A hidden twist of acidity decides whether clean chemistry works — and Seoul found the dial

Making useful chemicals with oxygen and electricity sounds clean, but results kept falling short for a puzzling reason: the acidity right next to the electrode can swing wildly even when the liquid overall looks neutral. Seoul National University's Jaeyune Ryu and his students redesigned their reactor to tame that hidden swing — and the share of the desired product leapt from about 16% to 97%. Published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the trick could help make biodegradable plastics and medicines with less hazardous waste.