Platinum-based catalysts are highly effective for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), but their prohibitive cost and insufficient activity impede large-scale commercialization. Herein, we report a Pt@Fe-NC electrocatalyst synthesized by depositing uniform platinum nanoparticles onto an iron–nitrogen–carbon (Fe–NC) support via an ethylene glycol reduction method. The Fe–NC support, prepared from an iron (II)-1,10-phenanthroline complex precursor to ensure high iron utilization, modulates the electronic structure of the Pt nanoparticles, thereby enhancing both catalytic activity and stability. The optimized Pt@Fe-NC catalyst (13.54 wt% Pt) exhibits exceptional ORR performance in acidic media, with a half-wave potential of 0.852 V and notable stability. When integrated into a zinc-air battery, the catalyst delivered a high specific capacity of 652.66 mAh gZn−1. Furthermore, a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) employing this catalyst achieved a high open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 0.964 V and a peak power density of 1.722 W cm−2, outperforming most previously reported Pt-based catalysts. This study highlights a synergistic strategy between Pt nanoparticles and metal-nitrogen-carbon (M–N–C) supports to boost ORR performance, presenting a viable path toward advanced, cost-effective catalysts for energy conversion devices like PEMFCs and zinc-air batteries.
铂基催化剂在氧还原反应(ORR)中非常有效,但其昂贵的成本和活性不足阻碍了大规模的商业化。本文报道了一种Pt@Fe-NC电催化剂,该催化剂是通过乙二醇还原法将均匀的铂纳米颗粒沉积在铁氮碳(Fe-NC)载体上合成的。Fe-NC载体由铁(II)-1,10-菲罗啉配合物前驱体制备,以确保铁的高利用率,调节Pt纳米粒子的电子结构,从而提高催化活性和稳定性。优化后的Pt@Fe-NC催化剂(13.54 wt% Pt)在酸性介质中表现出优异的ORR性能,半波电位为0.852 V,稳定性显著。当集成到锌空气电池中时,催化剂提供了652.66 mAh gZn−1的高比容量。此外,使用该催化剂的质子交换膜燃料电池(PEMFC)获得了0.964 V的高开路电压(OCV)和1.722 W cm−2的峰值功率密度,优于之前报道的大多数基于pt的催化剂。这项研究强调了铂纳米颗粒和金属氮碳(M-N-C)支架之间的协同策略,以提高ORR性能,为pemfc和锌空气电池等能量转换设备提供了先进、经济的催化剂。
{"title":"Fe–N–C Support-Enhanced Pt Catalyst for High-Performance Oxygen Reduction","authors":"Xinquan Wu, Zhen Sun, Hao Li, Xiaolei Guo, Zhen-Feng Huang, Ruijie Gao, Chengxiang Shi, Xiangwen Zhang, Lun Pan, Ji-Jun Zou","doi":"10.1002/cctc.202501198","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cctc.202501198","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Platinum-based catalysts are highly effective for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), but their prohibitive cost and insufficient activity impede large-scale commercialization. Herein, we report a Pt@Fe-NC electrocatalyst synthesized by depositing uniform platinum nanoparticles onto an iron–nitrogen–carbon (Fe–NC) support via an ethylene glycol reduction method. The Fe–NC support, prepared from an iron (II)-1,10-phenanthroline complex precursor to ensure high iron utilization, modulates the electronic structure of the Pt nanoparticles, thereby enhancing both catalytic activity and stability. The optimized Pt@Fe-NC catalyst (13.54 wt% Pt) exhibits exceptional ORR performance in acidic media, with a half-wave potential of 0.852 V and notable stability. When integrated into a zinc-air battery, the catalyst delivered a high specific capacity of 652.66 mAh g<sub>Zn</sub><sup>−1</sup>. Furthermore, a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) employing this catalyst achieved a high open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 0.964 V and a peak power density of 1.722 W cm<sup>−2</sup>, outperforming most previously reported Pt-based catalysts. This study highlights a synergistic strategy between Pt nanoparticles and metal-nitrogen-carbon (M–N–C) supports to boost ORR performance, presenting a viable path toward advanced, cost-effective catalysts for energy conversion devices like PEMFCs and zinc-air batteries.</p>","PeriodicalId":141,"journal":{"name":"ChemCatChem","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145964462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lukas D. Ernst, Lisa Schmalenbach, Sebastian Polinski, Dr. Michael Günthel, Markus Knäbbeler-Buß, Dr. Esmael Balaghi, Dr. Mikhail Agrachev, Dr. Wijnand Marquart, Dr. Shaine Raseale, Prof. Dr. Nico Fischer, Prof. Dr. Anna Fischer, Ingo Krossing
