Single-atom catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons and oxygenates

The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide offers a sound and economically viable technology for the electrification and decarbonization of the chemical and fuel industries.In this technology,an electrocatalytic material and renewable energy-generated electricity drive the conversion of carbon dioxide into high-value chemicals and carbon-neutral fuels.Over the past few years,single-atom catalysts have been intensively studied as they could provide near-unity atom utilization and unique catalytic performance.Single-atom catalysts have become one of the state-of-the-art catalyst materials for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide.However,it remains a challenge for single-atom catalysts to facilitate the efficient conversion of carbon dioxide into products beyond carbon monoxide.In this review,we summarize and present important findings and critical insights from studies on the electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction into hydrocarbons and oxygenates using single-atom catalysts.It is hoped that this review gives a thorough recapitulation and analysis of the science behind the catalysis of carbon dioxide into more reduced products through singleatom catalysts so that it can be a guide for future research and development on catalysts with industry-ready performance for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide into high-value chemicals and carbon-neutral fuels.

Biomass-derived porous carbon with single-atomic cobalt toward high-performance aqueous zinc-sulfur batteries at room temperature

Aqueous zinc-sulfur batteries at room temperature hold great potential for next-generation energy storage technology due to their low cost,safety and high energy density.However,slow reaction kinetics and high activation energy at the sulfur cathode pose great challenges for the practical applications.Herein,biomass-derived carbon with single-atomic cobalt sites(MMPC-Co)is synthesized as the cathode in Zn-S batteries.The catalysis of single-atom Co sites greatly promotes the transform of cathode electrolyte interface(CEI)on the cathode surface,while offering accelerated charge transfer rate for high conversion reversibility and large electrochemical surface area(ECSA)for high electrocatalytic current.Furthermore,the rich pore structure not only physically limits sulfur loss,but also accelerates the transport of zinc ions.In addition,the large pore volume of MMPC-Co is able to relieve the stress effect caused by the volume expansion of Zn S during charge/discharge cycles,thereby maintaining the stability of electrode structure.Consequently,the sulfur cathode maintains a high specific capacity of 729.96 m A h g^(-1)after 500 cycles at4 A g^(-1),which is much better than most cathode materials reported in the literature.This work provides new insights into the design and development of room-temperature aqueous Zn-S batteries.

Insight into demand-driven preparation of single-atomic mediators for lithium–sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur(Li-S) batteries have attracted considerable attention as one of the most appealing energy storage systems.Strenuous efforts have been devoted to tackling the tremendous challenges,mainly pertaining to the severe shuttle effect,sluggish redox kinetics and lithium dendritic growth.Single-atomic mediators as promising candidates exhibit impressive performance in addressing these intractable issues.Related research often utilizes a trial-and-error approach,proposing solutions to fabricate single-atomic materials with diversified features.However,comprehensive review articles especially targeting demand-driven preparation are still in a nascent stage.Inspired by these considerations,this review summarizes the design of single-atomic mediators based on the application case-studies in LiS batteries and other metal-sulfur systems.Emerging preparation routes represented by chemical vapor deposition technology are introduced in a demand-oriented classification.Finally,future research directions are proposed to foster the advancement of single-atomic mediators in Li-S realm.

Engineering single-atom Mn on nitrogen-doped carbon to regulate lithium-peroxide reaction kinetics for rechargeable lithium-oxygen batteries

