Electronic buffers make reaction milder: When magic C60 encounters copper

The required high hydrogen pressures remain a grand challenge for the practical application of hydrogenation reactions. Recently in Science, Zheng et al. reported a novel C₆₀-buffered Cu/SiO₂ catalyst, where C₆₀ can act as an electron buffer for Cu/SiO₂ to stabilize Cu⁺ species and lead to ambient-pressure synthesis of ethylene glycol.