The oxidative fluorination of a ternary CZMg (Cu/ZnO/MgO) methanol catalyst resulted in a 5%–10% catalyst improvement within the first 3 to 4 days on a CO2/3 H2 stream reaching a stable and improved performance over 14 days on stream with respect to methanol productivity (at 40 bar, 250 °C, GHSV 19,800 NL kgcat−1 h−1). By contrast the powerful commercial (but more expensive) CZZ (Cu/ZnO/ZrO2) and the industrially used CZA (Cu/ZnO/Al2O3) system optimized for CO/CO2/H2 streams lost 30% (CZA) / 12% (CZZ) of their initial methanol productivity and were surpassed in productivity by a fluorinated CZMg system within a few hours (CZZ) or after a few days on stream (CZA). This (fluorinated) CZMg catalyst system was characterized using methods including XPS, XAS, in situ pXRD, in situ EPR, and HRTEM. Hence, oxidative fluorination of the pristine CZMg system reduced the apparent activation energy for CO2 hydrogenation EA,app from 52 to 43 kJ mol−1 (CZMg versus CZMg_F1250), removed the volcano shape of the methanol production under integral conversion in a stoichiometric (1 + x)H2 / (COx)-variation stream (x = 1…2) and led to stable performance even with a CO2-rich or pure CO2-stream with stoichiometric amounts of H2 present (at 40 bar, 250 °C, GHSV 19,800 NL kgcat−1 h−1). This long-term stability is most likely attributed to the formation of mixed oxo fluorides MgO1-xF2x during oxidative fluorination. Magnesium and fluoride are presumably incorporated into the ZnO1-x overgrowths of the Cu nanoparticles, stabilize them against sintering and apparently prevent the catalyst from deactivation by water, thus acting as a structural support.
{"title":"An Active Fluorinated Cu/ZnO/MgO Carbon Dioxide-to-Methanol Hydrogenation Catalyst with Long-Term Stability","authors":"Lukas D. Ernst, Lisa Schmalenbach, Sebastian Polinski, Dr. Michael Günthel, Markus Knäbbeler-Buß, Dr. Esmael Balaghi, Dr. Mikhail Agrachev, Dr. Wijnand Marquart, Dr. Shaine Raseale, Prof. Dr. Nico Fischer, Prof. Dr. Anna Fischer, Ingo Krossing","doi":"10.1002/cctc.202501348","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cctc.202501348","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The oxidative fluorination of a ternary CZMg (Cu/ZnO/MgO) methanol catalyst resulted in a 5%–10% catalyst improvement within the first 3 to 4 days on a CO<sub>2</sub>/3 H<sub>2</sub> stream reaching a stable and improved performance over 14 days on stream with respect to methanol productivity (at 40 bar, 250 °C, GHSV 19,800 NL kgcat<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>). By contrast the powerful commercial (but more expensive) CZZ (Cu/ZnO/ZrO<sub>2</sub>) and the industrially used CZA (Cu/ZnO/Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) system optimized for CO/CO<sub>2</sub>/H<sub>2</sub> streams lost 30% (CZA) / 12% (CZZ) of their initial methanol productivity and were surpassed in productivity by a fluorinated CZMg system within a few hours (CZZ) or after a few days on stream (CZA). This (fluorinated) CZMg catalyst system was characterized using methods including XPS, XAS, in situ pXRD, in situ EPR, and HRTEM. Hence, oxidative fluorination of the pristine CZMg system reduced the apparent activation energy for CO<sub>2</sub> hydrogenation <i>E</i><sub>A,app</sub> from 52 to 43 kJ mol<sup>−1</sup> (CZMg versus CZMg_F1250), removed the volcano shape of the methanol production under integral conversion in a stoichiometric (1 + x)H<sub>2</sub> / (CO<i><sub>x</sub></i>)-variation stream (<i>x</i> = 1…2) and led to stable performance even with a CO<sub>2</sub>-rich or pure CO<sub>2</sub>-stream with stoichiometric amounts of H<sub>2</sub> present (at 40 bar, 250 °C, GHSV 19,800 NL kgcat<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>). This long-term stability is most likely attributed to the formation of mixed oxo fluorides MgO<sub>1-</sub><i><sub>x</sub></i>F<sub>2</sub><i><sub>x</sub></i> during oxidative fluorination. Magnesium and fluoride are presumably incorporated into the ZnO<sub>1-</sub><i><sub>x</sub></i> overgrowths of the Cu nanoparticles, stabilize them against sintering and apparently prevent the catalyst from deactivation by water, thus acting as a structural support.