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When chemists design new chemical reactions, one useful piece of information involves the reaction's transition state—the point of no return from which a reaction must proceed.

The very first cells obtained their energy from geochemical reactions. LMU researchers have now managed to recreate this ancient metabolic process in their laboratory.

Urea, with the formula CO(NH2)2, is a chemical compound that is widely used in a range of sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture and various industries. Conventionally, this compound is produced via a two-step process that entails the synthesis of ammonia from nitrogen (N₂) and its subsequent reaction with carbon dioxide (CO₂).

Turning carbon dioxide (CO₂) into useful fuels and chemicals is a major goal in clean energy research. Copper is one of the best materials for this job—it can help convert CO₂ into valuable products using electricity.

Copper is the most promising catalyst for turning carbon dioxide into valuable chemical feedstocks and liquid fuels through reactions that are driven by electricity. But those reactions are not as efficient or selective as they need to be,

This innovation sits at the crossroads of energy technology, green chemistry, and environmental remediation, offering a new class of multifunctional energy systems that can store electricity and perform chemical reactions simultaneously.

A low-temperature chemical reaction between helium ions and carbon monoxide can be slowed by microwave excitation of the carbon monoxide, researchers in Switzerland have shown. The result shows that microwaves can have non-thermal effects on chemical reaction rates, and could be important in astrochemistry.