Precision engineering of catalytic sites to guide more favorable pathways for Li_(2)O_(2) nucleation and decom-position represents an enticing kinetic strategy for mitigating overpotential,enhancing discharge capac-ity,and improving recycling stability of Li-O_(2) batteries.In this work,we employ metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)derivation and ion substitution strategies to construct atomically dispersed Mn-N_(4) moieties on hierarchical porous nitrogen-doped carbon(Mn SAs-NC)with the aim of reducing the over-potential and improving the cycling stability of Li-O_(2) batteries.The porous structure provides more chan-nels for mass transfer and exposes more highly active sites for electrocatalytic reactions,thus promoting the formation and decomposition of Li_(2)O_(2).The Li-O_(2) batteries with Mn SAs-NC cathode achieve lower overpotential,higher specific capacity(14290 mA h g^(-1) at 100 mAg^(-1)),and superior cycle stability(>100 cycles at 200 mA g^(-1))compared with the Mn NPs-NC and NC.Density functional theory(DFT)cal-culations reveal that the construction of Mn-N_(4) moiety tunes the charge distribution of the pyridinic N-rich vacancy and balances the affinity of the intermediates(LiO_(2) and Li_(2)O_(2)).The initial nucleation of Li_(2)O_(2) on Mn SAs-NC favors the O_(2)-→LiO_(2)→Li_(2)O_(2) surface-adsorption pathway,which mitigates the overpoten-tials of the oxygen reduction(ORR)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER).As a result,Mn SAs-NC with Mn-N_(4) moiety effectively facilitates the Li_(2)O_(2) nucleation and enables its reversible decomposition.This work establishes a methodology for constructing carbon-based electrocatalysts with high activity and selectivity for Li-O_(2)batteries.

Long-range electron synergy over Pt_(1)-Co_(1)/CN bimetallic single-atom catalyst in enhancing charge separation for photocatalytic hydrogen production

The development of novel single-atom catalysts with optimal electron configuration and economical noble-metal cocatalyst for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production is of great importance,but still challenging.Herein,we fabricate Pt and Co single-atom sites successively on polymeric carbon nitride(CN).In this Pt_(1)-Co_(1)/CN bimetallic single-atom catalyst,the noble-metal active sites are maximized,and the single-atomic Co_(1)N_4sites are tuned to Co_(1)N_3sites by photogenerated electrons arising from the introduced single-atomic Pt_(1)N_4sites.Mechanism studies and density functional theory(DFT)calculations reveal that the 3d orbitals of Co_(1)N_3single sites are filled with unpaired d-electrons,which lead to the improved visible-light response,carrier separation and charge migration for CN photocatalysts.Thereafter,the protons adsorption and activation are promoted.Taking this advantage of long-range electron synergy in bimetallic single atomic sites,the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity over Pt_(1)-Co_(1)/CN achieves 915.8 mmol g^(-1)Pt h^(-1),which is 19.8 times higher than Co_(1)/CN and 3.5 times higher to Pt_(1)/CN.While this electron-synergistic effect is not so efficient for Pt nanoclusters.These results demonstrate the synergistic effect at electron-level and provide electron-level guidance for the design of efficient photocatalysts.

Progress and perspective of single-atom catalysts for membrane electrode assembly of fuel cells

A fuel cell is an energy conversion device that can continuously input fuel and oxidant into the device through an electrochemical reaction to release electrical energy.Although noble metals show good activity in fuel cell-related electrochemical reactions,their ever-increasing price considerably hinders their industrial application.Improvement of atom utilization efficiency is considered one of the most effective strategies to improve the mass activity of catalysts,and this allows for the use of fewer catalysts,saving greatly on the cost.Thus,single-atom catalysts(SACs)with an atom utilization efficiency of 100%have been widely developed,which show remarkable performance in fuel cells.In this review,we will describe recent progress on the development of SACs for membrane electrode assembly of fuel cell applications.First,we will introduce several effective routes for the synthesis of SACs.The reaction mechanism of the involved reactions will also be introduced as it is highly determinant of the final activity.Then,we will systematically summarize the application of Pt group metal(PGM)and nonprecious group metal(non-PGM)catalysts in membrane electrode assembly of fuel cells.This review will offer numerous experiences for developing potential industrialized fuel cell catalysts in the future.