</p>","PeriodicalId":141,"journal":{"name":"ChemCatChem","volume":"17 24","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cctc.202501348","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145792398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Huidong Xu, Dr. Stephan Bartling, Prof. Dr. Evgenii V. Kondratenko, Prof. Dr. Andreas Jentys
A one-step method was developed to synthesize highly ordered, primary amine–functionalized two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal mesoporous polymers, designed to enhance the density of catalytically active sites for CO2 capture and subsequent hydrogenation to methanol. Incorporation of Pt nanoparticles generates an ordered bifunctional (base/metal) mesoporous system, enabling efficient CO2 adsorption and optimal metal utilization for effective methanol synthesis from the captured CO2 at the amine–metal interface. Compared with silica-based materials,[1,2] this novel polymer achieves a fourfold increase in methanol yield while maintaining 100% selectivity under mild reaction conditions.
{"title":"Hydrogenation of CO2 to Methanol over Amine-Doped Ordered Mesoporous Polymers Under Dynamic Reaction Conditions","authors":"Huidong Xu, Dr. Stephan Bartling, Prof. Dr. Evgenii V. Kondratenko, Prof. Dr. Andreas Jentys","doi":"10.1002/cctc.202501297","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cctc.202501297","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A one-step method was developed to synthesize highly ordered, primary amine–functionalized two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal mesoporous polymers, designed to enhance the density of catalytically active sites for CO<sub>2</sub> capture and subsequent hydrogenation to methanol. Incorporation of Pt nanoparticles generates an ordered bifunctional (base/metal) mesoporous system, enabling efficient CO<sub>2</sub> adsorption and optimal metal utilization for effective methanol synthesis from the captured CO<sub>2</sub> at the amine–metal interface. Compared with silica-based materials,<sup>[1,2]</sup> this novel polymer achieves a fourfold increase in methanol yield while maintaining 100% selectivity under mild reaction conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":141,"journal":{"name":"ChemCatChem","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cctc.202501297","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145969856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Electrocatalytic C–N coupling using gaseous pollutants NO and CO offers a promising alternative to conventional industrial urea synthesis. However, designing efficient electrocatalysts remains challenging due to the complexity of multi-step reactions, which yield diverse products. Herein, based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we explore Cu and p-block atoms (B, Al, and Ga) anchored on graphitic carbon nitride as novel heteronuclear double-atom catalysts (DACs) for urea synthesis from NO and CO. The reactants are stably adsorbed on the DACs, while strong d–p orbital hybridization facilitates effective activation and efficient C–N coupling. Among the candidates, CuB@g-C3N4 and CuGa@g-C3N4 exhibit particularly promising performance, with limiting potentials of −0.55 V and −0.36 V, respectively. Furthermore, these catalysts significantly suppress competing reactions, including the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the formation of *NOH, *COH, and *CHO intermediates, ensuring high selectivity. Our work not only highlights highly efficient p-d DACs for electrocatalytic urea production but also provides a theoretical framework in catalyst design.
