable, blood-repellent membranes for vapor-gradient-driven water removal and integrated adsorption for toxin clearance. #ChemSky #ChemBio

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Exciting metal surfaces for more than a century - Nature Chemical Engineering From vacuum tubes to heterogeneous photocatalysts, the Menzel–Gomer–Redhead mechanism describes how electronically excited molecules behave on surfaces. Advances in LED light sources and photocatalyst...

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A retrospective News & Views from Ryan Berry & Phil Christopher revisits the Menzel–Gomer–Redhead mechanism, which describes how electronically excited molecules behave on surfaces. #ChemSky #Physics

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Don’t go (phase) changing - Nature Chemical Engineering Polymer membranes able to separate organic molecules present in hydrocarbon liquids were demonstrated in the 1960s and first commercialized in the 1990s. Now, a new generation of research advocates us...

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A retrospective News & Views from Andrew Livingston contextualizes recent work on advanced polymer membranes to separate large-scale hydrocarbon mixtures, such as crude oils. #ChemSky

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Floating solar technologies for sustainable chemical synthesis on open water - Nature Chemical Engineering Solar fuels synthesis is a promising technology for net-zero chemicals production, but capacity is inherently tied to area, and water is often required as a reagent, making land-based deployment costl...

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A Perspective from Linley, Pornrungroj & Erwin Reisner examines floating designs for scaling solar chemical pathways for a bright future on open water. #ChemSky #Physics

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Too late for CCS and hydrogen - Nature Chemical Engineering Fifty years after it was commercialized, global carbon capture and storage (CCS) capacity is equal to 0.09% of global emissions. Meanwhile, global emission-free electricity generation grows at a stead...

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Julian Allwood argues that "50 years post commercialization, global CCS capacity has reached just 0.1% of emissions; even if installation rates immediately expand 10-fold, the effect on climate mitigation by 2050 would remain insignificant." #ChemSky

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🎉 Our January 2nd Anniversary issue is live!

A sincere thank you to our fantastic authors, referees, colleagues, and readers for making our 2nd year so exciting and enjoyable.

You can find the issue here with some freely accessible content!

#ChemSky #ChemBio #Physics

nature.com/natchemeng/v...

Twenty years of PiperION membrane innovation - Nature Chemical Engineering Yushan Yan from the University of Delaware and Versogen, Inc. talks to Nature Chemical Engineering about his path to developing and scaling up PiperION, a globally leading anion-exchange membrane for ...

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A Q&A with Yushan Yan discusses his path to developing and scaling up PiperION, a globally leading anion-exchange membrane for electrochemical applications. #ChemSky

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Free read PDF: rdcu.be/eZKYr

Transient pH changes drive vacuole formation in enzyme–polymer condensates - Nature Chemical Engineering Rapid pH changes can trigger hollow vacuoles in associative condensates of pH-responsive biomolecules. Using a model enzyme–polymer system, how larger droplets and faster pH changes promote vacuole fo...

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A new Research Article shows how larger droplets and faster pH changes promote vacuole formation by creating unstable non-equilibrium compositions in a model enzyme–polymer system. #ChemSky #ChemBio #Physics

Open access link: www.nature.com/articles/s44...

Wrapping up 2025 - Nature Chemical Engineering We take a look back at some standout topics, research and initiatives that shaped Nature Chemical Engineering’s 2025 content.

Our December Editorial reflects on standout topics, papers, and initiatives that shaped the journal’s 2025 content.

Thanks to our authors for sharing their work, our reviewers for their expertise, and our readers for engaging with our content! #ChemSky #Physics

www.nature.com/articles/s44...

Flow-synchronized ring-shaped electrochemical ion pumping for redox-free desalination without terminal electrodes - Nature Chemical Engineering This study reports on flow-synchronized ring-shaped electrochemical ion pumping, which eliminates the need for terminal electrodes and enables redox-free, energy-efficient and continuous desalination ...

🚨 New Article online!

Flow-synchronized, ring-shaped electrochemical ion pumping, which eliminates the need for terminal electrodes and enables redox-free, energy-efficient, and continuous desalination across scales. #ChemSky #Physics

Open access link: www.nature.com/articles/s44...

A synthetic cell-free pathway for biocatalytic upgrading of formate from electrochemically reduced CO2 - Nature Chemical Engineering Cost-effective, environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient ways to address rising atmospheric CO2 levels are urgently needed. Here the authors combine electrochemical reduction of CO2 to formate with biosynthetic conversion of formate to the universal building block acetyl-CoA using a synthetic metabolic pathway called ReForm.

One of our top-rated posts on @altmetric.com this past week was published in @natchemeng.nature.com. You can read 'A synthetic cell-free pathway for biocatalytic upgrading of formate from electrochemically reduced CO2' here: spklr.io/63322BhLnp

This image shows carbonate salt formation over 3.5 days under fully passive operation.

🎉Our December issue is now live!

This month we cover direct air capture via evaporative carbonate crystallization, effective Li/Mg ion separation by negatively charged membranes, autonomous electronic material discovery, and more! #ChemSky #Physics

Read the issue: www.nature.com/natchemeng/v...

On to the next century of Fischer–Tropsch synthesis - Nature Chemical Engineering On the 100-year anniversary of Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, we take stock of how this technology has evolved since its inception. In this Viewpoint, eight scientists involved in various aspects of Fisch...

