Manipulating the structure of metal at the atomic level to enhance catalytic performance

Summary

As a typical atomically dispersed catalyst, single-atom catalysts (SACs) aroused enormous research interest in heterogeneous catalysis. In recent years, by incorporating one or several metal atom(s) into the first and/or outer coordination shells of single atoms, the structure of metal has evolved to densely populated single atoms, dual-metal pairs, and multi-atom ensembles. The inter-site or inter-atom synergetic interactions between adjacent metal atoms in these structures boost the adsorption and activation of reactants, potentially leading to improved catalytic performances as compared with corresponding SACs. This perspective highlights the structural advantages of densely populated single atoms, dual-metal pairs, and multi-atom ensembles using many of the successful examples, aiming to shed light on the design of novel catalysts at atomic level.