{"title":"Heteronuclear Dual-Atom Anchored g-C3N4: p-d Orbital Coupling Enable Efficient Urea Electrosynthesis from Gaseous Pollutants","authors":"Md Tarikal Nasir, Qingchao Fang, Xin Mao, Dimuthu Wijethunge, Xiuwen Zhou, Aijun Du","doi":"10.1002/cctc.202501449","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cctc.202501449","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Electrocatalytic C–N coupling using gaseous pollutants NO and CO offers a promising alternative to conventional industrial urea synthesis. However, designing efficient electrocatalysts remains challenging due to the complexity of multi-step reactions, which yield diverse products. Herein, based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we explore Cu and <i>p</i>-block atoms (B, Al, and Ga) anchored on graphitic carbon nitride as novel heteronuclear double-atom catalysts (DACs) for urea synthesis from NO and CO. The reactants are stably adsorbed on the DACs, while strong <i>d</i>–<i>p</i> orbital hybridization facilitates effective activation and efficient C–N coupling. Among the candidates, CuB@g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> and CuGa@g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> exhibit particularly promising performance, with limiting potentials of −0.55 V and −0.36 V, respectively. Furthermore, these catalysts significantly suppress competing reactions, including the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the formation of *NOH, *COH, and *CHO intermediates, ensuring high selectivity. Our work not only highlights highly efficient <i>p</i>-<i>d</i> DACs for electrocatalytic urea production but also provides a theoretical framework in catalyst design.</p>","PeriodicalId":141,"journal":{"name":"ChemCatChem","volume":"17 24","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145792351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conventional catalytic methodologies for the cycloaddition of CO2 into epoxides predominantly rely on transition metal-based catalysts in conjunction with detrimental halide-containing cocatalysts. Thus, developing metal and halide-free catalysts that function under ambient conditions is highly desirable. The current research endeavours to synthesize a pyrimidine-based bifunctional organocatalyst via a facile one-step Schiff-base condensation reaction. The synthesized organocatalyst efficiently transforms a wide range of epoxides (35 different epoxides, including 6 challenging internal epoxides) into cyclic carbonates with a minimal catalyst loading of just 0.1 mol% under mild conditions (60 °C–100 °C, atmospheric CO2 pressure) without solvents and cocatalysts. Comprehensive experimental investigations elucidate how the catalyst facilitates the reaction, emphasizing the intricate interplay of hydrogen (H) bonding, spatial arrangement, and catalyst-substrate interactions. The meticulous analysis, using advanced spectroscopic techniques and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, reveals that hydroxyl groups play a pivotal role in epoxide activation through H-bonding interactions, whereas the imine nitrogen facilitates CO2 activation through the formation of a carbamate intermediate. These two interactions collectively accelerate the overall catalytic process. Furthermore, the catalyst exhibits remarkable recyclability over six consecutive catalytic cycles. Therefore, this study underscores the potential of rationally designed metal-free catalysts in advancing sustainable catalysis through carbon capture and utilization technologies.
{"title":"Synergistic Hydrogen-Bonding and CO2 Activation: A Sustainable Metal, Halogen, and Solvent-Free Strategy for CO2 Cycloaddition","authors":"Biplop Jyoti Hazarika, Khushboo S Paliwal, Antarip Mitra, Pratyay Pan, Aditi Chandrasekar, Venkataramanan Mahalingam","doi":"10.1002/cctc.202501611","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cctc.202501611","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Conventional catalytic methodologies for the cycloaddition of CO<sub>2</sub> into epoxides predominantly rely on transition metal-based catalysts in conjunction with detrimental halide-containing cocatalysts. Thus, developing metal and halide-free catalysts that function under ambient conditions is highly desirable. The current research endeavours to synthesize a pyrimidine-based bifunctional organocatalyst via a facile one-step Schiff-base condensation reaction. The synthesized organocatalyst efficiently transforms a wide range of epoxides (35 different epoxides, including 6 challenging internal epoxides) into cyclic carbonates with a minimal catalyst loading of just 0.1 mol% under mild conditions (60 °C–100 °C, atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> pressure) without solvents and cocatalysts. Comprehensive experimental investigations elucidate how the catalyst facilitates the reaction, emphasizing the intricate interplay of hydrogen (H) bonding, spatial arrangement, and catalyst-substrate interactions. The