Nature News · Feb 11, 2026 · Collected from RSS
NEWS AND VIEWS 11 February 2026 Could the discovery of a catalyst in which aluminium shifts easily between oxidation states be the beginning of the end for costly transition-metal catalysts? By Stuart Burnett0 & Catherine Weetman1 Stuart Burnett Stuart Burnett is in the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XL, UK. Catherine Weetman Catherine Weetman is in the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XL, UK. Aluminium is known for being lightweight, physically robust and resistant to corrosion, enabling it to be used in applications ranging from drink cans to steel alloys. But, writing in Nature, Zhang and Liu1 show that there is more to this metal than meets the eye. They report the first example of an aluminium catalyst in which the metal readily switches between oxidation states — raising the possibility that aluminium could be a low-cost replacement for expensive transition metals in many important catalytic applications. Access options Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription 27,99 € / 30 days cancel any time Subscribe to this journal Receive 51 print issues and online access 185,98 € per year only 3,65 € per issue Rent or buy this article Prices vary by article type from$1.95 to$39.95 Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Additional access options: Log in Learn about institutional subscriptions Read our FAQs Contact customer support Nature 650, 304-305 (2026) doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00174-y ReferencesZhang, X. & Liu, L. L. Nature 650, 353–360 (2026).Article Google Scholar Reddy, V. P. & Surya Prakash, G. K. in Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology 1–49 (John Wiley & Sons, 2013). Google Scholar Mülhaupt, R. Macromol. Chem. Phys. 204, 289–327 (2003).Article Google Scholar Chu, T. & Nikonov, G. I. Chem. Rev. 118, 3608–3680 (2018).Article PubMed Google Scholar Weetman, C. & Inoue, S. ChemCatChem 10, 4213–4228 (2018).Article Google Scholar Power, P. P. Nature 463, 171–177 (2010).Article PubMed Google Scholar Download references Competing Interests The authors declare no competing interests. Related Articles Read the paper: Aluminium redox catalysis enables cyclotrimerization of alkynes Light wins uphill battle to solve enduring problem in organic synthesis A leap forward in the quest for general catalysts See all News & Views Subjects Latest on: Catalysis Organic chemistry Chemistry Transferable enantioselectivity models from sparse data Article 11 FEB 26 Light-powered bacteria become living chemical factories Research Highlight 30 JAN 26 The asymmetric synthesis of an acyclic N-stereogenic amine Article 19 NOV 25 Transferable enantioselectivity models from sparse data Article 11 FEB 26 Electrochemical defluorinative Matteson-type homologation Article 07 JAN 26 Practical alternative to explosive reaction will improve lab safety News & Views 02 DEC 25 Transferable enantioselectivity models from sparse data Article 11 FEB 26 Can the clean-energy revolution save us from climate catastrophe? News Feature 11 FEB 26 Aluminium redox catalysis enables cyclotrimerization of alkynes Article 11 FEB 26