Journal Article
Science, vol. 369, iss. 6505, pp. eabc3183, 2020
Authors
R. Morris Bullock, Jingguang G. Chen, Laura Gagliardi, Paul J. Chirik, Omar K. Farha, Christopher H. Hendon, Christopher W. Jones, John A. Keith, Jerzy Klosin, Shelley D. Minteer, Robert H. Morris, Alexander T. Radosevich, Thomas B. Rauchfuss, Neil A. Strotman, Aleksandra Vojvodic, Thomas R. Ward, Jenny Y. Yang, Yogesh Surendranath
Abstract
Numerous redox transformations that are essential to life are catalyzed
by metalloenzymes that feature Earth-abundant metals. In contrast,
platinum-group metals have been the cornerstone of many industrial catalytic
reactions for decades, providing high activity, thermal stability, and
tolerance to chemical poisons. We assert that nature’s blueprint provides
the fundamental principles for vastly expanding the use of abundant metals
in catalysis. We highlight the key physical properties of abundant metals
that distinguish them from precious metals, and we look to nature to
understand how the inherent attributes of abundant metals can be embraced to
produce highly efficient catalysts for reactions crucial to the sustainable
production and transformation of fuels and chemicals.
