The field of single-atom” catalysis (SAC) [1-2] emerged as the ultimate limit of attempts to minimise the amount of prescious metal used in heterogeneous catalysis. Over time, it has become clear that metal adatoms behave differently to supported nanoparticles [3-4], primarily because they form chemical bonds with the support and become charged. In this sense, SAC systems resemble the mononuclear coordination complexes used in homogeneous catalysis, and there is much excitement that SAC could achieve similar levels of selectivity, and even heterogenize problematic reactions currently performed in solution. It is important to note, however, that homogeneous catalysts are designed for purpose based on well-understood structure-function relationships, but the complexity of real SAC systems means that the structure of the active site is difficult to determine, never mind design. In this talk, I will describe how we are using precisely-defined model supports [5] to unravel the fundamentals of SAC. I will show a selection of our latest results in this area, including scanning probe microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) data to show how the local structure of such single atom catalysts changes based on preparation and upon the adsorption of reactants.<br/><br/>

CO binding trends in model single-atom" catalysts

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

[Author Benefits](https://scimeetings.acs.org/?utm_source=pubs_content_marketing&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=0320_MCF_NPI_Launch_Spring_Homepage&ref=pubs_content_marketing)

[How to use SciMeetings](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMeetings-ACSSpring2020-HowToGuide_M3020-Final.pdf)

[Frequently Asked Questions](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMtng_ACSNMSp2020_FAQ_M3120_Final.pdf)

ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.