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On the 100-year anniversary of Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, we reflect on its evolution and future. Eight experts share their vision for what’s next in this exciting Viewpoint. #ChemSky

Free access link: www.nature.com/articles/s44...

The great lipid hunt - Nature Chemical Engineering Effective delivery has long constrained RNA therapeutics. A 2008 combinatorial chemistry approach transformed lipid discovery and testing, establishing a paradigm that is still contributing to the cli...

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Katie Whitehead revisits a key 2009 Nature Biotechnology Article by Akinc, Anderson & colleagues that transformed mRNA delivery research via high-throughput lipid synthesis. #ChemSky #ChemBio

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Low-carbon strategies for Fischer–Tropsch processes - Nature Chemical Engineering Ding Ma is a professor at the College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering at Peking University, China. One of his research focuses is the development of catalytic systems for C1 transformation proc...

🚨Q&A now online!

Ding Ma speaks with Yanfei Zhu about strategies to redesign the energy-intensive Fischer–Tropsch process into a low-carbon pathway for sustainable chemical manufacturing. #ChemSky

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Adaptive AI decision interface for autonomous electronic material discovery - Nature Chemical Engineering This study reports on an AI-powered autonomous experimentation platform that overcomes data scarcity in electronic materials discovery by using an AI advisor for real-time progress monitoring, data an...

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Overcoming data scarcity in electronic materials discovery through an AI advisor that enables real-time progress monitoring, data analysis and interactive human–AI collaboration. #ChemSky #CompChem

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Changing colors - Nature Chemical Engineering Nature Chemical Engineering - Changing colors

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A Research Highlight from Tom Dursch covers a recent Article in Nature Sustainability on the extraction, purification, and reuse of dyes from polyester textiles. #ChemSky

Original paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Selective partitioning and uphill transport enable effective Li/Mg ion separation by negatively charged membranes - Nature Chemical Engineering This study reports highly selective Li+Mg2+ separation via concentration gradient-driven transport using negatively charged membranes with high charge content. The separation mechanism involves select...

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Highly selective Li+/Mg2+ separation via concentration gradient-driven transport using negatively charged membranes with high charge content. #ChemSky #Physics

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Free read PDF: rdcu.be/eTUhN

Ion leakage in bipolar membranes undermines CO2 electrolysis - Nature Chemical Engineering Bipolar membranes enable platinum group metal-free CO2 electrolysis, but ion leakage acidifies the anolyte solution and corrodes the anodes. Now, it has been shown that 99.8% water dissociation effici...

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News & Views on the Article by Tom Burdyny and co-workers:

www.nature.com/articles/s44... (open access)

"Ion leakage in bipolar membranes undermines CO2 electrolysis" by Junying Yan, Yaoming Wang & Tongwen Xu

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#ChemSky #Physics

Passive direct air capture via evaporative carbonate crystallization - Nature Chemical Engineering This work introduces a passive method for capturing CO2 directly in the solid form using a carbonate crystallizer. This system harnesses wind-driven evaporation to enable rapid CO2 capture and carbona...

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Passive CO2 capture directly in the solid form using a carbonate crystallizer. This system harnesses wind-driven evaporation to enable rapid CO2 capture and carbonate crystallization. #ChemSky #Physics

www.nature.com/articles/s44... link ($)

Free PDF: rdcu.be/eTcam

One reactor, two reactor - Nature Chemical Engineering This Editorial showcases recent work on tandem reactor design, highlighting the nuanced role that reactor configuration can play in enabling efficient chemical transformations.

🚨 Our November Editorial highlights tandem reactions and reactor configurations, featuring three 2025 studies from the journal that employ these strategies. #ChemSky

Check it out! www.nature.com/articles/s44...

An industrial automated laboratory for programmable protein evolution - Nature Chemical Engineering This study reports on an industrial-grade, large-scale, all-in-one integrated and automated laboratory (iAutoEvoLab), combined with a genetic circuit-controlled, growth-coupled continuous evolution sy...

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An industrial-grade automated laboratory, combined with a genetic circuit-controlled, growth-coupled continuous evolution system, that evolves proteins with diverse and complex functionalities. #ChemSky #ChemBio

nature.com/articles/s44... link ($)

Free PDF: rdcu.be/eS0y1

🎉 Our November issue is now live!

This month we cover automated programmable protein evolution, operation of reverse-bias bipolar membrane-based CO2 electrolyzers, plasma catalysis for hydrogen production, and more! #ChemSky #ChemBio

Read the issue here: nature.com/natchemeng/v...

Water dissociation efficiencies control the viability of reverse-bias bipolar membranes for CO2 electrolysis - Nature Chemical Engineering Reverse-biased bipolar membranes can enable CO2 electrolysis with iridium-free anodes for extended durations, but only if 100% of the ionic charge is carried by water dissociation. Here, the authors s...

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r-BPMs can enable CO2 electrolysis with Ir-free anodes for long durations, but only if 100% of the ionic charge is carried by water dissociation (WD). Here, the authors show that practical systems give <1 WD efficiencies. #ChemSky #Physics

www.nature.com/articles/s44... link (OA)

Building industry connections - Nature Chemical Engineering Commercialization is a key milestone in chemical process design and product development. In this Editorial, we emphasize the importance of incorporating industrial expertise and introduce a new articl...

🚨Our latest editorial highlights the ongoing need to incorporate industrial expertise into the journal and introduces a new article format to support this goal: Down to Business. #ChemSky

www.nature.com/articles/s44... link (🔓)