Innovate and React

Kevin Hares

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CHEMISTRY
UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Talking to scientist about their innovations in chemistry

3D AGO

How to bring chemical innovations form research to application

In this episode of Innovate and React, i am talking with Dr. Petra Ryl, innovation and talent lead at greenCHEM Berlin. We explore how innovation is transforming the chemical industry and how research from universities can be applied practically. Petra shares her journey from academic biochemical research to working at greenCHEM, explaining the importance of sustainable materials and the transition from fossil-based to regenerative resources. They discuss the role of disruptive innovation, the advantages of startups in driving change, and how greenCHEM supports entrepreneurs through various programs, including technology transfer, academic partnerships, and a robust network. Highlights include specific examples of pioneering startups within the greenCHEM network and advice for researchers considering entrepreneurial pathways.

54 min
12/30/2025

The beginning and challenges of Natural Products in cancer treatments

This episode of Innovate and React explores the fascinating history of natural product research and its pivotal role in developing life-saving cancer treatments. The journey begins in the 1950s and 60s with the National Cancer Institute's efforts to screen thousands of plant extracts for biological activity. Through the stories of landmark compounds like camptothecin and Taxol, Kevin illustrates the complex collaboration required between botanists and chemists to isolate active ingredients from nature and transform them into viable medical therapies. The episode delves into the origins of Taxol, originally discovered in the bark of the Pacific Yew tree. You will learn about the significant hurdles researchers faced. From the tedious workup to supply chain restrictions caused by harvesting bark from slow-growing trees. Find out how chemists made Taxol a marketable drug and overcame these problems.

26 min
11/26/2025

Turning Methane into Value-Chemicals via Photocatalysis

In this episode we discuss a novel and sustainable approach to converting methane into valuable chemicals. Currently light hydrocarbons like methane are often simply burned for energy, despite their potential as a carbon source for the chemical industry. Traditional conversion methods like natural gas cracking are energy-intensive, and other functionalization routes require harsh conditions and often toxic chemicals. Dr. Andrés Constantino sharess his research focusing on photocatalysis to achieve the direct functionalization of methane under milder conditions. The key to this method is a supramolecular catalytic system using FeCl3•6H2O and collidine. When irradiated, the catalyst generates a highly active chlorine radical that efficiently abstracts hydrogen from the inert alkane (methane) to form an alkyl radical. The collidine plays a crucial dual role, acting as a base to quench the resulting HCl and as a ligand that stabilizes the iron tetrachloride core. The radicals were used for allylation chemistry, which retains a useful olefin group in the product.

40 min
11/09/2025

Sustainable Chemistry and Advances in Catalysis

In this episode we discuss sustainable chemistry and the replacement of critical materials like platinum group elements with guest Dr. Soumyadeep Chakrabortty from the Max-Planck-Institute for Kohlenforschung. We delve into the importance of sustainability in chemical reactions, the role of catalysis, and the development of more benign and cost-effective catalysts. Soumyadeep shares his experiences with asymmetric hydrogenation and the creation of a new ligands for pharmaceutical applications. The conversation also touches on collaboration between academia and industry and the impact of high-throughput screening and AI on future catalysis research.

37 min
10/07/2025

One chemical reaction to feed them all: The synthesis of ammonia

In this episode of Innovate and React, I delve into the groundbreaking discovery of the Haber-Bosch process, which revolutionized agriculture and the chemical industry by synthesizing ammonia from atmospheric nitrogen and hydrogen. Starting with a historical perspective from the 19th, the episode explores the pivotal contributions of Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch to the invention of the Haber-Bosch process. It covers the scientific challenges, innovations, and controversies surrounding Haber’s research, and how Bosch made the reaction viable for industrial scale. The episode also discusses the modern impact and future applications of ammonia in renewable energy systems.

15 min
09/04/2025

New breakthroughs in oxygen evolution reaction for water electrolysis

In this episode of Innovate and React, we dive into the world of water electrolysis and how theoretical chemistry can help design better catalysts for clean hydrogen production. Mohammad Usama, a PhD researcher at the University of Duisburg-Essen, shares his unconventional journey from mechatronics and automotive engineering to electrochemistry and catalysis. We discuss his work on iridium dioxide surfaces for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER)—the bottleneck in water electrolysis—and the discovery of a novel Walden-type pathway. This finding helps us to better understand the reaction mechanism and could lead to the discovery of enhanced catalysts. We also touch on how AI and data-driven approaches are transforming catalyst discovery, from nitrogen oxidation research to the future of digital twins and automated labs.

41 min
08/21/2025

Reducing shipping emissions to thin air using catalysis

In this episode of Innovate and React, we discuss how catalysis can be utilized for water treatment and reducing pollution from shipping. Janek Betting, a PhD researcher from the University of Twente, shares his current research on nitrate and nitrite reduction in wastewater using heterogeneous bimetallic catalysts. We delve into the sources of these pollutants, primarily from agriculture, industrial processes as well as shipping, and explore an innovative project aimed at reducing emissions from cargo ships by using LNG and advanced catalytic processes for emission control. Janek explains the challenges and advancements in designing catalytic reactors and the discovery of hydroxyl amine as an so far overlooked intermediate in this reaction. The conversation also covers the potential applications of this research and the broader impact on both industrial and environmental scales.

49 min
07/31/2025

How solid state NMR works and how it helps to understand proteins

In this episode of Innovate and React Anne Mayer, a PhD researcher at Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, explains how solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy works and how she uses this analytical method for protein studies. We dive into the fascinating world of NMR—from the basics of nuclear spins and magnetic fields to the complex hardware challenges of solid-state NMR. Anne shares how she investigates membrane proteins and microbial rhodopsins, revealing how solid-state NMR provides insights into protein dynamics and optogenetics. We also discuss the importance of fundamental research, future developments in solid-state NMR, and the interdisciplinary collaboration behind cutting-edge chemical research.

1h 18m

TRAILER

Innovate and react Introduction

This Episode give a short introduction into the future content of the podcast. For more informations visit www.innovateandreact.com, where you will find all episode and additional content for each episode.

02/09/2025

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3 min

Talking to scientist about their innovations in chemistry

Creator

Kevin Hares
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

19
Rating

Clean
Show Website

Innovate and React