Inspired by how enzymes work in nature’s biological processes, researchers have demonstrated a way to improve control of synthetic catalysts, according to a paper co-authored by a University of Alabama computational chemist that was published in a recent online issue of the journal Nature Nanotechnology. “This work is an exciting example of how we are learning to improve control of chemical reactions at the level of a single atom,” said Dr. David Dixon, the Robert Ramsay Chair of Chemistry at The University of Alabama. Catalysts accelerate chemical reactions so that they go faster and use less energy. Estimates indicate that the economic impact of catalytic processing, including pollution abatement, is \$10 trillion annually, Dixon said. The UA researcher cited improving the conversion of biomass – typically plant-based materials – into transportation fuels as an example of how designing more efficient catalysts could benefit society. The paper, titled “Selective molecular recognition by nanoscale environments in a supported iridium cluster catalyst,” was published in the journal’s online edition April 20. In the research, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the scientists showed how to switch molecular bonding – the interaction that holds assemblies of atoms together – off and on at will
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