Preview article in Chem on dynamic catalysis

In the article, we dive into the fundamentals of catalytic reactions, showing that catalytic reaction rates cannot exceed classic kinetic limitations. However, by dynamically changing the structure of the catalysts during reaction, these classic limits can be broken to yield rate enhancement beyond the so-called Sabatier volcano curve. This principle of rate enhancement by dynamic structural changes is termed ‘dynamic catalysis’ and exemplified every day in natural enzymes, who constantly adjust their configuration to increase the efficiency of the catalytic reaction. Recently, a human-made synthetic organocatalyst has been developed in analogy with enzymes which shows rate enhancement beyond the Sabatier volcano curve, opening a new branch of motorized catalysts. Finally, possibilities for dynamic catalysis in heterogeneous catalysis are discussed, where external stimuli are applied to enhance catalysis rates, and compared to trends in homogeneous catalysis.

Feel free to browse our article here: https://www.cell.com/chem/fulltext/S2451-9294(24)00076-7 or via Filez et al., Advancing beyond Sabatier: Strategies for dynamic synthetic catalysis, Chem (2024), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2024.02.013