Inspired by the intricate structure of butterfly wings, researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), Harvard Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, and Utrecht University have reported on a method for fine-tuning catalytic reactions, enhancing selectivity and efficiency in chemical production in the paper Nanoparticle Proximity Controls Selectivity in Benzaldehyde (published in Nature Catalysis, DOI: 10.1038/s41929-023-01104-1).
Joanna Aizenberg, the Amy Smith Berylson Professor of Materials Science and Professor of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, and her lab have been drawing inspiration from nature, being committed to build highly ordered, porous materials for a wide range of catalytic reactions. Expecting to enhance the productivity of benzyl alcohol, an intermediate chemical of extensive use, the researchers designed a new catalyst platform that partially embeds nanoparticles into the substrate, trapping them so they don't move around during catalysis, while leaving the rest of the nanoparticles' surface exposed, enabling them to perform the catalytic reactions efficiently and without agglomeration.
This breakthrough underscores the potential for bioinspired designs to drive industrial innovation.
From: SciTechDaily
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