Supports promote single-atom catalysts toward advanced electrocatalysis

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) offer high reactivity and selectivity toward catalytic reaction while maximizing the utilization of active components. Unfortunately, single-atom sites are susceptible to sintering and agglomerating into thermodynamically stable nanoclusters due to their high surface energy. Introducing appropriate supports to optimize the local coordination environment and electronic properties, as well as induce strong metal-support interactions (SMSI), is essential to preventing sintering. Although a range of potential SACs with low-cost supports are emerging as promising candidates for heterogeneous catalysis, the real roles and key factors of supports that govern the catalytic properties of these SACs remain ambiguous. Aiming at understanding the bonding between atomic sites and supports and how this relates to the catalytic performance, we herein summarize the recent experimental and computational efforts of SACs toward electrocatalysis. Moreover, the real role of the support in the SACs plays in affecting the electrocatalytic reaction is also emphasized. Furthermore, before ending this review, we have also proposed the prospects and challenges of the advanced SACs for the application in the field of electrocatalytic energy conversion. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Single-atom catalysts offer high reactivity and selectivity, but are susceptible to sintering and agglomerating. Introducing appropriate supports can optimize the local coordination environment and electronic properties, preventing sintering.