meticulous analysis, using advanced spectroscopic techniques and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, reveals that hydroxyl groups play a pivotal role in epoxide activation through H-bonding interactions, whereas the imine nitrogen facilitates CO<sub>2</sub> activation through the formation of a carbamate intermediate. These two interactions collectively accelerate the overall catalytic process. Furthermore, the catalyst exhibits remarkable recyclability over six consecutive catalytic cycles. Therefore, this study underscores the potential of rationally designed metal-free catalysts in advancing sustainable catalysis through carbon capture and utilization technologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":141,"journal":{"name":"ChemCatChem","volume":"17 24","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145779437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Plaifa Hongmanorom, François Devred, Damien P. Debecker
The preparation of powdery heterogeneous catalysts often involves the use of solvents, costly precursors, and thermal treatments in multi-step processes. Herein, we demonstrate the preparation of Ru nanoparticles on TiO2 via spark ablation coupled with powder aerosolization, offering a clean and simple route with minimal waste generation and reduced pre- and post-synthesis processing. The as-prepared Ru/TiO2 catalyst is readily active in CO2 methanation reaction, achieving CH4 formation rate of 0.21 mmolgRu−1s−1 and TOF of 0.11 s−1 at 200 °C, outperforming the corresponding formulation prepared by wetness impregnation followed by calcination. The enhanced performance is attributed to a higher fraction of surface metallic Ru, as spark ablation under inert atmosphere typically yields metallic Ru nanoparticles. Additionally, Ru nanoparticles in the spark-made catalyst are well-distributed over both anatase and rutile TiO2, driven by Brownian motion and van der Waals adhesion. By contrast, Ru/TiO2-WI exhibits preferential Ru layer around rutile TiO2 due to pre-existing RuO2-rutile TiO2 epitaxial interactions formed during calcination. This work highlights a sustainable approach for designing highly active low-temperature CO2 methanation catalysts, with potential versatility for broader catalytic applications.
{"title":"Spark Ablation Coupled with Powder Aerosolization for the One-Step Preparation of Ru/TiO2 Catalysts for CO2 Methanation","authors":"Plaifa Hongmanorom, François Devred, Damien P. Debecker","doi":"10.1002/cctc.202501472","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cctc.202501472","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The preparation of powdery heterogeneous catalysts often involves the use of solvents, costly precursors, and thermal treatments in multi-step processes. Herein, we demonstrate the preparation of Ru nanoparticles on TiO<sub>2</sub> via spark ablation coupled with powder aerosolization, offering a clean and simple route with minimal waste generation and reduced pre- and post-synthesis processing. The as-prepared Ru/TiO<sub>2</sub> catalyst is readily active in CO<sub>2</sub> methanation reaction, achieving CH<sub>4</sub> formation rate of 0.21 mmolg<sub>Ru</sub><sup>−1</sup>s<sup>−1</sup> and TOF of 0.11 s<sup>−1</sup> at 200 °C, outperforming the corresponding formulation prepared by wetness impregnation followed by calcination. The enhanced performance is attributed to a higher fraction of surface metallic Ru, as spark ablation under inert atmosphere typically yields metallic Ru nanoparticles. Additionally, Ru nanoparticles in the spark-made catalyst are well-distributed over both anatase and rutile TiO<sub>2</sub>, driven by Brownian motion and van der Waals adhesion. By contrast, Ru/TiO<sub>2</sub>-WI exhibits preferential Ru layer around rutile TiO<sub>2</sub> due to pre-existing RuO<sub>2</sub>-rutile TiO<sub>2</sub> epitaxial interactions formed during calcination. This work highlights a sustainable approach for designing highly active low-temperature CO<sub>2</sub> methanation catalysts, with potential versatility for broader catalytic applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":141,"journal":{"name":"ChemCatChem","volume":"17 24","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145792329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Saurabh Dubey, Sachin Kumar Sharma, Rishabh Kumar, Srijita De, Rahul Deka, Musaddique Mahfuz Ahmed, Omkar S. Deshmukh, Dipankar Bandyopadhyay
The Front Cover shows self-propelling catalytic micro-/nanobots (μ-Catbots) coated with Fe3O4 and Fe nanoparticles, which decompose H2O2 to O2 and HCOOH to H2, thus enabling real-time fuel cell powering. Magnetic control allows propulsion, bubble demixing, and easy retrieval. Image-based bubble analysis correlates with L–H kinetics, offering a novel approach for reaction rate evaluation and portable oxygen concentrators. More information can be found in the Research Article by D. Bandyopadhyay and co-workers (DOI: 10.1002/cctc.202500767).