Transport coupling framework for 3D-printed single-atom catalysts: Bridging atomic precision and macroscale functionality

Abstract

Catalysis underpins advances in clean energy and environmental technologies, yet progress remains limited by the persistent disconnect between atomic-scale active site design and the demands of macroscale reactors. The efficiency of any catalytic system depends on coordinated electron, ion, and molecular transport. Conventional approaches, which typically optimize materials and reactor structures separately, fail to synergize the coupled charge, mass, and energy flows that ultimately govern activity. Here we propose the Transport Coupling Framework (TCF) - a perspective that positions cross-scale transport synergy as the fundamental principle driving catalytic performance. Within this framework, 3D-printed single-atom catalysts (3D-printed SACs) emerge as an ideal platform for realization: by precisely organizing single-atom sites within rationally designed macroscopic architectures, they transform catalyst construction from a static chemical process into a dynamic system capable of orchestrating energy and matter flows with fine control.