Single-atom electrocatalysts for lithium-sulfur chemistry:Design principle,mechanism,and outlook

Lithium-sulfur batteries(LSBs)have been regarded as one of the promising candidates for the next-generation“lithium-ion battery beyond”owing to their high energy density and due to the low cost of sulfur.However,the main obstacles encountered in the commercial implementation of LSBs are the notorious shuttle effect,retarded sulfur redox kinetics,and uncontrolled dendrite growth.Accordingly,single-atom catalysts(SACs),which have ultrahigh catalytic efficiency,tunable coordination configuration,and light weight,have shown huge potential in the field of LSBs to date.This review summarizes the recent research progress of SACs applied as multifunctional components in LSBs.The design principles and typical synthetic strategies of SACs toward effective Li–S chemistry as well as the working mechanism promoting sulfur conversion reactions,inhibiting the lithium polysulfide shuttle effect,and regulating Li+nucleation are comprehensively illustrated.Potential future directions in terms of research on SACs for the realization of commercially viable LSBs are also outlined.

Defect engineering of high-loading single-atom catalysts for electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction

Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR)provides an attractive approach to carbon capture and utilization for the production high-value-added products.However,CO_(2)RR still suffers from poor selectivity and low current density due to its sluggish kinetics and multitudinous reaction pathways.Single-atom catalysts(SACs)demonstrate outstanding activity,excellent selectivity,and remarkable atom utilization efficiency,which give impetus to the search for electrocatalytic processes aiming at high selectivity.There appears significant activity in the development of efficient SACs for CO_(2)RR,while the density of the atomic sites remains a considerable barrier to be overcome.To construct high-metal-loading SACs,aggregation must be prevented,and thus novel strategies are required.The key to creating high-density atomically dispersed sites is designing enough anchoring sites,normally defects,to stabilize the highly mobile separated metal atoms.In this review,we summarized the advances in developing high-loading SACs through defect engineering,with a focus on the synthesis strategies to achieve high atomic site loading.Finally,the future opportunities and challenges for CO_(2)RR in the area of high-loading single-atom electrocatalysts are also discussed.

Developing single-atom catalyst-based epoxy coating with active nanocatalytic anticorrosion performance in oxygen environment

The stimuli-responsive anticorrosion coatings have drawn great attention as a prospective corrosion protection approach due to their smart self-repairing properties.In contrast to passive protection mechanism based on post-corrosion microenvironmental changes,a unique active protection strategy based on nanocatalytic oxygen depletion is proposed in this work to inhibit the occurrence of corrosion.Porous FeeNeC catalysts with outstanding oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)activity(half-wave potential of 0.89 V)is firstly synthesized through pre-coordination with organosilane precursor to obtain homogeneously distributed active sites.When this catalyst is introduced into the coating matrix,uniformly distributed FeeNeC not only compensates the defects but plays a crucial role in adsorption and consumption of diffused oxygen in the coating.Under this dual action,the penetration of corrosive medium,especially oxygen,through coating to metal substrate is greatly suppressed,resulting in effective corrosion inhibition and a significant increase in corrosion resistance of the composite coating compared to pure epoxy coating.This work provides a new perspective and the starting point for the design of high-performance smart coating with active anticorrosion properties.

Directing in-situ self-optimization of single-atom catalysts for improved oxygen evolution

The demand for clean and sustainable energy has encouraged the production of hydrogen from water electrolyzers.To overcome the obstacle to improving the efficiency of water electrolyzers,it is highly desired to fabricate active electrocatalysts for the sluggish oxygen evolution process.However,there is generally an intrinsic gap between the as-prepared and real electrocatalysts due to structure evolution under the oxidative reaction conditions.Here,we combine in-situ anionic leaching and atomic deposition to realize single-atom catalysts with self-optimized structures.The introduced F ions facilitate structural transformation from Co(OH)xF into CoOOH(F),which generates an amorphous edge surface to provide more anchoring sites for Ir single atoms.Meanwhile,the in-situ anionic leaching of F ions elevates the Co valence state of Ir_(1)/CoOOH(F)more significantly than the counterpart without F ions(Ir_(1)/CoOOH),leading to stronger adsorption of oxygenated intermediates.As revealed by electrochemical measurements,the increased Ir loading together with the favored adsorption of*OH intermediates improve the catalytic activity of Ir_(1)/CoOOH(F).Specifically,Ir_(1)/CoOOH(F)delivered a current density of 10 mA cm-2at an overpotential of 238 mV,being lower than 314 mV for Ir_(1)/CoOOH.The results demonstrated the facility of the in-situ optimization process to optimize catalyst structure for improved performance.

