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CO electroreduction is a promising carbonate-free approach to produce ethylene, but suffers from limited selectivity and low energy efficiency. By modifying copper with a strong electron acceptor, 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane, the water dissociation step is accelerated, leading to excellent ethylene selectivity and full-cell energy efficiency in CO electroreduction.

Electrosynthesis of multicarbon products from CO₂ is restricted by the proton-rich conditions in strong acids leading to unfavourable hydrogen evolution. Now a heterogeneous catalyst adlayer composed of covalent organic framework nanoparticles and cation-exchange ionomers is reported to regulate the local pH, suppressing H₂ generation and promoting multicarbon formation.

Acidic CO₂ electroreduction suffers poor selectivity for multi-carbon products. Here, the authors report that lengthening the 2-position substituents of benzimidazole-based copper coordination polymer precatalysts retards H⁺ diffusion, reduces Cu-Cu coordination numbers, and promotes C-C coupling.

Electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ over copper can be made highly selective by ‘tuning’ the copper surface with adsorbed organic molecules to stabilize intermediates for carbon-based fuels such as ethylene

The production of higher alcohols is very valuable because of their high volumetric energy density. Now, Sargent, Sinton and co-workers report the design of copper nanoparticles with tailored nanocavities that promote n-propanol formation by the coupling of C2 and C1 intermediates inside the cavity.

Understanding the structure-function relationship in Cu-catalyzed CO₂ reduction is challenging due to dynamic active sites. This study introduces stable coordination polymer catalysts with homogenized, single-site Cu, enabling the study and tuning of C–C coupling efficiency in CO₂ electroreduction.

Typically, Cu catalysts agglomerate under electrochemical conditions. Here, the authors report a coordination polymer catalyst with neighboring Cu sites which remain isolated and reduce CO₂ to C₂H₄ with high selectivity and stability

Electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide to methane can store intermittent renewable electricity in a staple of global energy. Here, the authors develop a moderator strategy to maintain the catalyst in a low coordination state, thereby enabling stable and selective electrochemical methanation.

Converting CO2 and H2O into value-added chemical feedstocks and fuels offers a carbon neutral approach to tackling global energy and climate concerns. Here the authors report a metal supported single-atom catalytic site enabling the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to methane.

Spur-type of growth is preferred for apple production. Here, the authors employ the trio-based phasing approach to assemble a fully phased Fuji genome and reveal the association of a 167-bp deletion in the promoter region of the MdTCP11 gene with the spur-type varieties.

Electrochemical conversion of CO₂ into liquid fuels, powered by renewable electricity, offers one means to address the need for the storage of intermittent renewable energy. Now, Sargent and co-workers present a cooperative catalyst design of molecule–metal interfaces to improve the electrosynthesis of ethanol from CO₂ by producing a reaction-intermediate-rich local environment.

Electroreduction uses renewable energy to upgrade carbon dioxide to value-added chemicals and fuels. Here, the authors design a suite of ligand-stabilized metal oxide clusters to modulate the reduction pathways on a copper catalyst, enabling record activity for CO₂-to-methane conversion.

The electrocatalytic upgrading of CO to higher-value fuels provides a promising route to multi-carbon alcohol products. Here, the authors show that high alcohol selectivity and activity can be achieved by incorporating palladium in copper.

Electrochemical conversion of CO₂ into high-value products is attractive for lowering net carbon emissions. Lee et al. present the valorization of chemisorbed CO₂ to CO in an aqueous monoethanolamine electrolyte via tailoring of the electrochemical double layer, with 72% Faradaic efficiency at 50 mA cm^–2.

Producing ethanol from carbon dioxide, water, and renewable electricity offers a route to sustainable energy. Here, the authors enhance electrocatalytic activity for carbon dioxide reduction by tuning adsorbed hydrogen in a class of copper catalysts with oxide- and hydroxide-modified surfaces.

The electrocatalytic upgrading of CO to higher-value feedstocks provides a promising route to multicarbon products. Here, the authors show that high ethylene selectivity can be achieved by constraining CO availability on copper, with an ethylene Faradaic efficiency of 72% and a partial current density of >800 mA cm⁻².

Copper is unique among CO₂ electrocatalysts owing to its ability to produce multicarbon products at high rates; however, achieving selectivity for specific products remains challenging. Here, Cu surfaces decorated with alkaline earth metal oxides are found to strongly favour alcohols over hydrocarbons.

CO₂-to-ethylene conversion using renewable electricity provides a sustainable route to produce valuable chemicals. Here, the authors report high ethylene activity of 215 mA cm⁻² and selectivity of 65% made possible by silica clusters in copper.

The electroreduction of CO₂ to ethanol could enable the clean production of fuels using renewable power. This study shows how confinement effects from nitrogen-doped carbon layers on copper catalysts enable selective ethanol production from CO₂ with a Faradaic efficiency of up to 52%.

Upgrading wasted carbon emissions to high-value, multi-carbon products provides an economic route to reduce carbon dioxide levels, but such conversions have proven challenging. Here, authors explore copper adparticles as highly active surfaces that convert CO to n-propanol with high selectivities.

Electrocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to multicarbon products is useful for producing high-value chemicals and fuels. Here the authors present a strategy that is based on the in situ electrodeposition of copper under CO₂ reduction conditions that preferentially expose and maintain Cu(100) facets, which favour the formation of C₂₊ products.

Catalysts for CO electroreduction have focused on Cu, and their main products have been C₂ chemicals. Here authors use the concept of asymmetric active sites to develop a class of doped Cu catalysts for C-C coupling, delivering record selectivity to n-propanol.

Ethylene glycol is a commodity chemical with an annual consumption of 20 million tonnes. Its production generates 1.6 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of ethylene glycol. To reduce these CO₂ emissions, the authors report a one-step electrochemical route to selectively convert ethylene to ethylene glycol at ambient temperature and pressure in aqueous media.

Sugar signalling plays vital roles in cellular function. This study discovered that MdERDL6-mediated glucose elevation in cytosol activates the SnRK2.3-AREB1-TST1/2 cascade to promote sugar accumulation in the vacuoles of apple and tomato fruits.

The upgrade of carbon monoxide to higher alcohols offers a route to renewable fuels. Now, Sinton, Sargent and co-workers report a highly fragmented, copper-based catalyst with engineered interfaces between the (111) and (100) facets that promote the coupling of C₁ and C₂ species, leading to enhanced production of n-propanol.

While multi-carbon (C₂₊) products present high-value species attainable from emitted carbon dioxide, it is challenging to prepare stable, C₂₊ selective catalysts. Here, authors support copper on copper nitride to improve copper’s electrocatalytic stability and selectivity toward C₂₊ synthesis.

As electric vehicle batteries adopt cobalt-free layered cathodes to tackle supply chain issues, it greatly impacts battery lifespan. Here, the authors develop a lithium stoichiometry control method to synthesize cobalt-free composite-structured cathodes with high cycling stability, enabling long-life sustainable batteries.

Chaolong Wang and colleagues report a large genome-wide association study for COVID-19 severity in Chinese individuals. By meta-analysis with European data, they identify 3 loci associated with severe disease that suggest key roles for the adaptive immune system and the ABO blood group system in development of severe COVID-19.