Identifying the optimal geometry of continuous flow reactors is a major challenge due to the large available parameter design space. Here the authors combine a machine learning-assisted methodology with computational fluid dynamics and additive manufacturing for the design of more efficient, complex coiled-tube reactors.

Future industrial processes for the electrolytic production of ethylene from aqueous carbonate feedstocks are not well understood. The authors develop unit operations and full process designs, evaluate the techno-economics at scale, identify key process requirements and barriers, and elucidate the minimum benchmarks needed for the future commercial viability of this technology.

The development of tiny, soft and biocompatible batteries to power minimally invasive biomedical devices is of critical importance. Here the authors present a microscale soft rechargeable lithium-ion battery based on the lipid-supported assembly of silk hydrogel droplets that enables a variety of biomedical applications.

Biodegradable plastics, often considered environmentally friendly, may contribute to environmental impacts in natural ecosystems, which are not fully understood due to inadequate assessment methods. The authors develop a life cycle impact assessment method to evaluate the climate-change and aquatic-ecotoxicity impacts of biodegradable microplastics in freshwater environments and support the design of future plastics.

Glucose uptake is the initial step in cellular metabolism, and its uptake rate directly determines the overall metabolic flow. Here the authors develop a set of programmable bifunctional biosensors for real-time monitoring of glucose uptake rates and dynamic dual control of glucose uptake and central metabolism.

Platinum nanoclusters comprising about ten atoms each made by reducing isolated platinum cations in CeO_x nests isolated on high-area silica are demonstrated. Two forms of platinum were reversibly interconverted by oxidation/reduction, remaining stably confined to the nests even under severe conditions, in H₂ at 600 °C and under atmospheric pressure.

Forward-biased bipolar membranes (FB-BPMs), which recover potential from pH gradients through ion–ion recombination, show promise for application in sustainable devices. The authors use physics-based modeling to elucidate how ion-specific phenomena dictate performance, reveal how selective ion management can mitigate energy losses and provide insights into the rational design of next-generation FB-BPMs.

In an aqueous quinone-mediated system, both pH swing and nucleophilicity swing mechanisms contribute to CO₂ capture, but traditional measurement methods report only the combined contributions, without quantifying their relative contributions. Here the authors introduce thermodynamic and kinetic analyses coupled with two in situ experimental techniques to quantify the contributions of these mechanisms.

This study reports the preparation of degradable poly(β-amino ester) microparticles as a promising replacement for nondegradable microplastics in cleansing products and food fortification, demonstrating effective cleansing, toxic element removal and robust nutrient protection with efficient release.

Preventing freezing droplet accretion on surfaces is practically important, yet challenging. Leveraging the water volume expansion during the freezing process, a structured elastic surface with spring-like pillars and wetting contrast is reported, which renders the spontaneous ejection of freezing water droplets, regardless of their impacting locations.

As we celebrate the journal’s inaugural volume, we reflect on a year of exciting content with several highlights from 2024 and look towards the future of both the field and the journal.

As part of the first anniversary issue of Nature Chemical Engineering, we present a collection of opinions from 40 researchers within the field on what they think are the most exciting opportunities that lie ahead for their respective topics.

Sujit Datta demonstrates how scaling arguments, thermodynamics and transport phenomena can be deployed to describe the motion of microbial collectives.