Metal-support interaction for heterogeneous catalysis: from nanoparticles to single atoms

With the downsizing of metal sizes (nanoparticles, nanoclusters, and single atoms), the catalytic behaviors of supported metal species change significantly for various chemical transformations. The metal-support interaction (MSI) is believed to play a critical role in tuning the catalytic behavior of supported metal species. However, the diversity of MSI because of the size effects of metal species and distinct surface properties of various substrates makes the development of global knowledge on MSI very difficult. Therefore, it is highly desired to distinguish the influence of those two factors in determining the MSI so that better practical catalysts can be designed. In this review, the influence of metal size on MSI in various supports (oxide, carbon, phosphide, nitride, sulfide, and metal) will be particularly discussed. Moreover, the catalytic applications of MSI for various chemical transformations, including thermocatalytic reactions, electrocatalytic reactions, and so on, will be incorporated. In addition, the dynamic evolution of MSI under reaction condition will be discussed. Last but not least, we will give perspectives on utilizing MSI in the community of catalysis.