Simply yet powerfully, single-atom catalysts (SACs) with atomically dispersed metal active centers on supports have witnessed a growing interest in a wide range of catalytic reactions. As a specific example, SACs have exhibited distinctive performances in CO2 chemical conversions. The unique structures of SACs are appealing for adsorptive activation of CO2 molecules, transfer of intermediates from support to active metal sites, and production of desirable products in CO2 conversion. In this talk, I will exemplify our recent endeavors in the development of SACs toward CO2 conversions in thermal- and electro- catalysis. In terms of the support not only stabilizing but also working collaboratively with the single active sites, the proper choice of support is of great importance for its stability, activity and selectivity in single atom catalysis. Three distinctive strategies for SAC architectures, including lattice-matched oxide supported, heteroatom-doped carbon anchored, and mimetic ligand chelated, are intensively discussed from the perspective of support design for SACs in different reaction environments. With a set of high-resolution, spectroscopic and in-situ technique characterizations, we disclose the details about the structural geometry of these SACs, and tentatively shed light on how these catalysts work for CO2 transformation. The concept of single-atom catalysis may even help realize the ultimate goal of transforming CO2 into valuable products by using heterogeneous catalysts at mild conditions.

Heterogeneous single-atom catalysts for efficient CO2 conversion

2019 Spring National Meeting

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