Pyrolytic synthesis of carbon-supported single-atom catalysts

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) on carbon have become prominent in the field of heterogeneous catalysis. Pyrolysis of precursor materials is a widely used synthetic approach for SACs. Despite the advances, the chaotic nature of pyrolysis presents synthetic challenges and demands a sophisticated guide to tune their structures and properties precisely and controllably. In this perspective, we examine the trends and strategies concerning the formation of single metal centers and carbon support hosts for the pyrolytic synthesis of SACs. We propose future research opportunities to inform the rules that govern their formation, which can advance the synthesis of SACs and their catalytic applications.