Nature Catalysis, Published online: 09 November 2026; doi:10.1038/s41929-026-01627-3Particle density effects in catalysis are difficult to disentangle from other factors. Now the synthesis of Ru/rutile-TiO2 catalysts with constant size and shape at varying densities enables the elucidation of particle density effects in polyolefin hydrogenolysis.

Self-derived phase engineering of metal oxides offers a powerful route to create interfaces without introducing foreign metallic elements, yet achieving systematic control over phase transition remains challenging. Here, active nitrogen-mediated phase engineering was demonstrated across various metal oxides (SnO2, ZnO, and TiO2). As a model biphasic material, Sn/SnO2 was investigated where urea thermolysis enabled the progressive formation of metallic Sn while largely preserving the host structure, allowing the Sn0 fraction to be systematically controlled. Temperature-programmed experiments using mass spectrometry and FT-IR revealed the involvement of nitrogen-containing intermediates during urea decomposition and supported their central role in driving phase engineering of SnO2. Density functional theory (DFT) based calculations on a Sn/SnO2 model constructed using a machine learning interatomic potential (MLIP) revealed electron transfer from metallic Sn to SnO2 and the resulting redistribution of surface electron density. The resulting self-derived Sn/SnO2 biphasic material yields favorable surface chemistry by altered surface oxygen behavior and reactivity translating directly into two applications: enhanced chemoresistive formaldehyde gas sensing under humid conditions with ppb-level detection, as well as improved formate production in electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Our results identify active nitrogen as a chemical handle for regulating oxide partial reduction and provide a general framework for the systematic engineering of metal/oxide interfaces.

This study examined effective elimination of Ciprofloxacin (CIP) from an aqueous flow using Ag2O-AgI/TiO2 nanocomposite stabilised on glass under visible light radiation. The synthesised catalyst w...

TiO2 was banned as a food additive in the EU in 2022 over genotoxicity concerns, but it remains legal in US toothpaste.

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ルチルTio2顔料市場規模は、2023年に3.24（10億米ドル）と推定されています。ルチルTio2顔料市場産業は、2024年の3.36（10億米ドル）から2032年までに45億米ドル（10億米ドル）に成長すると予想されています。

発表のポイント

Photo-assisted lithium–sulfur batteries (PALSBs) offer an eco-friendly solution to address the issue of sluggish reaction kinetics of conventional LSBs. However, designing an efficient photoelectrode ...

Tio2結晶基板市場規模は2023年に3.74億米ドルと推定されています。Tio2結晶基板市場産業は2024年の40億米ドルから2032年までに72億米ドルに成長すると予想されています。

The Titanium Dioxide Tio2 Market is covered by Business Market Insights with 2025 as the base year and 2026–2033 as the forecast period. The Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂) Market size was valued at US$ 19.96 Billion in 2025 and is projected to reach US$ 37.14 Billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 8.07% during 2026–2033. Market growth is best read through customer demand, operating economics, and supplier execution.

UCL Discovery is UCL's open access repository, showcasing and providing access to UCL research outputs from all UCL disciplines.

発表のポイント