Metal-organic frameworks based single-atom catalysts for advanced fuel cells and rechargeable batteries

The next-generation energy storage systems such as fuel cells,metal-air batteries,and alkali metal(Li,Na)-chalcogen(S,Se)batteries have received increasing attention owing to their high energy density and low cost.However,one of the main obstacles of these systems is the poor reaction kinetics in the involved chemical reactions.Therefore,it is essential to incorporate suitable and efficient catalysts into the cell.These years,single-atom catalysts(SACs)are emerging as a frontier in catalysis due to their maximum atom efficiency and unique reaction selectivity.For SACs fabrication,metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)have been confirmed as promising templates or precursors due to their high metal loadings,structural adjustability,porosity,and tailorable catalytic site.In this review,we summarize effective strategies for fabricating SACs by MOFs with corresponding advanced characterization techniques and illustrate the key role of MOFs-based SACs in these batteries by explaining their reaction mechanisms and challenges.Finally,current applications,prospects,and opportunities for MOFs-based SACs in energy storage systems are discussed.

Regulating the coordination environment of Ru single-atom catalysts and unravelling the reaction path of acetylene hydrochlorination

In this work,DFT calculations were used firstly to simulate the nitrogen coordinated metal single-atom catalysts(M-N_(x)SACs,M=Hg,Cu,Au,and Ru) to predict their catalytic activities in acetylene hydrochlorination.The DFT results showed that Ru-N_(x)SACs had the best catalytic performance among the four catalysts,and Ru-N_(x)SACs could effectively inhibit the reduction of ruthenium cation.To verify the DFT results,Ru-N_(x)SACs were fabricated by pyrolyzing MOFs in-situ spatially confined metal precursors.The N coordination environment could be controlled by changing the pyrolysis temperature.Catalytic performance tests indicated that low N coordination number(Ru-N_(2),Ru-N_(3))exhibited excellent catalytic activity and stability compared to RuCl_(3)catalyst.DFT calculations further revealed that Ru-N_(2)and Ru-N_(3)had a tendency to activate HCl at the first step of reaction,whereas Ru-N4tended to activate C_(2)H_(2).These findings will serve as a reference for the design and control of metal active sites.

1+1>2: Learning from the interfacial modulation on single-atom electrocatalysts to design dual-atom electrocatalysts for dinitrogen reduction

Developing efficient electrocatalysts for converting dinitrogen to ammonia through electrocatalysis is of significance to the decentralized ammonia production. Here, through high-throughput density functional theory calculations, we demonstrated that the interfacial modulation of hexagonal boron nitride/graphene(hBN-graphene) could sufficiently improve the catalytic activity of the single transition metal atom catalysts for nitrogen reduction reaction(NRR). It was revealed that Re@hBN-graphene and Os@hBN-graphene possessed remarkable NRR catalytic activity with low limiting potentials of 0.29 V and 0.33 V, respectively. Furthermore, the mechanism of the enhanced catalytic activity was investigated based on various descriptors of the adsorption energies of intermediates, where the synergistic effect of hBN and graphene in the hybrid substrate was found to play a key role. Motivated by the synergistic effect of hybrid substrate in single-atom catalysts, a novel strategy was proposed to efficiently design dual-atom catalysts by integrating the merits of both metal components. The as-designed dual-atom catalyst Fe-Mo@hBN exhibited more excellent NRR catalytic performance with a limiting potential of 0.17 V, manifesting the solidity of the design strategy. Our findings open new avenues for the search of heterostructure substrates for single-atom catalysts and the efficient design of dualatom catalysts for NRR.

Understanding the hydrogen evolution reaction activity of doped single-atom catalysts on two-dimensional GaPS_(4) by DFT and machine learning

As a zero-carbon fuel,hydrogen can be produced via electrochemical water splitting using clean electric energy by the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)process.The ultimate goal of HER catalyst is to replace the expensive Pt metal benchmark with a cheap one with equivalent activities.In this work,we investigated the possibility of HER process on single-atom catalysts(SACs)doped on two-dimensional(2D)GaPS_(4)materials,which have a large intrinsic band gap that can be regulated by doping and tensile strain.Based on the machine learning regression analysis,we can expand the prediction of HER performance to more catalysts without expensive DFT calculation.The electron affinity and first ionization energy are the two most important descriptors related to the HER behavior.Furthermore,constrain molecular dynamics with solvation models and constant potentials were applied to understand the dynamics barrier of HER process of Pt SAC on GaPS_(4)materials.These findings not only provide important insights into the catalytic properties of single-atom catalysts on GaPS_(4)2D materials,but also provides theoretical guidance paradigm for exploration of new catalysts.

Regulating single-atom Mn sites by precisely axial pyridinic-nitrogen coordination to stabilize the oxygen reduction

Designing single-atom catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)are fashionable but challenging to boost the zinc-air battery performance.Significantly enhanced ORR activity by manganese(Mn)singleatom catalysts can be achieved by accurately regulating the coordination number of isolated Mn atoms.Theoretical calculations indicate that the single Mn-N5sites possess lower free energy barrier and higher oxygen adsorption performance than single Mn-N4sites to accelerate the ORR kinetics.Target to it,here we synthesize an atomically dispersed Mn-N5catalyst by precisely axial coordination of pyridinic-N doped into two-dimensional(2D)porous nanocarbon sheets(~3.56 nm thickness),which reveals outstanding catalytic activity and ultrahigh stability for the ORR in zinc-air battery owing to the inhomogeneous charge distribution of Mn-N5sites compared to the conventional single-site Mn-N4catalyst and Pt/C.This work gives a new strategy for in situ regulating the electronic structure of metal single-atoms and further promoting the overall ORR performance in energy systems.

Accelerated prediction of Cu-based single-atom alloy catalysts for CO_(2) reduction by machine learning

Various strategies,including controls of morphology,oxidation state,defect,and doping,have been developed to improve the performance of Cu-based catalysts for CO_(2) reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR),generating a large amount of data.However,a unified understanding of underlying mechanism for further optimization is still lacking.In this work,combining first-principles calculations and machine learning(ML)techniques,we elucidate critical factors influencing the catalytic properties,taking Cu-based single atom alloys(SAAs)as examples.Our method relies on high-throughput calculations of 2669 CO adsorption configurations on 43 types of Cu-based SAAs with various surfaces.Extensive ML analyses reveal that low generalized coordination numbers and valence electron number are key features to determine catalytic performance.Applying our ML model with cross-group learning scheme,we demonstrate the model generalizes well between Cu-based SAAs with different alloying elements.Further,electronic structure calculations suggest surface negative center could enhance CO adsorption by back donating electrons to antibonding orbitals of CO.Finally,several SAAs,including PCu,AgCu,GaCu,ZnCu,SnCu,GeCu,InCu,and SiCu,are identified as promising CO_(2)RR catalysts.Our work provides a paradigm for the rational design and fast screening of SAAs for various electrocatalytic reactions.

Single-atomic tungsten-doped Co_(3)O_(4) nanosheets for enhanced electrochemical kinetics in lithium–sulfur batteries

The practical application of lithium–sulfur batteries(LSBs)is severely hindered by the undesirable shuttling of lithium polysulfides(LiPSs)and sluggish redox kinetics of sulfur species.Herein,a series of ultrathin singleatomic tungsten-doped Co_(3)O_(4)(Wx-Co_(3)O_(4))nanosheets as catalytic additives in the sulfur cathode for LSBs are rationally designed and synthesized.Benefiting from the enhanced catalytic activity and optimized electronic structure by W doping,the Wx-Co_(3)O_(4) not only reduces the shuttling of LiPSs but also decreases the energy barrier of sulfur redox reactions of sulfur species,leading to accelerated electrode kinetic.As a result,LSB cathodes with the use of 5.0 wt%W0.02-Co_(3)O_(4) as the electrocatalyst show the high reversible capacities of 1217.0 and 558.6 mAh g^(-1) at 0.2 and 5.0 C,respectively,and maintain a high reversible capacity of 644.6 mAh g^(-1) at 1.0 C(1.0 C=1675 mA g^(-1))after 500 cycles.With a high sulfur loading of 5.5 mg cm^(-2) and electrolyte–electrode ratio of 8μL_(electrolyte) mg_(sulfur)^(-1),the 5.0 wt%W_(0.02)-Co_(3)O_(4)-based sulfur cathode also retains a high reversible areal capacity of 3.86 mAh cm^(-2) at 0.1 C after 50 cycles with an initial capacity retention of 84.7%.

Revealing the Intrinsic Peroxidase-Like Catalytic Mechanism of Heterogeneous Single-Atom Co-MoS2

The single-atom nanozyme is a new concept and has tremendous prospects to become a next-generation nanozyme.However,few studies have been carried out to elucidate the intrinsic mechanisms for both the single atoms and the supports in single-atom nanozymes.Herein,the heterogeneous single-atom Co-MoS2(SA Co-MoS2)is demonstrated to have excellent potential as a high-performance peroxidase mimic.Because of the well-defined structure of SA Co-MoS2,its peroxidase-like mechanism is extensively interpreted through experimental and theoretical studies.Due to the different adsorption energies of substrates on different parts of SA Co-MoS2 in the peroxidase-like reaction,SA Co favors electron transfer mechanisms,while MoS2 relies on Fenton-like reactions.The different catalytic pathways provide an intrinsic understanding of the remarkable performance of SA Co-MoS2.The present study not only develops a new kind of single-atom catalyst(SAC)as an elegant platform for understanding the enzyme-like activities of heterogeneous nanomaterials but also facilitates the novel application of SACs in biocatalysis.

Secondary-Atom-Doping Enables Robust Fe-N-C Single-Atom Catalysts with Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Single-atom catalysts(SACs) with nitrogen-coordinated nonprecious metal sites have exhibited inimitable advantages in electrocatalysis.However,a large room for improving their activity and durability remains.Herein,we construct atomically dispersed Fe sites in N-doped carbon supports by secondary-atom-doped strategy.Upon the secondary doping,the density and coordination environment of active sites can be efficiently tuned,enabling the simultaneous improvement in the number and reactivity of the active site.Besides,structure optimizations in terms of the enlarged surface area and improved hydrophilicity can be achieved simultaneously.Due to the beneficial microstructure and abundant highly active FeN_5 moieties resulting from the secondary doping,the resultant catalyst exhibits an admirable half-wave potential of 0.81 V versus 0.83 V for Pt/C and much better stability than Pt/C in acidic media.This work would offer a general strategy for the design and preparation of highly active SACs for electrochemical energy devices.

Engineering the Coordination Sphere of Isolated Active Sites to Explore the Intrinsic Activity in Single-Atom Catalysts

Reducing the dimensions of metallic nanoparticles to isolated,single atom has attracted considerable attention in heterogeneous catalysis,because it significantly improves atomic utilization and often leads to distinct catalytic performance.Through extensive research,it has been recognized that the local coordination environment of single atoms has an important influence on their electronic structures and catalytic behaviors.In this review,we summarize a series of representative systems of single-atom catalysts,discussing their preparation,characterization,and structure-property relationship,with an emphasis on the correlation between the coordination spheres of isolated reactive centers and their intrinsic catalytic activities.We also share our perspectives on the current challenges and future research promises in the development of single-atom catalysis.With this article,we aim to highlight the possibility of finely tuning the catalytic performances by engineering the coordination spheres of single-atom sites and provide new insights into the further development for this emerging research field.